St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Scores

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For 1,847 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 66% higher than the average critic
  • 2% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 3.6 points higher than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Movie review score: 68
Highest review score: 100 Asteroid City
Lowest review score: 0 The Divergent Series: Insurgent
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,361 out of 1847
  2. Mixed: 317 out of 1847
  3. Negative: 169 out of 1847
1847 movie reviews
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  1. HouseSitter
    The romantic relationship between the two stars is mishandled, and neither is given sufficient funny material. [16 June 1992, p.4D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  2. The Woman on the 6th Floor
    The Women on the 6th Floor shouldn't work, but this efficient flick whisks away our cynicism.
  3. Murder on the Orient Express
    Although Branagh delivers a film that’s reasonably watchable, the not-so-mysterious truth is that Murder on the Orient Express didn’t need to be remade.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Nanny McPhee Returns
    Weighty issues such as war and divorce are mentioned, but the serious themes pass quickly. The lighthearted story always takes precedent over the special effects, but a scene involving swimming piglets will have kids flashing a sea of smiles.
  5. Chasing Madoff
    A documentary that clearly aspires to the highest standards of cinematic muckraking but makes for a frustrating experience.
  6. The Iron Lady
    As biopics go, The Iron Lady is among the more intriguing ones.
  7. Exodus: Gods and Kings
    A handsome movie with a handsome leading man. Christian Bale is widely considered the finest actor of his generation. Yet here he’s adrift in the bulrushes. This might be the most indifferent performance of Bale’s career.
  8. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
    It's not a good film, but viewed from a cockeyed angle, it's a great guilty pleasure, and director Bill Condon is in on the joke.
  9. The Last Boy Scout
    Despite its many shortcomings and periods of ridiculousness, it's a fast-paced, often humorous, entertaining piece of work. [13 Dec 1991, p.3G]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  10. Fallen
    In short, "Fallen" hits the halfway point, it goes down and can't get up. [16 Jan 1993, p.E3]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  11. Scream 4
    Don't be late to this homecoming of director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson's horror series, which begins with a twisty opening sequence that's bloody fun.
  12. Water for Elephants
    The most rewarding way to watch Water for Elephants is to focus on the sideshow of costumes and craftsmanship, because the romance in the center ring smells like trained animals going through the motions.
  13. X-Men: Apocalypse
    McAvoy and Fassbender appealingly reprise their frenemy chemistry. But Lawrence has little to do but look perplexed.
  14. The Monuments Men
    It’s admirable, but Monuments Men just poses on a porous foundation like a statue.
  15. Betsy's Wedding
    Betsy's Wedding is what summer pictures used to be, light and sweet and brief as cotton candy. [25 Jun 1990, p.5D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  16. Triple 9
    It’s Affleck, as a cop whose skills are criminally underestimated, who makes the biggest impression.
  17. Epic
    In the roll call of visually distinctive ’toons, Epic looms large.
    • 52 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    The Frighteners
    The film is hilarious, however, and the comic bits are nearly enough to distract audiences from the illogical turns of the screenplay. [19 July 1996, p.3E]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  19. Safe House
    The action is contained within a coherent dramatic structure and the puzzle-box paranoia of spy-agency protocol.
  20. Peeples
    Comedies about privileged princesses and unsuitable suitors come in all colors, but Peeples is only palatable on a double bill with pink antacid.
  21. Labor Day
    With Labor Day, director Jason Reitman turns a Nicholas Sparks scenario into an Alfred Hitchcock creep-show.
  22. The Interview
    Within the bloodshot-eye perspective of their other stoner comedies, it’s bluntly funny and ever-so-slightly sweet.
  23. RoboCop
    A faithful remake of RoboCop would be timely. Instead, the producers of this new version have retreated back to the lab, concocting a creaky hybrid of “Frankenstein” and “Call of Duty.”
  24. Saint Laurent
    Saint Laurent was a truly mythic figure. It’s a shame that Bonello’s film doesn’t do him justice.
  25. Beautiful Creatures
    The derivative script and skimpy effects don’t convey either the power or the problems of being a young witch.
  26. The Intern
    These days, it’s tough to find a comedy that even aspires to sophistication. The Intern entertainingly fills that slot.
