Chris Hewitt (1)

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Empire
For 111 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 63% higher than the average critic
  • 8% same as the average critic
  • 29% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 0.7 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Chris Hewitt (1)'s Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 66
Highest review score: 100 All Is Lost
Lowest review score: 20 The Invention of Lying
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 111
  2. Mixed: 53 out of 111
  3. Negative: 4 out of 111
111 movie reviews
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    • 83 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Avatar
    It's been twelve years since "Titanic," but the King of the World has returned with a flawed but fantastic tour de force that, taken on its merits as a film, especially in two dimensions, warrants four stars. However, if you can wrap a pair of 3D glasses round your peepers, this becomes a transcendent, full-on five-star experience that's the closest we'll ever come to setting foot on a strange new world. Just don't leave it so long next time, eh, Jim?
    • 91 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Halloween
    Regardless of how silly you think it all is, this will have you scared witless by the time the end credits roll; low budget horror hog heaven.
    • 89 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Alien
    With the visuals and soundtrack given a wax and polish job for the big screen, Scott's masterful use of shadows, framing and sound has never been more terrifying. No matter how many times you've seen this, you'll still be hiding behind your fingers at every conceivable juncture.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
    The comedy is never indulged at the expense of the plot, which flies off in genuinely unexpected directions, culminating in a boundlessly inventive funfair chase sequence.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Paddington
    Marmaladen with gloriously silly jokes, pitch-perfect performances and incidental detail, this is a warm, witty and wondrously inventive great big bear-hug of a movie.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Kick-Ass
    A ridiculously entertaining, perfectly paced, ultra-violent cinematic rush that kicks the places other movies struggle to reach.
    • 87 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    All Is Lost
    A triumph of pure cinema and wonderful visual storytelling from Chandor, who must now be considered the real deal, while Redford is sublime in what could well be the performance of his career.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 100 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Swiss Army Man
    The premise sounds like an off-Broadway play gone wrong. Far from it — this is extraordinary, vital, and fuelled by great performances.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted
    While it may blunder down the odd comedy cul-de-sac, Madagascar 3 is often inspired and very, very funny.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Bad Boys for Life
    Not so much bad Bad Boys, more good Bad Boys. And not so-bad-it’s-good Bad Boys either. Instead, this is comfortably the best entry in the series to date. Which isn’t bad.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    District 9
    Blomkamp’s prawn cocktail has more than enough stylistic chutzpah and originality to make District 9 an essential date.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Goosebumps
    This modern riff on Monster Squad is a very pleasant surprise, and so ’80s in spirit that it’s a shock one of the villains isn’t a giant Rubik’s Cube.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Sing
    Although it’s like being assaulted by a jumping jukebox for two hours, Garth Jennings’ first animated movie has enough bounce and brio to carry the day. Immensely likeable.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    John Wick: Chapter 2
    A brutal, bruising bullet ballet of a sequel that builds upon the promise of the original.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Possessor Uncut
    Cronenberg by name, Cronenberg by nature. Possessor sees Brandon wading into territory often explored by his father, but there’s more than enough originality here, visually and thematically, to prevent this from being a mere cover version.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Witch
    A hugely assured debut, The Witch is a beautiful, bleak brainworm that will haunt you for days.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Aristocrats
    Guaranteed to offend, but also guaranteed to leave you in spasms of laughter.
    • 40 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Table 19
    Overcoming a shaky start, this low-budget rom-dram rewards patience, with a fine cast delivering strong work. Accept the invitation.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Shelter
    There are first-time filmmaker flaws — at times, the characters feel like pawns in a pre-ordained plot — but Bettany has a real gift for finding grace in the grimness.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Jurassic World
    Jurassic World is fresh and thrilling, and while it often tips its hat to the original, it’s not a slavish copy, introducing more than enough new wrinkles into the prehistoric playbook to launch a new wave of sequels.
