Empire's Scores

  • Movies
  • TV
For 6,849 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 54% higher than the average critic
  • 3% same as the average critic
  • 43% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 0.9 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 66
Highest review score: 100 Oppenheimer
Lowest review score: 20 Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Score distribution:
6849 movie reviews
  1. A uniquely British blend of excruciating comedy of embarrassment and outright grue, not quite as disorientating in its mood shifts as Kill List but just as impressive a film.
  2. Insightful, revelatory and profound, Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary combines riveting interviews, archive footage and - yes - state-of-the-art photographic effects to offer a unique perspective on the Israel-Palestine issue.
  3. Black-veined and dark-hearted, this is another persuasive character study from Campos.
  4. In trying to tell an enormous amount of story it can spread itself too thin and leave some strands feeling unfinished, but when it’s at its best, this is beautiful and bold filmmaking.
  5. The performances are solid - Goodbye Lenin! actor Florian Lukas is the standout - but ponderous pacing makes this true-life tale a lot less enthralling than it might have been.
  6. A smart, subversive but rather cold debut from Brandon Cronenberg that's short of the dark wit that lit up his father's early work. Then again, comparisons are hardly fair, especially when Cronenberg Jr. clearly has plenty of ideas of his own.
  7. Thanks to Rushdie's sensitive handling of his own material, this is an adaptation big in both ideas and heart.
  8. The midway point between "A.I." and "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid." It has quirky charm and a tender heart, but the treacly sentiment may become wearisome.
  9. While not the balls-out action movie the marketing suggests, this Rock-powered family drama is not with its moments.
  10. Measured performances from the seasoned cast balance out a script that errs towards the melodramatic. Hours sweating over those instruments pay dividends too.
  11. A lurid, luminous teen-bender movie, as ludicrous as it is stylish, and Harmony Korine’s best film in years.
    • 57 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Visceral and inquisitive, this well researched movie offers a punchy insight to prison life. Unfortunately, it is a familiar and tepid storyline.
  12. Fast Five was a good example of how applying The Rock to a tired series could bring it back to life. G.I. Joe, by opting for self-seriousness instead of knowing daftness, has squandered its secret weapon.
  13. Though it rings ever so slightly hollow as cool shades into callousness, this exercise in sexy suspense and brain-scrambling mystery is a dazzling, absorbing entertainment which shows off Danny Boyle’s mastery of complex storytelling and black, black humour.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Already a compelling gangland saga, this vastly promising debut turns into something more surprising when social prejudice becomes the characters’ weapon of choice. If that sounds too much like a lecture, El Hosaini’s voice remains crisp, cool and consistently street-smart.
  14. Superbly judging tonal shifts and juggling disparate storylines, this snapshot of a Refice street reveals the class, gender, racial and historical fissures in Brazilian society, while also making for riveting drama right down to the shocking sting in the tail.
  15. It features more weed than a pot-warming party at Bill & Ben's but offers little more than spliff-glazed promotion for Snoop's reggae reincarnation.
  16. Gonzo freakiness in such doses that cult status is practically ensured.
  17. As a satire on the seduction by media and our infatuation with celebrity, it's hardly "The Truman Show," but Garrone’s Gomorrah follow-up is wry and witty. Plenty of fun.
  18. Clever premise, witless execution.
  19. Far from the giant mess you’d expect from the delayed release, late title change and a production history as muddled as the source material, Singer’s tall tale is snatched from disaster by an all-hell-breaks-loose third act.
  20. Deeply icky on many different levels, with Ross Noble's feature debut illuminated by stomach-churning effects.
  21. A bruising psychodrama from the Palme d'Or winner that taps into the dark heart of central European superstition.
  22. A superb Kidman takes off the handbrake, and most everything else, in Daniels' southern-fried follow-up to "Precious." Watch it with "Killer Joe" for the ultimate sweaty, twisted double-bill.
  23. The inconsistencies in tone - is it an Anchorman-style farce or something more serious? - distract from likeable turns from the leads.
  24. Long-delayed. Arguably not long enough.
  25. A confident, ambitious and action-rich Brit thriller, albeit one whose characters and clarity suffer from the frantic intensity of its pacing.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    A French comedy that pitches for wit over broad comedy, it's successful in salting what could be a over-sugary confection with healthy dose of wryness. The result is always entertaining and rarely mawkish.
  26. There's lo-fi charm in the musical numbers and heartfelt turns from the young cast but the story drifts along without offering much that we haven't seen before.
  27. An austere, cerebral reading of a book which is unfettered, blood-bolstered and wildly sensationalist — Lewis is the father of torture porn, not a master of subtle chills. It’s interesting and unsettling, with a charismatic lead performance, but nowhere near as shocking as it should be.
  28. Forget the sci-fi trimmings and sentimental pay-off — this is a gleefully subversive character study of a charming but unapologetic rogue.
