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Breakin' All the Rules
Screen Gems Inc.


6.0

based on 26 reviews
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based on 1 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sexual material/humor and language

Starring Jamie Foxx, Morris Chestnut, Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Esposito, Bianca Lawson, Peter MacNicol, Jill Ritchie, and Gerald Emerick

In this comedy of errors, a man (Foxx), who is unceremoniously dumped by his fiancée pens a "how to" book on breaking up and becomes a best-selling author on the subject. (Screen Gems)

GENRE(S):	Comedy \| Romance
WRITTEN BY:	Daniel Taplitz
DIRECTED BY:	Daniel Taplitz
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: October 12, 2004 Video: October 12, 2004 Theatrical: May 14, 2004
RUNNING TIME:	99 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

This could be the year's smartest romantic comedy.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Not a comic masterpiece, but it's entertaining and efficient, and provides a showcase for its stars. It's on the level of a good sitcom.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

This isn't all gold--there are lame riffs on a booze-swilling dog and a flabby old man with a boner--but it's well above average.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Has something many movies don't these days: interesting and attractive people talking to each other.

USA Today Mike Clark

Designed to be a date movie, Rules could have stronger male appeal than many comedies of its ilk.

Chicago Tribune Mark Caro

Isn't exactly a good movie, but it turns out not to be bad, either. It's a romantic comedy that strains to be screwball but at least is likable.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Plays strictly to formula, the only real surprise is its apparently ironic title.

Variety Joe Leydon

Manages to amuse as a cleverly concocted hybrid of conventional romantic comedy and mistaken-identity farce.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The rules of good screenwriting are mostly broken, though Jamie Foxx's smash-and-grab charisma remains intact.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Full of sharp ideas and wry moments awaiting the inspired ingenuity of a screwball comedy to pull it all together. It never comes.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Jamie Foxx finds his funny bone is firmly intact in the effervescent, urban-flavored romantic comedy Breakin' all the Rules.

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

Writer-director Daniel Taplitz seems to be trying to invoke classic screwball with this convoluted setup, but it plays like mediocre sitcom.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

The film's failure to adhere to one of the most important rules of humor -- never give extensive screen time to someone who is not the slightest bit funny -- prevents it from being a completely enjoyable, if silly, romp.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

Not entirely bereft of chuckles, though it misses one comic opportunity after another (the best jokes are in the trailer).

Philadelphia Inquirer Karen Heller

The cast, headed by the divine Jamie Foxx, is better than the material. Director Daniel Taplitz is better than the material.

Los Angeles Times Gene Seymour

The hard-sell comic delivery one expects from contemporary date movies is pleasantly tempered here.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

The actor's (Jamie Foxx) deft touch lends the flighty story of mistaken identities and romantic mix-ups among mostly African-American characters in Los Angeles the kind of saucy bounce that Cary Grant lent to similar roles six decades ago.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jennie Punter

A story only slightly more complex than your average episode of "Friends."

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's nobody’s idea of a classic comedy, but in its own inoffensive and eager-to-please way it's a pleasant enough way to spend 90 minutes ogling the lustrous Ms. Union and Mr. Foxx's equally and endlessly fascinating volcanic coif.

LA Weekly John Patterson

Yet another unfunny buppie sex comedy in the manner of "The Brothers," "Two Can Play That Game" and "Deliver Us From Eva."

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

Written and directed by Daniel Taplitz, Breakin' has a hard time building up steam and an even harder time distinguishing itself from any number of UPN sitcoms.

TV Guide Ethan Alter

This tepid romantic comedy not only fails to break the rules, but it follows them to the letter.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

No movie this stupid should need a plot synopsis this complicated.

Village Voice Joe McGovern

The threadbare plot gets considerable padding from alternately psychotic, lecherous, and greedy Caucasians.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

A movie that sags and drags under the weight of poor pacing, execrable writing and largely unlikable characters.

San Francisco Chronicle Carla Meyer

The freshest thing about Breakin' All the Rules is its dropped "g.''

The average user rating for this movie is 6.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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Breakin' All the Rules Screen Gems Inc.

Breakin' All the Rules
Screen Gems Inc.