Be Kind Rewind

Name: Be Kind Rewind
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: February 22, 2008
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 52
Cast: Danny Glover, Jack Black, Mos Def

2008

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Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 155 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 155 Ratings

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Be Kind Rewind

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Movie Details & Credits

New Line Cinema | Release Date: February 22, 2008 | PG-13

Starring: Danny Glover, Jack Black, Mos Def

Summary: A lovable loser is stuck in a life that's too small for his big dreams. But when he unintentionally erases all the tapes in a video store where his best friend works, he devises a plan to satisfy the store's few loyal customers by re-creating and refilming every movie they decide to rent. (New Line Cinema)

Director: Michel Gondry

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 102 min

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Critic Reviews

Wesley Morris

It's refreshing to see Gondry's moviemaking still possessed by the community spirit he caught a few years ago with "Dave Chappelle's Block Party." Read full review

Steven Rea

A charmingly off-the-wall little tale. Black doesn't do anything he hasn't done before (in fact, he's already done his remake of King Kong!). Read full review

A.O. Scott

In its sweet, lackadaisical way, Michel Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind illuminates the pleasures and paradoxes of movie love. Read full review

Roger Ebert

Whimsy with a capital W. No, it's WHIMSY in all caps. Make that all-caps italic boldface. Oh, never mind. I'm getting too whimsical. Read full review

J. Hoberman

Although frequently funny, Be Kind doesn't have the same pathos as "The Science of Sleep." (Nothing approaches the loneliness projected by Gael García Bernal and Charlotte Gainsbourg.) Read full review

Kimberley Jones

Gondry’s well-meaning but too soft, too structure-less picture. Read full review

Mark Bell

I had just sat through a comedy that wasn't funny, a drama that wasn't touching and, all told, a mess of a story told by actors making some of either the laziest or most daring of choices, depending on your perspective. Sometimes both. Read full review

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User Reviews

LuMac

Nov 3, 2011

This movie is goofy as hell, which is probably why I love it so much. Everyone needs to lighten up a bit, critics and the fools who walked out on it alike. Why would you walk out of a movie anyways?

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

CarlosR.

Feb 28, 2008

This movie is underrated. Eternal Sunshine was more profound, Science of Sleep was more pleasing, but still, Be Kind Rewind, although not an amazing movie, is definitely worth watching. Also, after watching the movie, you should visit the site, where they sweded the internet. And while This movie is underrated. Eternal Sunshine was more profound, Science of Sleep was more pleasing, but still, Be Kind Rewind, although not an amazing movie, is definitely worth watching. Also, after watching the movie, you should visit the site, where they sweded the internet. And while you're there, you should watch Michel Gondry's swede of the original trailer itself!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

DawdlingPoet

Nov 23, 2021

I was quite pleasantly surprised with this movie, I thought it could be a one-joke movie, so to speak but I thought it was better than that really. I like the fact that its really a 'movie within a movie', in as much as there's the main story about Mike and Jerry filming remakes of oldI was quite pleasantly surprised with this movie, I thought it could be a one-joke movie, so to speak but I thought it was better than that really. I like the fact that its really a 'movie within a movie', in as much as there's the main story about Mike and Jerry filming remakes of old movies but there's also the more serious side to it with the story about the rental store being earmarked for demolition and there's also the story about the store having a historical significance as being a place that Fats Waller stayed in. Some might think that its quite sentimental, as it is quite, which perhaps doesn't entirely fit in whats marketed as, and predominantly is, a comedy movie but I thought it was touching and enjoyed it all the same.