  29. Crazy, Stupid, Love writer Dan Fogelman can't rebottle lightning with a humdrum comedy that doesn't play to its stars strengths.
  30. Fifty years after he first appeared, Donald E. Westlake’s antihero may have found his perfect avatar. Like Parker’s robberies, it isn’t entirely successful, but Statham and Lopez make enticingly mismatched partners in crime.
  31. We may lose Soderbergh to painting, theatre and HBO-fuelled TV, and that’s a crying shame. If that’s the case, Side Effects is a great note on which to go out.
  32. If there are post-Harry Potter children who don’t know or care about The Wizard of Oz, they might be at sea with this story about a not-very-nice grownup in a magic land, but long-term Oz watchers will be enchanted and enthralled. There’s even a musical number, albeit an abbreviated one. Mila Kunis gets a gold star for excellence in bewitchery and Sam Raimi can settle securely behind the curtain as a mature master of illusion.
  33. There are undeniable flaws, from cheesy dialogue to neglected subplots. But there’s something so lovable about The Sapphires’ enthusiasm, and powerful about its moments of tenderness.
  34. Less ambitious than The Tree Of Life, To The Wonder remains 100 percent pure, unadulterated Malick, an absorbing, thoughtful, moving meditation on the things that matter.
  35. Like good whisky, Loach is mellowing and becoming subtler with age — though a swift chug still has a bit of a kick.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    An interesting and catchy take on a traditional tale of repressed teenage rebellion.
  36. Ambitious but very tedious and talkatively hackneyed, redeemed just a smidge by the money shots of a swarm of extras on horseback sweeping across the sands.
  37. Despite some strong moments, Ginger and Rosa fails to really convince.
  38. A timely documentary that seeks to amuse and inform as much as alarm.
  39. If this ‘power corrupts’ potboiler had been made in the 1990s — with, say, Andy Garcia, Gene Hackman and Kim Basinger — it would already have felt old-fashioned. Forget it, Jake, it’s no "Chinatown."
  40. Plenty of pungent ideas and a nice line in urban terror. The final product falls short of the best in Brit horror, though.
  41. "Salmon Fishing In The Yemen" and "Chocolat" man Hallström is an old pro at navigating this kind of undemandingly dramatic yarn and does a pretty fine job with Sparks' story.
  42. A hit in Berlin, the Taviani siblings' documentary has plenty of wit and punch, although compared to the best of the medium - "Man On Wire," for instance - it sometimes comes off as guileless and clunky.
  43. An intense mix of horror, thriller and domestic drama, this is exquisite film making.
  44. Don’t let its commercial nosedive in the US tell the whole story. Cloud Atlas is a tough sell, but a rewarding journey all the same. It’s an adventure into the very concept of storytelling: magical, enthralling and thrilling as much as bewildering, pompous and potty. In other words, up in the clouds.
  45. A few reasonable action sequences are mired in family soap, making this A Good Day To Call It Quits.
  46. Had this adaptation of the young adult fantasy-romance taken a few more liberties, it might have been a home run.
  47. It may look like a documentary but Gibney's film is a horror film in every sense. Essential, uncomfortable viewing.
  48. With his fourth film as writer-director, Judd Apatow has arguably made his most personal film yet, without forgetting to make us laugh.
  49. Room 237 captures the true nature of viewing, talking about and dissecting movies to the nth degree and it is infectious.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    No
    Initially jarring, the video aesthetic blends beautifully with period footage to give a smart depiction of a nation in transition. A well-deserved Oscar nominee.
  50. A moving and often funny self-portrayal of Chapman that will delight Python fans.
  51. Hitchcock for dummies: brisk, jolly, well-played but oversimplified.
  52. Somewhere between the pop-culture deconstruction of "Zombieland" and the skewed romance of "(500) Days Of Summer," this manages to make the apocalypse seem charming. Warm is the right word.
  53. A "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" for the joystick generation that, despite a mid-act dip into generic Disney territory, high-scores on laughs, invention and 8-bit affection.
  54. Disappointing given the talent and situation, dull as ditchwater and historically suspect, another "The King's Speech" it definitely is not. Nice costumes, though.
  55. 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.
  56. Fun in parts, and Stallone's always watchable, but it's an '80s tribute movie that coasts along on rapidly diminishing goodwill. Beige Heat, if you will.
  57. Just no.
  58. Arnie's toe-dip back into the action-cinema pool is a daft bit of fluff rather than a bruising mission statement. Get through the plot and you'll be rewarded with 30 minutes of whirligig mayhem.
  59. Gripping throughout, with an impressive central performance, this is like a Dogme 95 redo of a Chuck Norris film - by heroic effort, the good guys find and kill a bad guy. How you feel about that is something Bigelow leaves you to decide.
