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Rounders (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:74
Fresh:47
Rotten:27
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Richly atmospheric and colorful performances contributed to the movie's entertainment value.
Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of New York's high-stakes underground poker world, Roundersis the tale of Mike McDermott, a master card player who trades the poker-playing rounds for law school and a shot... Set against the backdrop of New York's high-stakes underground poker world, Roundersis the tale of Mike McDermott, a master card player who trades the poker-playing rounds for law school and a shot at a new life with his girlfriend Jo. For Mike, the new life he's staking out seems like a legitimate road to success, but it's short on the thrills and excitement of back room poker games. But when Mike's longtime friend Worm is released from prison, Mike is faced with the high-stakes dilemma of his life: to keep on the straight and narrow, or deal himself back into the world of the Rounders. Rounders also stars John Malkovich as the seedy Russian card shark Teddy KGB, who runs the biggest and most dangerous game in town; John Turturroas Joey Knish, Mike's old-time poker mentor, and Martin Landau as Professor Petrovsky, Mike's law school dean. As the stakes rise, each one of these men also deals a hand in Mike's ultimate fate. [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Famke Janssen
Starring: Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Famke Janssen, Gretchen Mol, John Malkovich, Martin Landau, Chris Young
Director: John Dahl
Director: John Dahl
Screenwriter: David Levien, Brian Koppelman
Producer: Ted Demme, Joel Stillerman
Composer: Christopher Young
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Reviews for Rounders
Rounders is disappointing and fake, because its intentions are predictable as its characters are uninspired.
…flat on substance, poor on relationships, big on predictability, and slow getting anywhere.
After you get over Malkovich's Oreo-eating, lisping Russian Mafia guy and John Turturro's work-a-day mug, Rounders leaves a smarmy hand on the table.
The movie is replete with all kinds of insider lingo that goes a long way toward painting a thoroughly convincing portrait of the gambling world.
Rounders is another nice notch in Damon's belt and an excellent commercial for Oreos, but its destiny lies as a dust collector on the video store shelves.
Gretchen Mol, Edward Norton, John Turturro, Martin Landau, and Famke Janssen costar; they're all pretty good, but not good enough to make this 1998 feature worth seeing.
Norton's acting and Dahl's gift for sustaining a tone save Rounders from completely floundering.
Though Damon is an actor who's flatly impossible not to root for, the longer this film lasts the less patience we have to stay with him.
Though it's a good-looking flick with some smart acting and a few flashy runs, it barely breaks even dramatically, and feels, overall, like a good chance wasted.
This ode to the allure of clipping suckers and psyching out the competition is richly atmospheric but thin in the character department.
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| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
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| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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