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WE THE PARTYMovie Reviews
Comedy about five friends at an ethnically diverse Los Angeles high school as they prepare for an uncertain future. Cast:Mandela Van Peebles, Simone Battle, Moises Arias, Morgana Van PeeblesDirector:Mario Van PeeblesRelease Date:April 6, 2012DVD Release:July 31, 2012From:Xlrator MediaRating:RLength:1 hr 44 min
We the Party played in key cities to mixed reviews. • Diego Costa wrote for Slant, "...remarkably well-edited and authentic... both exhilaratingly fun (think a less self-indulgent, and definitely less queer 'Kaboom') and socially conscious — to a limit." • And Stephanie Merry wrote in the Washington Post, "...there are a few bright spots, not the least of which is Van Peebles the younger." More Reviews Below...
We the Party Positive Reviews (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Scott Bowles, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...can play like 'We the Van Peebles,' a home movie for the director and his relatives.... isn't likely to resonate with many, including revelers."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 230 words, 04/06/12
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...despite its flashy cinematography and colorful sets, it contains a great deal that is serious about growing up in America... Mario Van Peebles is a gifted filmmaker..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 936 words, 04/06/12
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...clearly a labor of love... there's a lot here that would be good for kids to see, with more than a spoonful of sugar to help the not-actually-that-bad medicine go down."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 04/05/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (7 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Mario Van Peebles tries awfully hard to disguise the heavy-handed messages... a high school movie that he wrote and directed and filled with his relatives."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/06/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Van Peebles wants to make a socially conscious cross between 'Superbad' and 'House Party,' but this frustrating effort is too uneven to connect with the force he intends."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 196 words, 04/06/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...in working so hard to be the adult who 'gets' kids yet lectures them at the same time, Van Peebles has ended up with a colorful but superficial mess."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "The script suffers from blandness and aimlessness, but most of the cast is appealing enough, as is the director himself, who plays a sensitive teacher."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 144 words, 04/06/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...despite its flashy cinematography and colorful sets, it contains a great deal that is serious about growing up in America... Mario Van Peebles is a gifted filmmaker..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 936 words, 04/06/12
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Van Peebles's attempt to wed his kids' generational moment to a classic coming-of-age template falters in its message-obsessed execution."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 04/04/12
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: WEAK(cg) "...there are a few bright spots, not the least of which is Van Peebles the younger... But the enjoyment fades behind the too-numerous subplots and self-conscious bells and whistles..."(See all of Stephanie Merry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 462 words, 04/06/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "Van Peebles's attempt to wed his kids' generational moment to a classic coming-of-age template falters in its message-obsessed execution."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 282 words, 04/04/12
Alison Willmore, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...offers a window on life as an upper-middle-class black teenager in love with hip-hop culture, but coming from an essentially suburban background."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 04/05/12
Diego Costa, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...remarkably well-edited and authentic... both exhilaratingly fun (think a less self-indulgent, and definitely less queer 'Kaboom') and socially conscious -- to a limit."(See all of Diego Costa's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 489 words, 03/29/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Mario Van Peebles tries awfully hard to disguise the heavy-handed messages... a high school movie that he wrote and directed and filled with his relatives."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/06/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...in working so hard to be the adult who 'gets' kids yet lectures them at the same time, Van Peebles has ended up with a colorful but superficial mess."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Robert Koehler, Daily Variety: FAIR "...messy... feels like a quickie knockoff between major projects, offering the writer-director's handsome son Mandela and other younger Van Peebles loads of screentime."(See all of Robert Koehler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 04/03/12
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "...suffers from uneven acting (talent isn't always hereditary); stereotypical characters and situations; and a manic visual style..."(See all of Frank Scheck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 366 words, 04/05/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...in working so hard to be the adult who 'gets' kids yet lectures them at the same time, Van Peebles has ended up with a colorful but superficial mess."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 212 words, 04/06/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: MODERATE "Mario Van Peebles tries awfully hard to disguise the heavy-handed messages... a high school movie that he wrote and directed and filled with his relatives."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 203 words, 04/06/12
19.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
We the Party's reviews are separated by an average 19.0 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.
We the Party (14 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:We the Party's reviews cover 22.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 5,145 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 368 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
We the Party Coverage, Volume & Length (14 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 11.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
We the Party's reviews on average broke 11.9 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 We the Party's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
We the Party (14 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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