All the King's Men
All the King's Men Image
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Metascore
37 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 37 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.1 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 46 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Sean Penn
  • Summary: Based on Robert Penn Warren's 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, All the King's Men tells the story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. (Sony Pictures)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 37
  3. Negative: 13 out of 37
  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    80
    Zaillian (an Oscar winner for his "Schindler's List" screenplay) has given us an intricate, subtly rewarding narrative whose uncompromising nature and undeniable moral seriousness make it far from business as usual, even in the ever-decreasing world of quality Hollywood filmmaking.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Stephen Hunter
    60
    All the King's Men hasn't been directed so much as over-directed, although the result, when you make an effort to filter out all the film school pyrotechnics, is an honorable run at Robert Penn Warren's classic novel.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    60
    A frustrating experience. It's beautifully shot, acted and designed, but there's little cohesion in the story. Maybe one day we'll see a better cut, but for now this is a sadly fumbled opportunity.
  4. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    38
    Overthought, overwrought and thuddingly underwhelming, this high-profile misfire makes a congealed gumbo out of Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer-winning 1946 novel and the Oscar-winning 1949 movie that followed it, sinking a classy cast in the goo.

See all 37 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 22
  3. Negative: 7 out of 22
  1. SeanF.
    10
    This is one of the all time greatest movies I've seen. The only unfortunate thing is that it has ruined my opinion of critics for eternity. Some of the actors didn't pull off being Southerners very well, but that was the only flaw I observed watching this film. A great depiction of a populist's rise to power, and the inevitable coming together of the wealthy and powerful to stop him at any cost.… Expand
  2. AlanN.
    8
    I agree with Dave W's comment that too many critics were "hung up" on the original 1940's movie. I haven't seen the original, nor read the book that inspired both pictures, but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie in its own right. It's not "brain in the fridge" stuff, far from it and all the better for that fact. Sometimes a movie should demand something from the audience and if you take the time to immerse yourself in this one, you'll be rewarded with some fine acting performances and storytelling. Recommended.… Collapse
  3. JohnP.
    7
    Sean Penn is great as usual in this somewhat laborious and occassionally confusing story of the fascinating polictical career of Huey Long.
  4. LR.
    4
    The story line was hard to follow: too many flashbacks and rehashing of scenes that became tedious. At times, the dialogue was unintelligible and the accents were all over the place. Sean Penn was strong as usual but the direction was lacking. Overall a big disappoinment.… Expand

See all 22 User Reviews

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