Inside Man Reviews
ComingSoon.net
The lack of characterization of the robbers, while true to the structure of the story, makes it seem a bit flat. At the end of the day, it's not really about anything; it's just a bunch of stuff that happens. But it's a bunch of stuff that's fun to watch.
Full Review
| Original Score: 6/10
Suite101.com
An intelligent, invigoratingly airtight caper and a love letter to New York on crumpled, coffee-stained paper, "Inside Man" is the best kind of Spike Lee joint - one where he doesn't stumble over his sledgehammer before swinging it.
Full Review
| Original Score: 4/4
DVD Review
... remains consistently watchable as a mechanical exercise.
CHUD
Inside Man is the Spike Lee film for people who don't go to see Spike Lee films, and it's also a fun treat for people who see everything the man does.
Film4
An enjoyable, polished thriller, ideal for Friday night entertainment.
[A] wily thriller, which revitalizes a familiar premise by turning it inside out.
As unexpected as some of its plot twists is the fact that this unapologetic genre movie was directed by Spike Lee, who has never sold himself as Mr. Entertainment. But here it is, a Spike Lee joint that's downright fun.
eFilmCritic.com
[Lee] nails the irritable yet alive soul of New York -- particularly, now, New York post-9/11 -- better than anyone else.
Full Review
| Original Score: 5/5
Eye for Film
the apotheosis of its genre, honing the heist siege flick to the perfection of a diamond. See it, and be dazzled.
Nolan's Pop Culture Review
This is the fourth time that Lee has directed Washington, and they have become as great a team as Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/4
The Nation
Yes, Lee did a contract job -- but that doesn't mean he slapped his coat of paint onto someone else's house.
Christianity Today
The movie bristles with life with the meeting of people from different races. It's a Spike Lee joint after all, and it's at its most entertaining when reflecting these tensions.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
Not Coming to a Theater Near You
A hugely entertaining heist film, with a refreshingly straightforward plot, excellent characters, and just the right amount of Spike's snarky class/racial digs.
Cinema Sight
A heist movie that feels more real than many that have come before it yet feels as much like a movie as anything.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/4
Dark Horizons
A great example of smart high-concept escapism. Strong performances, believable characters and an interesting and well-paced premise keeps you compelled throughout
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
Time Out
Top CriticA slick, kinetic and relatively straightforward -- which is to say enjoyably twisty-turny -- tranche of cat-and-mouse procedural.
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
...a clever, stylish and highly entertaining concoction of plot twists and character quirks that elevates itself above similar fare.
3BlackChicks Review
Inside Man is smart and funny and a movie for grown folks. You know what I mean?
Full Review
| Original Score: 5/5
Broomfield Enterprise
It tried so hard to be a smart flick that it outsmarted itself.
Sacramento News & Review
[Screenwriter Russel] Gewirtz and Lee cleverly build suspense with flash-forwards to police interviews after the incident, and Lee gets sharp performances from his high-pedigree cast.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
