James Berardinelli, ReelViews
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For 2,525 reviews, this critic has graded:
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65% higher than the average critic
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2% same as the average critic
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33% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 6.1 points higher than other critics.
(0-100 point scale)
James Berardinelli's Scores
- Movies
| Average review score: | 65 |
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| Highest review score: |
Critic Score
100
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| Lowest review score: |
Critic Score
0
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 1,802 out of 2525
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Mixed: 443 out of 2525
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Negative: 280 out of 2525
2,525
movie reviews
- By critic score
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James Berardinelli 88
Election has the sharpest satire of any teen movie made in years. Like the best lampoons, it attacks by exaggerating reality ever-so-slightly and targeting a broad range of subjects. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Isn't just an expose of the porn industry -- it's a provocative and involving character study, as well. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Nothing, no matter how outrageous, is beyond Smith, and his willingness to flaunt cinematic taboos is one of the reasons why Clerks is such a unqualified success. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Touching, funny, sweet, and most important of all, real -- a welcome breath of fresh air. -
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James Berardinelli 88
As much as any other motion picture that employs the preparation and consumption of food as a key element, Mostly Martha provides the perfect blend of cinematic nourishment and gratification. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Thirty minutes into Waiting for Guffman, my stomach hurt from laughing. -
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James Berardinelli 88
This is one of Levinson's best films, and the screenplay, co-penned by noted writer David Mamet (along with Hilary Henkin), is brilliantly on-target. -
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James Berardinelli 88
I suspect that mainstream audiences will find plenty of things to take pleasure in, even though some viewers may be bewildered by what the Coens do. But for those who share my taste in comedy, this is a must-not-miss. -
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James Berardinelli 88
This is a simple story of hope and triumph, of one girl with the drive to succeed defying the odds and following her dream. It's not an original tale -- movies like this abound -- but Nava's point-of-view is fresh. -
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James Berardinelli 88
The in-your-face style of We Were Soldiers results in a suspenseful, intense, and exhausting cinematic experience. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Mulan effortlessly blends serious, comic, and cute elements into a whole that should entertain the majority of movie-goers, regardless of race, gender, or age. -
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James Berardinelli 88
On the Waterfront may have baggage, but that doesn't prevent it from being one of the great American productions of the mid-20th century. -
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James Berardinelli 88
This is as anti-Hollywood a film as I have seen in recent months, one which takes conventional plot ideas and uses them not to season a melodrama, but to enrich fully three-dimensional characters and create a forceful motion picture. -
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James Berardinelli 88
A Bug's Life, like “Toy Story,” develops protagonists we can root for, and places them in the midst of a fast-moving, energetic adventure. -
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James Berardinelli 88
The computer-generated effects are a marvel. It's something of a bonus that the characters, dialogue, and story provide entertainment value of their own. -
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James Berardinelli 88
The Usual Suspects is an accomplished synthesis of noir elements and, as such, is an entertaining entry to the genre. -
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James Berardinelli 88
One of the most obvious problems with The Godfather Part III is that it covers little new territory. The plot is highly derivative of the original. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Fatoumata Coulibaly's peformance is striking. She plays her character with a mixture of determination and compassion. -
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James Berardinelli 88
One of the best thrillers I have seen this year: tight, taut, and unpredictable. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Using perfectly composed shots to amplify an emotionally resonant story, the film successfully argues that "artistic" films do not have to be boring. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Almodovar also manages to conclude the film on a hopeful note, and one that will have many audience members wishing that he will someday return to tell more about these characters. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Although the specter of death hovers over the entire film, it is neither a grim nor a depressing experience. Arcand has injected a great deal of wit into the movie, and it meshes perfectly with the anticipated pathos. -
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James Berardinelli 88
In terms of power and effect, Eyes Wide Shut approaches (but does not surpass) Kubrick's vintage work - it is thought-provoking and unsettling. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Truth, they say, is stranger than fiction… and also potentially more nail-biting and harder to believe. Touching the Void is an extreme example of this. -
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James Berardinelli 88
The film is as powerful as any narrative motion picture in telling a story that rips at the emotions. -
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James Berardinelli 88
A rousing tale that combines high adventure with emotional effectiveness. This movie works because it never loses sight of the characters no matter how epic the scope becomes. -
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James Berardinelli 88
It's a superior thriller made with the guts and gusto that too many recycled entries into the genre fail to exhibit. -
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James Berardinelli 88
Imperfect as it may be, Bowling for Columbine is riveting stuff. -
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James Berardinelli 88
If not for a somewhat forced catharsis during the epilogue (the weakest segment of the movie), Breaking the Waves would have been more wrenching than it is. -
