Robert K. Elder

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Chicago Tribune
For 245 reviews, this critic has graded:
  • 66% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this critic grades 5.1 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)

Robert K. Elder's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
Average review score: 60
Highest review score: 100 The 39 Steps
Lowest review score: 0 The Devil's Rejects
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 141 out of 245
  2. Mixed: 55 out of 245
  3. Negative: 49 out of 245
245 movie reviews
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    • 66 Metascore
    • 75 Robert K. Elder
    Mean Girls
    Though not a perfect comedy, it manages to be quite often laugh-out-loud funny. The film's strong cast, including scene-stealing "SNL"er Tim Meadows as the school principal, also helps smooth out most of the rough edges.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 75 Robert K. Elder
    Seeing Other People
    Whatever the film lacks in presentation, it makes up for in laughs and ensemble performances that sing.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 75 Robert K. Elder
    Love Me If You Dare
    It's a pitch-black, Grimm Brothers-style fable that enchants, frustrates and ultimately dares you to love it. Even if you don't, you'll be riveted.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 75 Robert K. Elder
    Seducing Doctor Lewis
    It's not revolutionary filmmaking. But Seducing Doctor Lewis sails by on charm and confident character acting, even if it's navigating well-charted waters.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Mr 3000
    Commits the cardinal sin of not being quite as funny as its star.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Silver City
    It's a dense, winding tale with all of Sayles' razor-sharp dialogue and intrigue. But instead of tracing character paths, Sayles sacrifices solid storytelling in favor of forwarding a political (and environmental) ideology.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Team America: World Police
    Team America's strengths are in its musical numbers, especially Kim Jong Il's mournful "I'm So Ronery" (translation: "Lonely"), a heartfelt peek into the dictator's soul.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Bad Education
    If only Bad Education engaged the heart as much as the head, Almodovar's fractured tale might have risen above its alienating noir conventions.
    • 38 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Blade: Trinity
    Thankfully, Reynolds (bearded, looking a bit like Jason Lee) adds some scrappiness and humor to a series that might otherwise have collapsed under self-parody.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Sky Blue
    Sky Blue slows things down, creating a ponderous, almost languid movie-going experience.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Aliens of the Deep
    All in all, it's a fascinating, kid-friendly journey.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Kicking & Screaming
    It's Ferrell who is the vehicle, a mow-you-down comic engine, and everyone else is just along for the ride in this marginally effective, starkly unoriginal family comedy.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Valiant
    It's perhaps the first animated kids' film that can claim to be "based on a true story."
    • 56 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Transporter 2
    Stands a triumph of stunts over plot, of style over substance--of the wool we pull over our own eyes. It's brainless, high-speed, popcorn fun.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Two for the Money
    It's a compelling drama, if only a little hollow. For my money, Pacino's bark is ultimately better than Two For the Money's bite.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Chicken Little
    For all the whiz-bang visuals, however, "Little" could use a little consistency in tone.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Gay Sex in the 70s
    Largely male gay sex, with nary a lesbian in sight, or in mind.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Brown Sugar
    Ambitious, yes. Does it work? Not really. While it's genuinely cool to hear characters talk about early rap records (Sugar Hill Gang, etc.), the constant referencing of hip-hop arcana can alienate even the savviest audiences.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Mean Machine
    Sports movies are never easy to pull off, but Skolnick does a fine job of balancing the drama with the on-field action.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    The Komediant
    Able to provide insight into a fascinating part of theater history, spanning from Russia to the New York Catskills.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    The Crimson Rivers
    A confusing and not entirely believable ending clouds the issue, though, burying some fine performances and cinematography under an avalanche of gore and plot twists.
    • Chicago Tribune
    • 63 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Booye kafoor, atre yas
    Farmanara, a gifted director, seems to be getting his artistic legs again, but he spends far too much time following his protagonist in and out of buildings as he smokes cigarettes and otherwise mopes about.
    • 37 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Freddy vs. Jason
    Succeeds as a guilty pleasure, a monster mash that clobbers the recent lackluster sequels plaguing both legacies. If only that were a higher compliment.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    The Guru
    Hits more laughs than it misses and its characters are likable, empathetic people.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Ultimate X: The Movie
    After clawing their way into the Olympics, so-called extreme sports deserve respect, but this is no way to get it.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Treasure Planet
    Combining cutting-edge computer animation with traditional two-dimensional characters, Treasure Planet pops off the screen, reviving Stevenson's adventure with surprising accuracy.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Tuck Everlasting
    Although bright, well-acted and thought-provoking, Tuck Everlasting suffers from a laconic pace and a lack of traditional action.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3
    While sci-fi conceits still permeate the plot (alien DNA, rogue scientists), attention to personal detail float world-weary, superbly-drawn protagonists in a rare movie-a character-driven animated film.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    The Importance of Being Earnest
    Resonates and inspires rapid-fire bouts of laughter, perhaps even a few giggles from the author himself, whom posterity has rewarded the last laugh.
    • 35 Metascore
    • 63 Robert K. Elder
    Resident Evil
    One of the few video game movies to truly re-create the gaming experience -- from the three-dimensional maps to the structure of encountering increasingly grisly and dangerous foes at higher levels of play.
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