  27. The Getaway
    Ultimately, however, the only real problem with the new version of "The Getaway" is that Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger just don't seem very believable as tough professional criminals. You just know they are only a shower and a manicure away from dinner at Spago. [11 Feb 1994, p.3E]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  28. The Age of Adaline
    Starved of sufficient comedy or drama, The Age of Adaline is a pipsqueak.
  29. 96 Minutes
    96 Minutes is a mere introduction to Sociology 101, but it's brisk enough to rustle the reading list and keep the conversation alive.
  30. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
    Another “Jurassic” flick wasn’t necessary, but it’s a fantastic ride all the same.
  31. Breathe
    Garfield (“Hacksaw Ridge”) brings his usual boyish charm to the proceedings while allowing for the occasional burst of precisely calculated angst. Foy (Netflix’s “The Crown”) arguably has the more difficult role, hinting at Diana’s inner doubts while maintaining a sunshiny demeanor.
  32. Leviathan
    For a while in the middle, as tentacles began snaking through the ship, the shock value is considerable. But director George P. Cosmatos lets the suspense slide away in ridiculous dialogue and confusing action. By the end, the movie is terrible rather than terrifying. [17 Mar 1989, p.3F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  33. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
    If you can’t guess that the whole thing ends with a big dance number, you’ve been snoozing in your samosas.
  34. 3 Men and a Little Lady
    Three Men and a Little Lady is by no means great comedy, but it is enjoyable nonsense, significantly better than the original movie with its overdose of cutesy-poo gags. [25 Nov 1990, p.7C]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  35. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
    Allen has been criticized for leaving some of the plot lines up in the air and several characters in the lurch. But he seems to be making a point: Neat Hollywood endings are as phony and dangerous as Cristal's ramblings.
  36. Due Date
    Pregnant with possibility; it's the delivery that disappoints.
  37. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
    Valerian has some cool visuals. But there’s more to science fiction than pretty pictures.
  38. Live From New York!
    The documentary Live from New York is a separate thing. It doesn’t try to be wild and crazy, and it can’t be comprehensive. Like a land shark, it’s an uncomfortable hybrid that bites off more than it can chew.
  39. Wild Bill
    The elements never quite combine into a cohesive compound, and a lot of the dialogue - particularly Calamity Jane's - might have worked on the page, or even on the stage, but has a phony theatricality when uttered by people with cameras in their faces. [01 Dec 1995, p.3E]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  40. Think Like a Man
    Despite the crass book promotion, the overlong film is harmless romantic fun that's well played.
  41. Snitch
    The verdict on Snitch is that Johnson has attempted a career detour on a street marked Do Not Enter.
  42. She's All That
    All that complexity backfires at about the midpoint, leaving viewers with a standard yarn about a popular guy who makes a grossly insensitive wager after his trophy girlfriend drops him. After that, it is all a case of "been there, done that." [29 Jan 1999,p. E3]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  43. Skyscraper
    Skyscraper clearly aspires to be a 21st-century update of “Die Hard” (1988), one of the best action thrillers ever made. Instead, it’s just another film that squanders the movie-star charisma of Johnson, who should consider lending his box-office clout to more worthy projects.
  44. God's Pocket
    You can tell by some loose threads and hurried workmanship that God’s Pocket is a knock-off, but it’s so stuffed with value, it’s an offer you can’t refuse.
  45. Poison Ivy
    The film is directed with dark stylishness by Katt Shea Ruben from a screenplay she wrote with the film's producer, Andy Ruben. [29 May 1992, p.3F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  46. Woman in Gold
    The Woman in Gold works, largely because of the odd-couple chemistry between Mirren and Reynolds. It just goes to show that broad strokes are appealing when they’re in the right frame.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Quigley Down Under
    The sweeping scenery, made even more thrilling by Basil Poledouris' score, makes up for the slow moments. And Selleck and Rickman are equally convincing in their respective roles as the undisputed good guy and bad. [19 Oct 1990, p.3F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  48. Creation
    It's smart, heartfelt, handsome and just mutated enough to sustain interest in a specialized subject.
    • 51 Metascore
    • 75 Critic Score
    Me Before You
    Clarke and Claflin both turn in acutely human performances, rounding out their characters and sharing palpable chemistry. At the risk of sounding very British, it’s all lovely.