    • 74 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Kung Fu Panda
    Rudimentary plot and merely decent gags aside, this is the finest DreamWorks Animation effort since the first Shrek, chiefly because of its astonishing visuals and kinetic kung fu sequences.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Little Monsters
    A very pleasurable surprise, with likeable leads, the right amount of gore, and some incredible near-the-knuckle gags that you can’t quite believe writer-director Forsythe even attempts, let alone gets away with. Far better than the 1989 Fred Savage-Howie Mandel movie of the same name.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Thor: The Dark World
    For a movie that has dark in its title, and which is — yes! — darker (people die, Asgard is grimier, as befitting Alan Taylor’s Game Of Thrones heritage), Thor 2.0 is consistently amusing.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Next Goal Wins
    Charming and uplifting.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Thor
    Turn off the snark-o-meter, and this is a return to form for Marvel, introducing a new hero we'll be happy to see again in, oh, about a year or so.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Star Trek Beyond
    A return to fun, and a return to form for the new version of the old Trek. The 13th Trek movie is also the second good odd-numbered instalment in a row. Lucky for some.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Flight
    A welcome return to live-action filmmaking for Zemeckis, who hasn't lost his knack for a brilliant shot or for extracting great performances. It may not exactly be a first-class experience throughout, but there's nothing wrong with premium economy.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
    Even when the pixels threaten to overwhelm, Gunn finds refuge in his main characters. There’s plenty to enjoy here.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Inglourious Basterds
    With a confidence typical of its director, the last line of Inglourious Basterds is, "This might just be my masterpiece." While that may not be true, this is an often dazzling movie that sees QT back on exhilarating form.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    SuperBob
    Goldstein is enormously endearing, while Drever milks the mundanity for laughs and unexpected sweetness.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Those Who Wish Me Dead
    A lean and mean throwback of a thriller bolstered by excellent performances and first-class filmmaking. Occasionally bites off more than its CG budget can chew, but when director Taylor Sheridan keeps the action grounded, it’s sweaty palms central.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Return of the Living Dead
    Essential, enormous fun.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Charlie Wilson's War
    Extremely enjoyable. Although it’s a little tonally unsure, whenever Hanks and Hoffman are on screen, any misgivings are forgiven.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Greenland
    Butler’s best star vehicle in years, what could have been a bombastic bunch of boulders is, instead, a refreshingly clear-eyed and compelling affair. One of the best disaster movies in years.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Paul
    Broader and more accessible than either "Shaun Of The Dead" or "Hot Fuzz," Paul is pure Pegg and Frost - clever, cheeky and very, very funny. You'll never look at E. T. in the same way again.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Deepwater Horizon
    An efficient and no-nonsense depiction of the worst disaster in US oil drilling history, buoyed by excellent performances.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Inbetweeners 2
    The Fannytastic Four leave us on a poo-flecked, piss-soaked, sun-burned high that more than overcomes its familiar flaws to become a real contender for the year’s funniest film.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Us
    A stunning sophomore effort from Jordan Peele.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Gringo
    A pitch-black, often very funny slice of pulp fiction with a number of stand-out performances, notably the ferocious Theron.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Ocean's Thirteen
    You can beat the house and you can break the bank, but sequels always get long odds on defeating the law of diminishing returns – yet Ocean's Thirteen just about pulls it off.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Money Monster
    A fast-paced, entertaining, if somewhat on-the-nose mélange of thriller, satire, and drama, this is Jodie Foster’s best movie as a director. And we’d happily watch any TV show George Clooney wants to host.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    His House
    One of the best British horror debuts in years, populated by well-drawn characters and a particularly nasty spirit. If you get a chance to move into His House, take it.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Creed
    The best Rocky film since the original, honouring the Stallone legacy while setting it in a different direction. Feel the need. The need for Creed.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Courier
    An anti-Bond, the closest Cooke’s movie comes to an action sequence is when someone breaks into a mild run. But there’s real drama, and even thrills, to be found in this story of a very unlikely friendship that changed the course of history.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Kingsman: The Secret Service
    Perhaps the riskiest mainstream movie in years, Vaughn’s love letter to spy movies may be uneven in places, but it’s ultra-violent, envelope-pushing, and fun enough to overcome the flaws.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Blade of the Immortal
    Stylish, soaked in gore, and unconventional, it’s another winner from Miike. Here’s to the next hundred. At his current rate, that should be in 2025.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Wonder Woman
    As Diana, Gadot is excellent, a rocking electric cello riff in human form.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Nobody
    With Better Call Saul about to come to an end, Odenkirk switches gears with admirable ease, anchoring one of the most purely enjoyable action movies in ages. It’s not quite a case of Nobody does it better, but it’ll do until somebody does.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Drag Me to Hell
    Thrilling and often hilarious, it’s good to see one of Hollywood’s most inventive directors fully reinvigorated. On this form, Spider-Man 4 should be a belter.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Superman II
    Manages to gain classic comic book feature status through a combination of great stunts and a great human angle.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Black Mass
    Compelling and powerfully acted, with just enough wrinkles to avoid the ghosts of gangster movies past. Depp's appearance might distract some, but it's good to see him back in the groove.
