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THE UNBORNMovie Reviews
Supernatural thriller about a young woman pulled into a world of nightmares when a demonic spirit haunts her and threatens everyone she loves. Cast:Odette Yustman, Gary Oldman, Cam Gigandet, Meagan Good, Carla GuginoDirector:David S. GoyerRelease Date:January 9, 2009DVD Release:July 7, 2009From:UniversalRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 28 min
The Unborn played to poor reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "...cribs from so many movies, it's enough to make your head spin. Perhaps that's why so many craniums go rotating during this cheesy thriller." • And Wesley Morris wrote in the Boston Globe, "What begins as a disposable teen spookfest (Girl, don't go in there) ends in a nutty, barely Semitic bloodbath (Dude, don't go there)." More Reviews Below...
The Unborn Positive Reviews (19 Reviews, reviews below)
Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...comes across like a Jewish Exorcist.... David S. Goyer has penned many scripts superior to this one, but he does make sure you're never far away from a big 'Boo!' "(See all of Clark Collis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 93 words, 01/16/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "David S. Goyer, who wrote the 'Blade' series and co-wrote 'The Dark Knight,' makes things laughably more complicated than they needed to be."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 455 words, 01/08/09
Claudia Puig, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "...cribs from so many movies, it's enough to make your head spin. Perhaps that's why so many craniums go rotating during this cheesy thriller."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 105 words, 01/09/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (9 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...unintentionally funny... may be the first horror flick to contain the assurance that 'no actual Torah scrolls were destroyed or damaged in the making of this motion picture.' "(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 01/09/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "What 'The Exorcist' might look like if Madonna rewrote it... silly fright flick finds college student Casey (Odette Yustman) haunted by a Kabbalistic demon."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 443 words, 01/09/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "I enjoyed the visual effects used to create some hellish creatures and the amusing nods to 'The Exorcist'... But the movie slips in the last act."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 585 words, 01/09/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: WEAK(cg) "...any film that features Gary Oldman as a rabbi with exorcism powers isn't asking to be taken seriously... It helps if you haven't seen 'The Exorcist,' or for that matter any horror film."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 295 words, 01/15/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "The final exorcism-by-committee, performed in an abandoned asylum that looks like it was laid out by the Illinois chapter of the Knights Templar..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 01/07/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "I expected more from Goyer. I'm actually a fan. In addition to his fine work with Christopher Nolan on the 'Batman' reboots, Goyer wrote the 'Blade' movies..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 01/08/09
KEY CITIES (3 Reviews)
Mike Mayo, Washington Post: GOOD(cg) "...a visually polished slice of hokum borrows well from 'The Exorcist,' 'The Ring,' 'The Mephisto Waltz,' 'The X-Files' and even 'Poltergeist.' "(See all of Mike Mayo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 01/09/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: POOR(cg) "What begins as a disposable teen spookfest (Girl, don't go in there) ends in a nutty, barely Semitic bloodbath (Dude, don't go there)."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 424 words, 01/10/09
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: POOR(cg) "...a maddening hodgepodge of plot distractions, gimmick fights and too many characters. It's a pretty but pretty cluttered, un-frightening mess..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 496 words, 01/10/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "The final exorcism-by-committee, performed in an abandoned asylum that looks like it was laid out by the Illinois chapter of the Knights Templar..."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 761 words, 01/07/09
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "I expected more from Goyer. I'm actually a fan. In addition to his fine work with Christopher Nolan on the 'Batman' reboots, Goyer wrote the 'Blade' movies..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 01/08/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...unintentionally funny... may be the first horror flick to contain the assurance that 'no actual Torah scrolls were destroyed or damaged in the making of this motion picture.' "(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 01/09/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: POOR "...the pic doesn't imbue Rabbi Sendak with any of the self-doubt that afflicted 'The Exorcist's' Father Merrin, and the actor seems content to phone in his performance."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 778 words, 01/09/09
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: POOR "...unintentionally funny... may be the first horror flick to contain the assurance that 'no actual Torah scrolls were destroyed or damaged in the making of this motion picture.' "(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 01/09/09
20.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Unborn's reviews are separated by an average 20.7 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 Unborn (19 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Unborn's reviews cover 30.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 7,575 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 399 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Unborn Coverage, Volume & Length (19 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 28.9 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Unborn's reviews on average broke 28.9 hours after 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 Unborn's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Unborn (19 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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