  60. Like last year's "Chronicle," here's another reminder that in the right hands found footage still has plenty of capacity to surprise.
  61. Formulaic but uplifting, positive and accessible. Fairly graphic sex is handled as tastefully as one is ever likely to see in a crowdpleaser.
  62. Another strong, sparky and bloody entry in the QT canon. Although, creaking under its running time, it's not quite as uproariously entertaining as his last pseudo-historical adventure, "Inglourious Basterds."
  63. Bleak and compelling.
  64. As unexpected as it is intelligent, thanks to virtuoso work from Spielberg and Kushner, Lincoln is landmark filmmaking, while Day-Lewis is so authentic he pulls off that stovepipe.
  65. Treating his seafood substantially better than Oldboy, Jiro is a miracle of perfectionism married to expertise. The same can said for Gelb's loving documentary.
  66. Sean Penn's not been this fun since Jeff Spicoli and there's plenty of rip-roaring action, but Gangster Squad proves a minor entry in the annals of LA noir.
  67. Occasionally, like its characters, ragged around the edges, this nevertheless rings with all the emotion and power of the source and provides a new model for the movie musical.
  68. One or two serious scares and some excellent creature design work make this a superior British horror sci-fi.
  69. A clunky, lumbering sequel that, like its masked protagonist, has no redeeming features.
  70. A frothy and often charming directorial effort from Hoffman, his first in a Hollywood career that's spanned five decades, that will keep Downton fans happy.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    You can take issue with its overly Anglicised approach to an international tragedy, but there's no denying that this rousing, superbly acted, no-holds-barred melodrama is a mighty feat of physical filmmaking.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Christopher McQuarrie and Tom Cruise deliver on their promise, with a witty, violent take on Reacher that makes up for its lack of height with an abundance of smarts and thrills.
  71. It's the kind of silly you can only get away with when your writing is very smart. A little bit odd and very, very funny.
  72. To produce a coherent film from Martel's tricky novel would be achievement enough, but Ang Lee has extracted something beautiful, wise and, at times, miraculous.
    • 86 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Tough and tender, it's the best Iron Curtain drama since "The Lives Of Others."
  73. Shot in beautiful black and white with some stunning visuals, Gomes' narrative quest is a understated gem.
  74. Prepare to be shocked, disturbed, awed... and, if you expected justice to prevail at last, ultimately devastated.
  75. The sharp ends in Smashed are here for all to see, and Ponsoldt never shies away from their spiky, thought-provoking effect. Yet he also finds grace and warmth in the story.
  76. An intense, emotional ride. Uplifting and inspiring.
  77. The Hobbit plays younger and lighter than Fellowship and its follow-ups, but does right by the faithful and has a strength in Martin Freeman's Bilbo that may yet see this trilogy measure up to the last one. There is treasure here.
  78. The storyline delicately tiptoes along the line of good taste and is embroidered by a first-rate cast. Still, a knockout moment is missing.
  79. A decent, well-cast and mounted adaptation that hits all the right notes but plays them in a respectful, muted monotone.
  80. Don't let the 'Quentin Tarantino Presents' tag deceive you, this is a mixed bag of lumpen dialogue and martial-arts magic that never quite coalesces into the delirious mayhem we'd hoped for.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    A low-fi indie that swiftly slums into terminal feyness.
  81. Enormously entertaining, endlessly quotable, perfectly cast and packed full of the richest acting you'll see from an ensemble cast all year, but the result is ever so slightly hollow.
  82. Particularly disappointing given the names involved, it's only mildly amusing at best, and more often downright tedious.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    You'll know exactly where it's going, but it still has Clint doing full-on-cranky and is a fun finger-up at corporate suits the world over.
  83. It's gorgeously designed, deftly written and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. For child or adult, this is a fantasy to get lost in.
  84. It's a collection of cop-movie clichés but presented with sufficient flair and strong performances that the ride is enough, even if it's on rails.
  85. Jennifer Lawrence is the standout in a tonally uneven, eccentric romantic dramedy that fuses "The Fisher King" with "Romy And Michele's High School Reunion."
  86. Fans will be left on a high; other viewers will be confused but generally entertained by a saga whose romance is matched only by its weirdness.
  87. Michael Haneke's Palme D'Or winner is uncomfortable, uncompromising, unflinching... and utterly unmissable. Old age may not be a reality you wish to confront, but you must see this film.
  88. An old-school espionage thriller with a movie-biz comedy twist, all the better for being (almost) entirely true. It is to Ben Affleck's credit that the tension and laughs complement rather than neutralise each other.
  89. A voluptuous slice of historical drama that will satisfy period fans and Mikkelsen admirers equally.
  90. The first film was imperfect but solid as game-adaps go and fans revelled in its clammy shocks. No such luck this time out. Director Bassett oversees a vaporous horror sequel that rarely raises the pulse.

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