Full of cliches and the very stereotypes against which director Spike Lee rails, "Miracle at St. Anna" is a television movie that's far below the capabilities of one of the most talented living film directors.
Comment
10/05/08
Rate this Movie 
Miracle at St. Anna (2008)
30 %
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted: 94
Fresh: 28
Rotten:66
Average Rating: 5.1/10
Consensus: Miracle at St. Anna is a well-intentioned but overlong, disjointed affair that hits few of the right notes.
Theatrical Release: Sep 26, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $3,477,996
Synopsis: Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd “Buffalo Soldier” Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II. They experience the... [More]
Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller
Director: Spike Lee
Reviews for Miracle at St. Anna
'Miracle at St. Anna' tells a story of friendship and of getting beyond race and prejudices... about helping one another in the midst of war.
10/03/08
There are moments of such indescribable beauty in 'Miracle at St. Anna' that they move you to tears. There are also moments that leave you shaking your head in bewilderment and frustration.
10/02/08
This isn't on the same caliber as SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, but really, what is? This is a decent war movie that should satisfy most fans of the genre.
10/02/08
A messy patchwork of ideas spinning off every which way...but failing to be good doesn't mean that it's not interesting.
09/30/08
Half way through it becomes clear the ending doesn't matter compared to the journey, I just don't know if Spike Lee feels the same way.
09/30/08
Maudlin climax leaves a treacly residue of exaggerated valor and sentiment.
09/30/08
The combination of Lee's concerns for his characters' depictions with Disney's concerns for mass-market appeal ends up pleasing no one.
09/29/08
Miracle doesn't seem to have any one point of view, and without a united, central perspective to hold things together, the storyline feels very random and meandering.
09/29/08
Clocking in at 160 minutes, this interminable movie comes across like a rough cut. Perhaps Lee believed its length would give it gravitas. The opposite is true.
09/29/08
It's uneven but often powerful, two things we've come to expect from director Spike Lee.
09/29/08
Lee shows his grittiness by allowing everyone to speak in their native languages. My hat's off to him for that. I'm not a fan of war films where all opposing sides speak English.
09/29/08
An overdue history lesson about the indelible stain left by Jim Crow on the conflicted minds of black men forced to wage a white man's war when they'd really prefer to be fighting for their own civil rights.
09/28/08
There's enough here to make a thrilling, dynamic and even moving war movie, if only Lee could have kept his excesses out of the way of his filmmaking strengths.
09/26/08
What the hell happened to Spike Lee? Where did the brilliant director with the fresh, edgy and inventive ideas go?
09/26/08
Lee's intention was to show the contributions of African American soldiers. However, he does these men a disservice by perpetuating the very stereotypes that he rails against.
09/26/08
At the end of this nearly three hour movie, what you have is a noble attempt thwarted by uneven artistic choices.
09/26/08
The momentum increases considerably in the final hour of this 2-hour, 40-minute film, when Lee combines action and emotion in a way that makes cinematic sense. But it's a long, spotty time getting there.
09/26/08
Given the importance of that subject, the real mystery of Mr. Lee's movie is why it's so diffuse, dispirited, emotionally distanced and dramatically inert.
09/26/08
Top CriticLatest News for Miracle at St. Anna
September 28, 2008:
Bravery of Buffalo Soldiers belatedly acknowledged by Spike Lee's WWII saga. 
More...
September 25, 2008:
Box Office Guru Preview: Shia Eyes Another #1 Hit
Indy Jr. looks to seize control of the North American box office with the new action thriller Eagle Eye which leads a new pack of candidates heading into the multiplexes on... More...
September 24, 2008:
Total Recall: We Rank Spike Lee's Joints
More...
September 09, 2008:
NYT Counts Five to Watch from Toronto
According to the New York Times, the brightest stars of the Toronto crop include Sally Hawkins, Pedro Castaneda, and Kat Dennings. More...
Related Forums for Miracle at St. Anna
(2008)-MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA-Spikes Lee's back with his 1st epic since "Malcolm X"
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
(2008)-MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA-Spikes Lee's back with his 1st epic since "Malcolm X"
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
(2008)-MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA-Spikes Lee's back with his 1st epic since "Malcolm X"
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
(2008)-MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA-Spikes Lee's back with his 1st epic since "Malcolm X"
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/5
Bloated, Melodramatic War Picture Lacks Spike Lee's Signature Energy And Skills
by: MH and THE MOVIES 10/4
by: MH and THE MOVIES 10/4
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Gross |
|---|---|---|
 42% |
Beverly Hills Chihuahua | $29.0M |
| 28% |
Eagle Eye | $17.7M |
 72% |
Nick and Norah's Infin… | $12.0M |
| 27% |
Nights in Rodanthe | $7.4M |
| 76% |
Appaloosa | $5.0M |
| 42% |
Lakeview Terrace | $4.5M |
| 78% |
Burn After Reading | $4.1M |
| 42% |
Fireproof | $4.1M |
| 15% |
An American Carol | $3.8M |
| 66% |
Religulous | $3.5M |
IGN RSS Feeds