Some of the movies that Mike and Jerry remake, or the 'swedes', are funnier than others, I think my favourite one was Rush Hour II, followed by Driving Miss Daisy. Its quite funny to see how they try to remake such originally large budget movies, on a significantly smaller budget, like how they re-create the famous opening scene from Ghostbusters, with the ghost in the NY public library, at their local library. I don't think the staff there were much impressed, put it that way! but it is quite funny. The two of them, Mike and Jerry, have their fair share of arguments and sometimes its rather awkward for them to recreate certain scenes (especially if one of them is supposed to be portraying a female character!), as you can probably quite imagine! yes it is rather silly humour but I thought it was quite funny all the same. Its nice to see that these characters clearly do care enough to want to make something to give back to the community and how the community respond to this with a big demand to see more and more of these budget 'sweded movies'.

This is a funny and entertaining yet sentimental and touching movie, that I would recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting. Okay it might not be perfect, in as much as the science behind it might not be entirely plausible and the ending may disappoint you too, I don't want to give it away but it might not be quite what you'd hope... but there again, people might be happy with it because it may be seen as being more realistic, perhaps. I'll leave that to you to decide.

I think there is a nice message implied there on one hand and I like that it does seem to have quite an upbeat and optimistic kind of a feel to it, you might live in a run down area with little to look up to but become creative and you can become the next big thing I suppose is sort of whats being put across.

I thought that Mos Def gave a good performance in this movie, you can tell that he does care about the store and he wants to do a good job for Elroy, knowing he was entrusted with it while he's gone and acting alongside Jack Black, who gives his usually sort of lazy unemployed guy performance, he does quite well. Danny Glover also gives a good performance, again you can feel the emotion from him when he talks about Fats and you can tell how much the video store means to him too.

I thought that this was quite an amusing and entertaining movie, with a sentimental side to it that added to it quite well. Its not totally a throw away movie, although I don't know that I would want to watch it more than once really. I don't feel its excellent as such but I do think its worth seeing, the story could have become rather weak by the middle or end of it, had it been the one joke movie I thought it might be but instead, I thought it was better than that and I like that there are two or three sort of separate stories within the one movie.

Some probably would/will be put off by the sentimentality it has, if you think it sounds a bit too sickly sweet then you might not find it so great, although thats not an aspect thats present throughout the whole movie but moreso at the start and towards the end of it. This movie doesn't break any new ground for Jack Black but Mos Def and Danny Glover do quite well.

I'd say that its worth renting but maybe don't buy it, as im not convinced its the sort of movie I would really re-watch. Overall, I feel that this movie was better than I had expected and I would recommend it to others, there is more to it than meets the eye, although it depends on whether you like such sub stories, whether this will appeal to you. If it sounds like something that would interest you, then definitely check it out, otherwise maybe leave it for now, im sure it'll be shown on TV within the next few years, like most movies are.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MichaelE.

Feb 24, 2008

More a great concept than a great story, and one that definitely could've benefited from NOT having the ever-annoying Jack Black in it, but Gondry is an interesting director and the theme, pitting the charming incompetence of DIY against the soulless slickness of studio product, is More a great concept than a great story, and one that definitely could've benefited from NOT having the ever-annoying Jack Black in it, but Gondry is an interesting director and the theme, pitting the charming incompetence of DIY against the soulless slickness of studio product, is enough to carry it through to the end, if just barely.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

Feb 1, 2009

A very average film with some chuckles here and there and one hilarious scence when they are trying to break into a shop, but other than that pretty disappointing. Expected much more from such an excellent comedian as Jack Black.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

JeremyB

Jun 24, 2008

I really wanted to like this movie, but there's just no "there" there.

1 of 1 users found this helpful

ChrisF

Feb 23, 2008

Terrible, terrible film. Unfunny, amateurish directing, improv-style dialogue does not work at all. I came away physically upset that I had wasted my time and money on this steaming pile. Saw it because the good movies were sold out. I anticipated a mediocre movie based on reviews here. Do Terrible, terrible film. Unfunny, amateurish directing, improv-style dialogue does not work at all. I came away physically upset that I had wasted my time and money on this steaming pile. Saw it because the good movies were sold out. I anticipated a mediocre movie based on reviews here. Do not be mislead, it is crap. I even like Jack Black. Do yourself a favor and see anything else.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful

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