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Paparazzi
EMAILPRINTTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama | Suspense/Thriller
Written by: Forrest Smith
Directed by: Paul Abascal
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 3, 2004
DVD: January 11, 2005
Running Time: 85 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for intense violent sequences, sexual content and language
Starring Cole Hauser, Tom Sizemore, Robin Tunney, Dennis Farina, Daniel Baldwin, Tom Hollander, and Kevin Gage
A celebrity plots revenge against a group of paparazzi photographers who caused a car accident involving his wife and son.
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
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...
Film Threat Rick Kisonak
This is a film which resonates on a surprising number of levels. But the level on which it undoubtedly works best is the victim-goes-postal-and-takes-the-law-into-his-own-hands level.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
It was shrewdly written by Forrest Smith and directed crisply by Paul Abascal (Gibson's onetime hairdresser) for maximum visceral impact upon the susceptible.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
It doesn't take long for the film to devolve into a ludicrously far-fetched Celebrity Death Wish.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader J.R. Jones
In essence this is a celebrity revenge fantasy, something few of us can relate to, but director Paul Abascal has the sense to keep the homilies short and the pacing fast.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
Paparazzi is for anyone who's ever wondered how good it would feel to knock down a photographer with his car and then back over him.
Read Full Review >New York Post Megan Lehmann
A throwback to the kind of '80s action flicks that had titles like "Adrenaline Force," is enlivened by a raft of celebrity cameos, including a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance by Gibson.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
First-time director Paul Abascal brings no style or personality to this B-movie exercise. Except for Farina, the actors go through the paces as if they too lack conviction in the proceedings.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Paparazzi follows the vigilante playbook in all its banality, without much in the way of moral reflection.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Robert Abele
In producer Mel Gibson's second crackpot persecution-complex film of 2004 -- heat-blast directed by first-timer Paul Abascal -- it's obvious who Bo is supposed to represent.
Read Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
Visually uninspired and dramatically overheated, Paparazzi has overall look and feel of generic direct-to-video production.
Read Full Review >Premiere Peter Debruge
In the age of reality television, Paparazzi feels desperately out-of-touch, the jaded grousings of an industry burnout.
Read Full Review >ReelViews James Berardinelli
One has the sense that if the level of violence had been ratcheted up a little, Paparazzi might have been more of a guilty pleasure and less of a chore to watch.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
This mean-spirited revenge story would once have starred Cole Hauser's father, veteran B-movie psycho Wings Hauser, and played grindhouses and drive-ins. And it would have been a far more entertaining picture.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
All this would be fine if the script by Forrest Smith had more wit and fewer clichés, or the direction by former makeup artist Abascal had more inventiveness.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole
There is no energy here. No sense of movie invention or fun.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 5.7 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Faisal H. gave it a7:
Nice movie with unexpected moments!
Jay gave it a9:
Very good movie, was very action packed, not a bad story line.
D Cleve gave it a7:
It is difficult to fathom how Mel went from something so lofty in Passion to something so base in paparazzi. Folks, this is a bad movie. That being said, you cannot help but to side with Bo-the main character- when these slimy paparazzi are hounding him at every possible moment. I know that I’m being a little macabre, but I thought it might have been a little more emotional if his family was killed instead of his wife needing her spleen removed and the son being placed knocked into a coma. Hey, it’s a movie! If you accept that this movie is a cheese factory, you should be able to derive some entertainment from it.
Joe S. gave it a3:
Not a "bad" movie, but definitely below average. It's hard to tell whether that's more to blame on the writing or the directing.
Billy gave it a9:
Highly entertaining. I don't know what some of these critics were expecting, but it is a fun movie.
Michael M. gave it a 6:
Call me an idiot, but I found it to be quite enjoyable. It's not a great movie at all. It's merely entertaining. It's a fun romp you'll enjoy watching, then forget about a day later. The acting is mediocre, except for a wonderful performance from real-life scumbag Tom Sizemore, who plays a sleazy paparazzi member. He creates such an unlikable smart-ass villian, that it will have you urging to reach into the screen and try to strangle him. The action sequences are fun to watch, but the ending is kind of lame. Personally, I liked Mel Gibson's "The Passion" way way better.
Albert W. gave it a 0:
Awfully bad as anything Mel Gibsom touched who says the former hairdresser could not direct a movie as good as a former bad actor? he definitely does the job as "well" as Mel Gibson...