  50. The Accountant
    Fresh and delightfully offbeat, The Accountant proves that a thriller can be complex and nuanced while fulfilling its mission to entertain.
  51. Just Wright
    The been-there, done-that nature of the plot doesn't take away from the undeniable sweetness found in Just Wright.
  52. Ender's Game
    Ender’s Game is a blandly sanitized spectacle.
  53. Holy Rollers
    As a testament to traditions that are usually kept hidden from Hollywood, Holy Rollers is a mitzvah. But as a thriller, it's bubkes.
  54. Sister Act
    It breaks no new ground, offers no ingenious plot twist and makes no unique character insights. But who cares when the movie is so much fun. [02 June 1992, p.4D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  55. Going the Distance
    While it's both too crude and too commercial to be mistaken for journalism, the good news is that the headliners deliver.
  56. Marry Me
    Though the situation is far from realistic, the dynamically directed and swiftly paced Marry Me remains emotionally grounded, which is crucial to the execution.
  57. Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
    Pasek and Paul’s songs end up having to do much of the emotional heavy lifting, and the rest of the film feels cobbled together from random parts scavenged from other kids’ movies and pop culture ephemera.
  58. Parkland
    The most grievous sins here are sins of omission.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 25 Critic Score
    Anonymous
    The movie inspired theater critic Judith Newmark to write a sonnet in response.
  60. Romeo Is Bleeding
    ROMEO Is Bleeding is an interesting mess. A very self-conscious contemporary take on the film noir genre, it is so dark (both photographically and psychologically) and derivative that at times it seems like a parody. [2 March 1994, p.6F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  61. Super
    The libido and bloodlust flowing from the pint-size Page is the funniest thing in the movie, but elsewhere, the mix of the goofy and ghastly is hard to digest.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Always
    The result is a movie with a lot of hysterically funny lines (including a nod to St. Louis) shooting through the banal, timeworn plot, relieved occasionally by a well-wrought sketch. Director Steven Spielberg tries to stir this mixture, but it's just too flour-y. [22 Dec. 1989, p3F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  63. Kill the Irishman
    Call it "On the Lakefront." Or "Pretty-Good Fellas."
  64. Cadillac Man
    The movie falters once in a while, but Williams, whose frenetic pace had to drive the cinematographers crazy, is again impressive. There are serious moments in and around the comedy, and the comedy is delightful. [18 May 1990, p.3F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  65. True Story
    While the movie sometimes seems like faux Fincher, the symbiotic acting, artful imagery and punchline ending turn True Story into credible entertainment.
  66. Happy Feet Two
    The best thing you could say about Happy Feet Two is that it doesn't have any product placements or potty jokes. Other than that, this charmless Antarctic cartoon is what it looks like when hell freezes over.
  67. The Shadow
    The movie has a hallucinatory intensity that is skillfully mixed with light-comic relief and straight-faced farce. It never takes itself too seriously, and never veers too far in the other direction by surrendering to self-parody. [01 Jul 1994, p.3D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  68. The Water Diviner
    Crowe is effectively restrained in his acting, but in his debut as a director, he overdoes the manipulative music and the pretty images from cinematographer Andrew Lesnie.
  69. No Strings Attached
    A foul-mouthed comedy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. "Bad Santa" (2003) also had plenty of crude language and lewd behavior. The difference is, "Bad Santa" was extremely funny.
  70. Closed Circuit
    Closed Circuit is not a tense thriller about the new era of surveillance — it's a tepid thriller about the old notion that no leader can be trusted.
  71. For Colored Girls
    In the end, the movie is still a poetic injustice.
  72. Hit and Run
    Hit and Run isn't a catastrophe, but it leaves loose ends and a more adventurous map by the side of the winding road.
  73. Freeheld
    Page is outstanding as a young woman who has finally found happiness, only to see it cruelly slipping away.
  74. Eat Pray Love
    The word that sums up the essence of this movie is "frustrating."
