Phenomenon
Phenomenon Image
Metascore
41 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick
  • Summary: An uplifting story of an ordinary man transformed by extraordinary events. (BV Entertainment)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    It's about change, acceptance and love, and it rounds those three bases very nicely, even if it never quite gets to home.
  2. San Francisco Examiner
    Reviewed by: Barbara Shulgasser
    50
    As always, Duvall is magnificent. Even in this small part, he manages to give one of the most stirring performances in the movie.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Stack
    50
    But this soggy, sentimental tour through a rural dreamworld of salt-of- the-earth versus supercharged intelligence never quite gets deep enough to touch the soul -- or to make sense.
  4. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    30
    Phenomenon flails about in a search for direction: inspirational drama, romance, social study, government intrigue- nothing fits or is explored very deeply.

See all 17 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. AtticusD
    10
    SO good.
  2. JayH
    6
    After such a promising first half, the story just peters out and loses its focus. The performances are good and sincere, I just wish they had kept the lightness of the first half throughout the film. Interesting idea given a fair treatment.… Expand
  3. avatar16
    6
    Autant le dire tout de suite, Phénomène n'est pas un film mémorable. En effet, il est l'exemple type de la gentille comédie tout droit sortie des studios hollywoodiens qui flirte avec le fantastique pour attirer les spectateurs (en plus du casting, composé tout de même de John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall...). Avec une mise en scène plate et une bande son trop poussée lors des séquences romantiques ou tristes, le film ne cache en aucun cas son statut de divertissement américain. Mais il faut bien reconnaître que Phénomène reste avant tout attachant. En premier lieu par ses personnages, assez bien interprétés; et par son histoire qui prend enfin de l'ampleur après une première partie axée sur la comédie orientée fantastique/science-fiction, grâce à un retournement de situation astucieux sur ce que vit le personnage de Travolta. Un film juste attachant et pas désagréable à regarder.… Expand

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