Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Metascore
36 out of 100

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 33
  3. Negative: 12 out of 33
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  1. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    30
    Based on an interminable 1994 international bestseller by Louis de Bernières that I found impossible to make my way through. The movie duplicates exactly my experience with the book, although I must say I was thankful to be spared serial outbreaks of hearty Greek dancing.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    30
    Given the polyglot nature of the cast, with actors from at least five countries taking their best shots at the English language, it's unclear why Cage felt he needed an accent or, stranger still, why it took him a reported seven months to come up with this one.
  3. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: David Ansen
    30
    Every role is miscast. Whose idea was it to have the boyishly British Bale play an illiterate Greek peasant, or the elegant Hurt a gruff-voiced country doctor? Cruz’s run of bad luck in American movies continues.
  4. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Bill Gallo
    30
    The moviemakers have eliminated the finer points of the novel in favor of broad strokes. Very broad strokes.
  5. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    25
    We began this dismal movie season with one lethally bad World War II romance -- "Pearl Harbor" -- and now we're wrapping up with another howling dog.
  6. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Charles Taylor
    20
    Sells ignorance as a refined evening's entertainment.
  7. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Chuck Wilson
    20
    To be fair, it's not solely Cage's fault that his new film, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, is lousy -- director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) deserves most of the heat for this listless dud.
  8. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    20
    As the movie methodically plods forward on a screenplay (by Shawn Slovo) consisting entirely of clichés and watered-down exposition, it becomes sadly apparent that its only reliable asset is the gorgeous view.
  9. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    20
    I wish I'd brought a pair of peas to the screening. Then I could have taken in the glorious scenery without the dumb dialogue, which is delivered in a jangle of accents that makes a mockery of ethnicity.
    All this critic's reviews
  10. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    20
    The real problem is not the maudlin script or Madden's travelogue touch. It's Cage as Corelli, a miscasting that turns the normally volatile, edgy performer into little more than a spokesman for the Olive Garden.
  11. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Rita Kempley
    20
    A bungled screen version of Louis de Bernieres' cult novel, Captain Corelli's Mandolin was doomed from the moment Nicolas Cage was cast as the "life-devouring," Puccini-loving hero.
  12. Slate
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    10
    Probably the most horrifying stuff I've seen all week.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 6 out of 13
  1. EvaH.
    0
    Unreliable character sketches - in particular the PTSD case is far out. But beautiful views.
  2. hatems.
    10
    It's a very nice romantic story with some action and with a very great sound track especially the Pelagia Song.
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