ROTTEN TOMATOES: Movie Reviews & Previews

Critics » Rachel Deahl » Fresh

Rachel Deahl

Agrees with the Tomatometer 79% of the time.

Publications:: Ace Weekly (Lexington, KY) , Baltimore City Paper , Boxoffice Magazine , Fast Forward Weekly (Calgary) , Filmcritic.com , Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) , Orlando Weekly , Pulse Weekly

Total Reviews:: 72

Best Reviewed Films

Showing 1 - 50 of 70

Previous | Next

Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
	22%	Taking Lives (2004)	" With its French Canadian setting and strong (rather, strong-looking) cast, Taking Lives is elevated above its genre cliches." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Apr 16, 2004
	64%	Starsky & Hutch (2004)	" ...Director Todd Phillips (Road Trip, Old School) proves once again that he has a hand for feel-good comedies." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Apr 16, 2004
	71%	Cold Mountain (2003)	" ...It does achieve, if only intermittently, the aching feelings of love and loss, for both country and countrymen, that Frazier depicted so unforgettably in his novel." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Jan 8, 2004
	94%	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	" The Return of the King delivers the same awe-inspiring visuals as Jackson's two previous films without ever coming off like it's simply 'more of the same.'" — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Dec 23, 2003
	92%	School of Rock (2003)	" ...With School of Rock director Richard Linklater delivers a warm-hearted and irresistible valentine to the music he loves. " — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Nov 5, 2003
	61%	Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)	" ...Some unexpectedly good subplots and beautiful scenery make this fluff particularly palatable." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Oct 1, 2003
	82%	Matchstick Men (2003)	" Matchstick Men ultimately plays its audience for the fool. And while the sting is well orchestrated and enjoyable, the effect is fleeting." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Oct 1, 2003
	79%	Open Range (2003)	" Thankfully the director who made Dances With Wolves shines through here, mostly overshadowing that guy who gave us Waterworld and The Postman." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Aug 20, 2003
	55%	American Wedding (2003)	" Luckily the creative minds behind the third installment in this teen trilogy haven't run out of things for their young stars to hump..." — Pulse Weekly Posted Aug 13, 2003
	79%	Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)	" Clocking in at a shockingly long two and a half hours, this campy Evil Dead homage from director Gore Verbinski is nonetheless giddy fun." — Pulse Weekly Posted Aug 13, 2003
	44%	Charlie's Angels - Full Throttle (2003)	" A wonderful pastiche of seventies and eighties pop culture, Full Throttle is a kitschy joyride complete with wonderful cameos, joyous dance numbers and acrobatic -kicking." — Pulse Weekly* Posted Aug 13, 2003
	98%	Finding Nemo (2003)	" Finding Nemo is a witty and epic adventure packed in unlikely wrapping." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted May 29, 2003
	74%	The Matrix Reloaded (2003)	" A thrilling and brilliantly flawed film, Reloaded is ultimately a deceptive meditation on the most unlikely of subjects: the impossibility of sequeling an already perfect film." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted May 15, 2003
	88%	X2: X-Men United (2003)	" An infectiously good time, X2 will no doubt make you forget about the doldrums of human existence and leave you wondering what kind of mutant you'd most like to be." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted May 1, 2003
	62%	Identity (2003)	" Filmed on a set that looks as if it has been lovingly and skillfully resurrected from the Bates Motel lot, Identity deftly weaves a familiar yarn around an homage to a screen classic." — Fast Forward Weekly (Calgary) Posted Apr 25, 2003
	30%	Malibu's Most Wanted (2003)	" As the star and chief writer of Malibu's Most Wanted, Kennedy is writ large here, delivering the same hit-and-miss antics that regularly crop up on his TV show." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Apr 17, 2003
	31%	The Hunted (2003)	" ...a refreshing action movie that relies more heavily on solid filmmaking than poorly executed, computer-generated effects." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Mar 17, 2003
	85%	About Schmidt (2002)	" Payne constructs a hilarious ode to middle America and middle age with this unlikely odyssey, featuring a pathetic, endearing hero who is all too human." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Jan 2, 2003
	96%	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)	" Director Peter Jackson delights with seamless CG-effects, strong storytelling, and more compelling characters than anything found in that galaxy far, far away." — Ace Weekly (Lexington, KY) Posted Dec 23, 2002
	65%	Solaris (2002)	" ...Although Solaris finally embraces a more hopeful ending than it should, the journey there is an incredibly fruitful one." — Pulse Weekly Posted Dec 11, 2002
	60%	The Anniversary Party (2001)	" Focusing on the relationship between Sally and Joe ... The Anniversary Party reveals itself as a devastating parable about love, unfolding much like a stage play." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Nov 18, 2002
	82%	The Deep End (2001)	" A stunning and stylish update of The Reckless Moment (1949), the sophomore effort from Siegel and McGehee is a taut psychological drama that lingers long after its credits roll." — Baltimore City Paper Posted Nov 18, 2002
	55%	The Santa Clause 2 - The Mrs. Clause (2002)	" Although November 1 seems a bit early to get into the Christmas spirit, even for the most ardent holiday fanatics ... The Santa Clause 2 is enough to set any scrooge aglow with the X-mas bug." — Pulse Weekly Posted Nov 13, 2002