    • 72 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Easy A
    Arguably the best teen comedy since Clueless, it's easy to give this one an A. Well, A-.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Selma
    It’s not a perfect film by any means, but it’s incredibly powerful and often moving, anchored by an awards-worthy performance from Oyelowo.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 80 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Moxie
    Time will tell if it’s worthy of being talked about in the same breath as Easy A, Clueless, Booksmart and the like, but Amy Poehler’s teen comedy is smart, funny, likeable and winningly performed. Moxie by name, moxie by nature.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Riddick
    Overlong and often overcooked, this is nevertheless a relative return to form for Diesel as the fiendish Furyan.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Equalizer 2
    This hard-edged action thriller may not match the original, but Washington’s McCall is a compelling character, the kind you’d quite happily like to hang out with whether he’s busting heads or painting walls.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Extraction
    Powered by the charisma and physicality of its star, this often gruelling action flick does more than enough to suggest that Hemsworth has found his genre, once he hangs up a certain hammer.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Death Race
    It's nothing more than an enjoyable, ridiculously macho B-movie romp, but it's derson' best movie since the underrated Event Horizon. Perhaps, at long last, he' starting to find his - yep - top gear.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Doctor Sleep
    Working off source material that is very different from its predecessor, anyone expecting a straightforward Shining sequel will be disappointed. This isn’t a gruelling exercise in pure horror. It’s odder and more contemplative, but worth checking in.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Wolverine
    An improvement on the last outing for Jackman’s not-so-merry mutant. If only it trusted enough in its unique setting to forgo a descent into aggressively awful formula.
    • 43 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Hunter Killer
    A better-than-expected entry in the all-too-often neglected sub sub-genre, with Butler showing impressive restraint.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Step Brothers
    It's no Anchorman, but it's several steps in the right direction.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    I Saw the Light
    Hiddleston and Olsen impress, and the music remains golden, but this is just another by-the-numbers biopic.
    • 77 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Jungle Book
    Wonderful to look at, this is a more adult, more complex affair than its animated, and more entertaining, forebear. Still, it’s Disney’s best live-action adaptation yet.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Void
    A little too derivative to truly stand out, but gorehounds will love it. Don’t a void.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Belko Experiment
    A brutal, bloody battle royale that glides along nicely until a disappointing dip in the second half. Still, there are plenty of positive results from this experiment, especially for gore fans.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Run All Night
    With Neeson on fine form and an encouraging start, it’s a shame that this gritty crime drama feels the need to erupt into a full-blown action movie by the end.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Fate of the Furious
    Fast 8 is more of the same, more or less, with the emphasis heavily on more.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Bad Teacher
    Broader than Bad Santa and less consistently funny, it's still gleefully rude, crude and often a lot of fun.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Australia
    Often beautiful but wildly inconsistent, Australia is none more Baz Luhrmann, which perhaps says it all. Worth a look on the big screen, though.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Zombieland: Double Tap
    It’s often enjoyable, occasionally very funny, and has an energy and verve sorely lacking from Fleischer’s last few films. So, while it’s simply, plainly, not as good as the first movie, Zombieland is no longer the odd one out on Fleischer’s CV.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Imagine That
    Genuinely sweet and endearing Murphy film, at last.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Pursuit of Happyness
    An admirably unsentimental biopic with an excellent central performance, but it doesn't impact as strongly as it could.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Dredd
    There was much to dread about this new iteration of Dredd, but it's a solid, occasionally excellent take on the character, with Urban's chin particularly impressive.
