The Take
Focus Features | Release Date: November 18, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
14
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerNov 17, 2016
The movie sweeps you along with a brisk pace and even dashes of humor. Read full review
60
We Got This CoveredRobert Yaniz Jr.Nov 17, 2016
Idris Elba makes a dynamite action star, but this politically charged thriller doesn't give him the support he needs to become the next Liam Neeson. Read full review
60
EmpireJohn NugentApr 30, 2016
It rarely makes sense – the script vastly overestimates the power of the hashtag as a weapon of mass destruction – but you’re never bored. Read full review
60
The GuardianPeter BradshawApr 30, 2016
It’s a bit silly maybe, with a plot that requires you to overlook the implausibility of a certain smartphone with no passcode protection. But there is a nifty premise. Read full review
60
The TelegraphTim RobeyApr 30, 2016
The thing actually docking this unpretentious ride is a nagging shortage of charm, because all the script’s efforts can’t drum up a buddy dynamic between Elba and Madden (both playing Yanks) that’s anything more than strictly contractual. Read full review
60
VarietyGuy LodgeApr 30, 2016
It’s Watkins’ lean, keen instinct for choreographing and cutting action set pieces that keeps Bastille Day afloat. Read full review
60
Screen DailyFionnuala HalliganApr 19, 2016
Bastille Day is fun, for the most part, but the biggest take-home here is how easily Elba could slip into Bond’s shoes. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenNov 17, 2016
Imitating the Bourne capers rather than establishing an identity of its own, “The Take” is a strictly by-the-numbers political thriller that fails to capitalize on Idris Elba’s formidable screen presence. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreNov 17, 2016
Elba’s action credentials are well-established, so there’s little for him to prove here. The fights are convincing enough, even if the plot is all coincidence, conspiracy and con jobs. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleDavid LewisNov 17, 2016
Eventually, the plot feels more perfunctory than palpable, but Watkins is careful not to drag things out. All in all, we don’t mind being taken along for the ride, yet in the end, we’re ready to disembark. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonNov 14, 2016
For a film so interested in the public's malleability, The Take isn't particularly good at controlling its own audience. Read full review
40
Total FilmJordan FarleyDec 21, 2016
The ever-watchable Idris Elba and a handful of muscular action sequences are scuppered by a flaky-pastry plot which badly misjudges subject matter warranting more considered exploration. Read full review
40
CineVueMatthew AndersonApr 30, 2016
Taken as a transient, high-paced and familiar rock 'em, sock' em kind of film, it packs quite a punch. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinApr 30, 2016
It ends up playing like a shoddy blend of V for Vendetta and Mr. Robot but without the budget bandwidth or style of either. Read full review
40
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonApr 19, 2016
The problem is that it all feels like a sixth-form production of the Bourne series. Still, if you’ve ever fantasised about a Luther-Robb Stark crimefighting duo, look no further. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comSimon AbramsNov 18, 2016
The Take is just really lousy. Read full review
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