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Thomas Crown Affair, The

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Thomas Crown Affair, The reviews
72
7.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 23 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 8 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Leslie Dixon
Kurt Wimmer
Alan Trustman (story)

Directed by: John McTiernan

Release Date:
Theatrical: August 6, 1999
DVD: February 6, 2001

Running Time: 113 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for some sexuality and language

Starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo, Denis Leary, Ben Gazzara, Frankie Faison, Fritz Weaver, Charles Keating, and Faye Dunaway

Based on the 1968 film of the same name, this sophisticated thriller combines the action of an art heist and an intense love story. (MGM)

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...

90

Slate David Edelstein

The world didn't need a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair. We didn't need it, but we got it anyway -- and it's pretty terrific.

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90

Salon.com Charles Taylor

It's a deluxe vacation for adults with all frills included: glamorous settings, glamorous clothes, glamorous sex.

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83

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

A romp of romantic larceny built out of spare parts we've seen in countless other films.

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80

Empire Bob McCabe

As absorbed as he is with his characters, McTiernan is still able to provide a couple of dazzling set pieces - the sustained opening heist (involving a pun-intended Trojan horse) is a doozy, while the Magritte-inspired, music-fuelled denouement is, well, inspired.

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80

The New Yorker David Denby

The movie is expert piffle for grownups, directed with great energy by John McTiernan and written with verve by Leslie Dixon and Kurt Wimmer.

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80

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

A moderately diverting entertainment as sleek and aerodynamically sound as the glider its characters tool around in, it takes no extraordinary chances and delivers no major surprises.

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80

Newsweek David Ansen

Slick, gaudily suave guilty pleasure of a movie.

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80

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

This is a movie that understands the larger-than-life appeal of the old-fashioned movie star and one of the movies' most primal appeals: beautiful people doing amusing things while talking about it cleverly.

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80

Washington Post Desson Thomson

A full-throttle fantasy, about as heady a movie experience as it gets.

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80

Film.com Robert Horton

Strangely enough, this movie provides a lot of the James Bond veneer that has been missing from recent James Bond movies.

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80

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

It's a piece of disposable fluff -- though that's exactly what's so appealing about it.

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75

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

McTiernan's film mines what substance it has from its two stars, but is admittedly about keeping up its own appearances.

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75

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

Non-cultists should enjoy this engaging and well-acted retread -- a film that develops its own charm as it goes along.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham

What The Thomas Crown Affair has to sell audiences is a fantasy of the life of the super-rich who jet off to Martinique on the spur of the moment, and the super-smart who operate outside the rules.

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70

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

A sealskin-slick, cat-and-mouse romance-caper trifle with a hard-on for wealth that feels downright Trumpian.

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70

Variety Todd McCarthy

The characters in The Thomas Crown Affair are cool -- too cool, in fact, for the film to develop much of a pulse.

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70

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

Hard to believe that real emotion was involved anywhere in this story.

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63

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The remake has a superior caper but less chemistry.

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63

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Too expensive for its own good, too chic for comfort.

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60

LA Weekly Manohla Dargis

An improvement on the original, but that isn't saying much.

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60

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

It's enjoyable poppycock.

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50

ReelViews James Berardinelli

This new interpretation does few things better than the original, and many things worse.

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40

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Why remake Norman Jewison's staunchly cool 1968 heist film in such a lackadaisical, uninspired manner?

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it an8:
This was interesting, but the sex scene was a little overdone. Brosnan must've had fun playing a billionaire, although he's not to far off. Those poeple are living the life...really.

Andrew M. gave it a 10:
Interesting mixed reviews for this film....I personally thought it was the best film I have seen for some time. If there are faults with it, they certainly didn't bother me one bit. Fascinating and involving, and Russo was superb. I would recommend it to anyone.

Pat C. gave it a 7:
A magic show for mystery buffs. Suspensful, engaging & nondisturbing. Pretends to be about the inconsequential, but is actually about nothing at all. But it's really shrewd people who are trotting through this non-event. If you are uninformed as to the appreciation of the splendid fine art that serves as the film's prime prop, expect to remain so.

Yoon C. gave it an 8:
Daft and dandy, deft and dashing, a brilliantly crafted heist caper that has all the hallmarks of an expert magic trick. McTiernan directorial sleight of hand is something to behold, transforming what's essentially fluff into one of the most joyous and elating entertainments in recent times.

William M. gave it a 5:
Pretty darned ordinary. I don't know if Rene Russo can carry a lead role like this anymore. Then again, maybe the material is just middle of the road.

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