    • 23 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
    The Godfather II of manwhore sequels, this improves upon the original in every way. Especially if you're drunk.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    That's My Boy
    Not nearly as terrible as burped-out Sandler disasters of recent years, there's enough funny stuff here to remind us of his talent. Still, it's not for everyone.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Spider-Man 3
    Still smart, still exciting and still action-packed. It's just a shame to note that, after promising greatness, all Spider-Man 3 delivers is satisfaction.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Mule
    So insubstantial it may not actually exist, The Mule is very much the latest in a long line of minor Clints. But it might help pass the time on long journeys. Just make sure you don’t watch and drive.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Infiltrator
    Often gripping, and elevated by Cranston’s superb central performance. But it’s hard not to feel like we’ve seen this before, often and done better.
    • 41 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Chappie
    Blomkamp’s third movie has just about enough spectacle and quirk to overcome some fairly major flaws, not least of which is an unappealing central trio.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Annabelle: Creation
    Toy Story with a twist, this is better than it had any right to be. Hardcore horror buffs may laugh and scoff at the mechanics of some of the scares; the rest may never be able to walk past the window of a toy shop without crossing themselves.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Hills Have Eyes
    Fans of the original won't be disappointed, but ultimately it's just another decent, arguably unnecessary, '70s horror remake.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Get Him to the Greek
    Like most of the recent exports from Apatown, Get Him To The Greek -- aka Russell Brand’s My Filmy Wilm -- is patchy, but home-run hilarious from time to time. If only it didn’t detour into darkness so often, this could have been a genuine treat.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie
    A TV show expansion that is much better than expected. Kids will be there on the double to lap it up, and adults will find it tolerable, which is about as much as you can hope for. But we won't rest for one second until we find out what's happened to Everest. Bring in Benoit Bark to solve the mystery next time around.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Pet Sematary
    A decent, if inessential, take on one of Stephen King’s best novels. Sometimes original is better.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Transporter 2
    Another all-kicking, punching, shooting and exploding dose of Besson born action, and Jason Statham proves that his action mettle in the first instalment was no fluke.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Race to Witch Mountain
    An unexpectedly entertaining mixture of good, clean Disney fun with some rather more modern action scenes, lent charm by Johnson’s natural swagger. One of the better family films in a while.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 60 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
    While it's neither as dark, funny nor peculiar as you’d expect from Tim Burton, there’s still much here to admire.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Drive Angry 3D
    A shambling, ponderous mess that aims to be a trashy cult classic and merely ends up in the trash - Fichtner aside. And, in the biggest disappointment of all, there's not even that much angry driving in it.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    How to Talk to Girls at Parties
    An energetic but erratic film that straddles about a dozen genres at once, none of them that successfully. One for those who like oodles of odd.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Transformers: Dark of the Moon
    An improvement on Transformers 2, but then what isn't? To paraphrase the Bard, it's a tale, full of sound and fury and extremely stupid dialogue and nonsensical plotting and preposterous stunts and robots punching each other's heads off, signifying nothing.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Green Street Hooligans
    A surprisingly rose-tinted look at a subculture that really should have been stamped out some time ago.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Child's Play
    Making a killer-doll movie out of decent component parts should have been child’s play, but this misses the mark.
    • 46 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Now You See Me 2
    It’s an impressively starry cast, but sadly, this lacks the charm, wit and, yes, magic of the original. You’ll like it, not a lot.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Big Game
    Destined to be a big drinking game — take a sip when Broadbent bites his sandwich — but little else, this feels like a major missed opportunity.
    • 35 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Birth of the Dragon
    Almost certainly the second worst thing to happen to Bruce Lee, this toothless and tame movie doesn’t even come close to capturing the great man’s dangerous charisma.
    • 21 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    Geostorm
    Yes, Geostorm is bad, but it’s not a stinker for the ages.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    RoboCop
    There’s nothing wrong, of course, with sci-fi films asking Big Questions, but the delivery doesn’t have to be — should never be, in fact — this tedious.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Big White
    Utterly implausible and clunkily directed. Rent "Fargo" instead.
    • 44 Metascore
    • 40 Chris Hewitt (1)
    The Legend of Tarzan
    Not so much a ripping yarn, more of a dripping yarn, Yates’ reinterpretation of the Lord Of The Jungle is a big disappointment.
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