Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
THE TRIP (2011)Movie Reviews
Comedy about a man hired by a British newspaper to review restaurants in northern England, who reluctantly brings along a male friend when his girlfriend refuses to make the trip. Cast:Steve Coogan, Margo Stilley, Rob BrydonDirector:Michael WinterbottomRelease Date:June 10, 2011DVD Release:October 11, 2011From:IFCLength:1 hr 49 min
The Trip (2011) played in key cities to very good reviews. • Andrew O'Hehir wrote for Salon, "The casual, subtle, improvised quality can't quite conceal how brilliant it is. This is an instant classic of British comedy..." • And Bob Mondello said on NPR, "Not sure when I lost it and started laughing at absolutely everything they said, but by the time they were singing ABBA songs at the top of their lungs, I was gone." More Reviews Below...
The Trip (2011) Positive Reviews (41 Reviews, reviews below)
Richard Corliss, Time: VERY GOOD "...may have familiar elements... but the badinage provides an immediate and lasting kick, as well as the spectacle of two champion combatants at the top of their game."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,075 words, 06/10/11
David Germain, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...leaves you contemplating what you've seen through Coogan and Brydon's eyes -- and feeling kind of sorry that you've parted ways with these guys."(See all of David Germain's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 06/09/11
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...hilarious and touching... looks like a lark -- and is -- yet there's a sneaky resonance to the way it celebrates what acting means to these two rogue cutups."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 06/10/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...although it looks like a documentary, it isn't one.... At the end we're left with the intriguing question: Would we rather see the same two actors in a regular story?"(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 594 words, 06/17/11
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...begins to build intriguing intimations that stretch outside of its ostensible aren't-these-show-business-people-phony theme.... diverting entertainment."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 607 words, 06/07/11
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...the trip becomes an occasion for philosophizing, a journey inward and out as the men joust and parry, improvising and entertaining each other..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 06/10/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...side-splittingly funny.... every time we start to get antsy, one of the men begins needling the other in some new way, and things escalate into competitive hilarity."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 331 words, 06/10/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...near total improvisation, there is no writing credit, and that holds up remarkably well... fun to watch, the countryside is bucolic, the food mouthwatering."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 06/10/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Every so often, a film comes along that redefines the boundaries of cinema. And every so often there is a movie about two middle-age men driving around and having lunch."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 06/10/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...frequently riotous... muses on friendship, commitment, narcissism and the onslaught of middle age... it's the hardest I've laughed at a comedy this year..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 406 words, 06/17/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...although it looks like a documentary, it isn't one.... At the end we're left with the intriguing question: Would we rather see the same two actors in a regular story?"(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 594 words, 06/17/11
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a talkative faux-reality road film largely improvised by funnymen Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon... The verbal jousts are droll and the countryside is splendid..."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 06/08/11
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...entertains in delightful fashion. A long, strange (and mostly satisfying) trip, indeed, yet one that would have benefitted from a shorter stay."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 07/01/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...good fun, complete with laugh-out-loud moments, pleasant scenery, fine food, finer poetry and company that only rarely feels tedious."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 07/01/11
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a relentless and relentlessly funny game of one-upmanship.... I'll give a dollar to anyone who can watch this film without cracking up..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 06/17/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the riffing, the one-upsmanship, the off-the-cuff zingers and the singing... an easy-going trek down a road well-traveled..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 682 words, 06/13/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a wickedly funny joy ride that offers keen, unflatteringly honest insights on fame, midlife crises and the rivalrous nature of male friendship.... a memorable ride..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 06/24/11
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...suggests a reality TV fusion of 'Sideways' and a Bob Hope/Bing Crosby 'Road' movie, or maybe 'My Dinner With Andre' repurposed into a movable feast."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 780 words, 06/17/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...some of the biggest laughs I've had in a movie all year. Three times I caught myself checking the time... Each time I was hoping there would be more to go, not less."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 326 words, 06/17/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a breezy wander through the North of England and the psyches of two actors... doesn't really go anywhere you didn't see it heading, but it's worth the journey."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 241 words, 06/17/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...hilarious.... every bit as endearing as it is odd.... Coogan and Brydon don't need a script; all they need is one another."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 322 words, 07/08/11
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...uproariously funny... It's male bonding at its best and funniest.... it's about friendship, one that will give you plenty to laugh -- and think -- about."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 499 words, 07/15/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a talkative faux-reality road film largely improvised by funnymen Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon... The verbal jousts are droll and the countryside is splendid..."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 387 words, 06/08/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...if you're going to be stuck in a car driving on the M6, you could do worse than have this ebullient, bickering pair as company..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 154 words, 06/17/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "Is it enough just to record scattered moments of inspired Coogan/Brydon riffing, or mightn't 'The Trip' have had a little more... purpose?"(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 06/09/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...a relentless verbal sparring comprised of dueling impressions, poetry recitations, absurdist riffing, and comic one-upmanship -- works best in small doses."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 511 words, 04/20/11
Bob Mondello, NPR All Things Considered: EXCELLENT "Not sure when I lost it and started laughing at absolutely everything they said, but by the time they were singing ABBA songs at the top of their lungs, I was gone."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Listen to the full review...) 225 seconds, 06/10/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...the trip becomes an occasion for philosophizing, a journey inward and out as the men joust and parry, improvising and entertaining each other..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 06/10/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the film would be just too mild and miniature were it not for its one, vaunting thrust of fanciful wit.... Both Coogan and Brydon are mimics of extreme virtuosity..."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,110 words, 06/06/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...near total improvisation, there is no writing credit, and that holds up remarkably well... fun to watch, the countryside is bucolic, the food mouthwatering."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 06/10/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: FAIR "...alternately amuses, bores, annoys... was originally conceived as a series for British television, a context in which its rambling episodic structure makes more sense."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 06/10/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...dazzlingly funny... The casual, subtle, improvised quality can't quite conceal how brilliant it is. This is an instant classic of British comedy..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 773 words, 04/24/11
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...suffers badly from being largely improvised... indulgent, it smacks of being what the British call a 'jolly,' that is a freebie with no obligation to turn in work afterward."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 440 words, 10/15/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "...near total improvisation, there is no writing credit, and that holds up remarkably well... fun to watch, the countryside is bucolic, the food mouthwatering."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 684 words, 06/10/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...the trip becomes an occasion for philosophizing, a journey inward and out as the men joust and parry, improvising and entertaining each other..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 819 words, 06/10/11
16.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Trip (2011)'s reviews are separated by an average 16.4 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Trip (2011) (41 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Trip (2011)'s reviews cover 80.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 20,942 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 511 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 67.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Trip (2011)'s reviews on average broke 67.4 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Trip (2011)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Trip (2011) (41 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