    • 50 Metascore
    • 38 Critic Score
    Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
    Painfully dumb. [21 Feb 1989, p.5D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  76. Little White Lies
    Whereas "Chill" attempted to define a generation, "Lies" is more of a statement about the nature and limits of friendship.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Quest for Camelot
    The animation is not as sharp as Disney's efforts and the songs are only average, but kids will enjoy it. [07 Jun 1998, p.C6]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  78. Boiling Point
    This convoluted tale of a U.S. Treasury agent (Wesley Snipes) looking for the rats who killed one of his partners simmers along fairly well for about 45 minutes and then gets all lukewarm and fuzzy. [21 Apr 1993, p.6F]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  79. Fat Man and Little Boy
    When a film is based on history, especially a moment in history that almost everyone knows, a built-in major problem is that there is no tension for the climactic scenes. To make it successful, the writer and director must find other places to insert drama, to create tension, to give viewers the unexpected. Maybe Roland Joffe forgot. [24 Oct 1989, p.3D]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  80. Going in Style
    Delivers a feel-good film that nonetheless allows for genuine moments of working-class anger.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    Prom
    A fairy-tale teenage romantic comedy that makes "The Breakfast Club" look edgy. And that's just fine, because this Disney product does straight-laced fairly well.
    • 50 Metascore
    • 63 Critic Score
    The Boss Baby
    Based loosely on a 2013 children’s book by Marla Frazee, Boss Baby has a convoluted plot, but young viewers will be amused by the slapstick humor, the action-packed chase scenes and the sheer ridiculousness of a cute baby barking out commands.
  83. Boundaries
    Perhaps it’s time for a moratorium on road movies. Despite its strenuous efforts to come across as quirky and original, Boundaries goes nowhere.
  84. The Stoning of Soraya M.
    This broadside against sharia law lacks the finesse of an import, but it's effectively melodramatic.
  85. Letters to Juliet
    Letters to Juliet has about half as much Shakespearean content as "Shakes the Clown" and even less sincerity.
  86. Lottery Ticket
    It's hard to love and hard to hate.
  87. Wide Awake
    Wide Awake is a children's movie that does not rely on special effects, computer-generated trickery, bathroom humor, slapstick violence or inappropriate adult situations to satisfy its audience. [03 Apr 1998, p.E7]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  88. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
    Prince of Persia is woven of recycled fibers, but by the slipping standards of summertime entertainment, it's a magic carpet ride.
  89. Elles
    Elles is provocative company, but it leaves us feeling hustled.
  90. Cowboys & Aliens
    It would have been nice if Cowboys & Aliens had come come up with the right equation to balance originality and homage. But in the end, it all turned into trigonometry.
  91. The Purge: Anarchy
    Like the first movie The Purge: Anarchy, is trash masking as social commentary, and its depiction of unrelenting, sanctioned violence can be hard to stomach.
    • 49 Metascore
    • 25 Critic Score
    DragonHeart
    The dragon is a wimp. The knight is a geek. The king is a jerk. And, unless you're 12 or younger, the story is a bore. [31 May 1996, p.3E]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  93. The Mighty Macs
    This true story fills a needed niche, spotlighting women's basketball in the era before Title IX promoted equal treatment.
  94. Chloe
    Egoyan doesn't flinch from exploring the dark side of curiosity. That includes dealing with sexuality in a way that might make some moviegoers uncomfortable.
  95. Wilson
    Wilson isn’t a bad film, but it could have used less melodrama and a lot more insight.
  96. Starbuck
    A high-concept comedy that peddles some slapstick laughs and life lessons but little insight.
  97. Casper
    The father-daughter chemistry between Pullman and Ricci seems good. And the ghosts - who look sort of like the result of 24 double exposures a second - are engaging, courtesy of the computer and animation wizards at Industrial Light and Magic. [26 May 1995, p.7C]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
  98. Demolition
    Offbeat and unpredictable, Demolition takes a wrecking ball to audience expectations.
  99. 2012
    This long, ludicrous soap opera is also a mighty spectacle, a new standard in disengaged destruction.
  100. Great Balls of Fire!
    WATCHING Dennis Quaid as Jerry Lee Lewis is disconcerting, to say the least. Quaid mimics Lewis' piano playing in superior style, struts across the stage like the ''petty player'' of ''Macbeth,'' and shows all the right amount of arrogance, but his wide-eyed stare becomes extremely irritating. Great Balls of Fire, which looks at a small part of Lewis' life, offers a slightly uncomplimentary view, but it tends to trivialize his shortcomings, almost excuse them as boyish pranks. [30 June 1989, p.3E]
    • St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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