	68%	Red Dragon (2002)	" As Norton and Hopkins exchange barbs and witticisms, the desire to see the Dr. Lechter of yore chatting it up with a pensive, redheaded, Jody Foster never quite dissipates." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Nov 8, 2002
	83%	Road to Perdition (2002)	" ...Mendes manages once again to use his overt direction to create a quietly powerful film." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Nov 8, 2002
	76%	8 Mile (2002)	" Book-ended by two pivotal and compelling sequences, 8 Mile, like its star, is best when it focuses on the music." — Ace Weekly (Lexington, KY) Posted Nov 8, 2002
	79%	Punch-Drunk Love (2002)	" An unnerving and exhilarating romantic comedy that is neither romantic nor comic ... Punch Drunk Love is more revelatory than it is enjoyable." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Oct 24, 2002
	92%	Minority Report (2002)	" Making good on the best aspects of A.I., namely that stark and singular look of a future dominated but not quite overwhelmed by technology, Spielberg creates a stunning world where the past and present collide." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Oct 24, 2002
	89%	Spider-Man (2002)	" Sam Raimi is brilliant behind the camera and Spider-Man is a faithful and fun adaptation." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Oct 24, 2002
	58%	Serendipity (2001)	" Like purchasing a CD of '80s super-hits off a late-night infomercial, watching Serendipity leaves you feeling somewhat violated but no less delighted at the trespass." — Orlando Weekly Posted Oct 4, 2001
3.5/5	72%	Power and Terror - Noam Chomsky in Our Times (2002)	" The kind of film that you hope makes it onto the TV screens of every high school class in the country." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Dec 1, 2002
3.5/5	65%	Brown Sugar (2002)	" Manages to deliver the familiar boy-meets-girl story in a fresh way." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Oct 11, 2002
3.5/5	81%	Biggie and Tupac (2002)	" Broomfield seems to uncover a massive scoop here, revealing the multitude of people involved and the possible motivations behind the killings of his titular subjects." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Jun 30, 2002
3.5/5	49%	The Price of Milk (2001)	" The Price of Milk is a surprisingly winning fable of misguided love." — Filmcritic.com Posted Feb 14, 2001
3.5/5	76%	Winter Sleepers (1997)	— Filmcritic.com Posted Jan 1, 2000
3/5	95%	Ripley's Game (2003)	" An unusually smart entry into the thriller/mystery genre." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Feb 26, 2003
3/5	82%	Derrida (2002)	" It's incredibly enjoyable to watch Derrida pick apart, and fight against, the very process and premise of making a film about someone, particularly him." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Nov 3, 2002
3/5	86%	El Hijo de la novia (Son of the Bride) (2002)	" A somewhat disappointing and meandering saga." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Mar 22, 2002
3/5	100%	Yana's Friends (2001)	" Amusing with one unforgettable gag, Kaplun's film does a passable job of portraying the hardships endured by immigrants but is more notable for placing a light-hearted tale in a decidedly heavy time and place." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Dec 23, 2001
2.5/5	63%	Unknown Pleasures (2003)	" While there are some beautifully shot, subtle moments in the film that encapsulate the desperation and degradation of the characters, the director ends up alienating his audience in an attempt to display the alienation of his characters." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Mar 31, 2003
2/5	71%	Virgil Bliss (2001)	" Shows moments of promise but ultimately succumbs to cliches and pat storytelling." — Boxoffice Magazine Posted Jun 14, 2002
2/5	43%	Center Stage (2000)	" Ultimately the story line here is as stupid as the final 'rock' ballet." — Filmcritic.com Posted Jan 1, 2000
	17%	The Perfect Score (2004)	" The Perfect Score is amenable, enjoyable and as quickly forgotten as all those tricks you learned in your SAT prep class." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Apr 16, 2004
	27%	Paycheck (2003)	" Coming up short on just about everything - from the casting and dialog to the action sequences - Woo rides the high of a strong story into the ground." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Jan 8, 2004
	60%	Stuck On You (2003)	" ...Winds up trying to tug at your heart strings more than strike your funny bone" — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Dec 18, 2003
	15%	Gothika (2003)	" ...ultimately reduced to a barrage of unintentionally hilarious one-liners." — Fast Forward Weekly (Calgary) Posted Nov 25, 2003
	36%	The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)	" ...Although the story's high on gore and low on almost everything else, Leatherface still inspires a hell of a lot more fear than Freddy or Jason." — Local Planet Weekly (Spokane, WA) Posted Nov 5, 2003
	48%	S.W.A.T. (2003)	" Played out like a cop show that should have been cancelled seasons ago, S.W.A.T. is nothing if not boring." — Pulse Weekly Posted Aug 13, 2003
	24%	Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003)	" Although Jolie is perfect in the lead with her cartoonishly provocative figure, the comely starlet can't make this shoddy story work." — Pulse Weekly Posted Aug 13, 2003
	71%	Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines (2003)	" The amusing freshness of T2 is unsuccessfully recycled in this less superior carbon copy." — Pulse Weekly Posted Aug 13, 2003

Showing 1 - 50 of 70

Previous | Next

Sort by Rating:

Sort results by this critic's rating. This option is only available for critics with a rating system (4 star, letter grade, 1-10, etc.)
Sort by T-meter:

Sort results by the Tomatometer (percentage of critics recommending a certain movie)