IGN.com|AskMen.com|Rotten Tomatoes|GameSpy|FilePlanet|TeamXbox|CheatsCodesGuides|GameStats|Direct2Drive|Green Pixels
RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Great Big Gift Guide
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • The Vine
  • Forums
  • Features
  • | Columns
  • | Guides
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches by subscribing to our Google Subscribed Links profile.
 
News / Columns / Critics Consensus
Critical Consensus: "Crank" Is Well-Ranked; "Illusionist" Is Magic, "Crossover" Is An Air-Ball, "Wicker Man" Gets Burned
by Tim Ryan | August 31, 2006
Discuss Article | Blog Article | Email To A Friend
This week at the movies, we've got hoopsters with big dreams ("Crossover," starring Anthony Mackie), scary goings-on on remote islands ("The Wicker Man," starring Nicolas Cage), fast, fast vehicles ("Crank," starring Jason Statham and Amy Smart), and magic ("The Illusionist," starring Edward Norton and Jessica Biel). What do the critics say?

If you want realism, go rent "The Bicycle Thief." Critics say "Crank" is a ludicrously over-the-top action flick with nary a moment of probability. And that's a good thing. The story involves a hit man (Statham) who must stay awake to complete his mission and get out of the business. The critics say the film makes precious little sense and eschews both the laws of physics and political correctness. They also note that it is a lot of fun, with terrific action sequences and a knowing sense of humor. Why this movie wasn't shown to critics beforehand is beyond us, since at 75 percent on the Tomatometer it's the best reviewed unscreened film of the year, beating out "Snakes on a Plane" (69 percent).


It appears Jason Statham's alarm isn't working again.

"The Wicker Man" wasn't screened for critics either, and this time, it looks like there was a good reason for that. Critics say Neil LaBute's remake of the 1973 cult classic subtracts most of the subtext of the original and replaces it with tons of unintentional laughs. Cage stars as a cop who gets ensnared in sinister rituals on a remote island while searching for his girlfriend's missing child. Scribes say the film was misconceived from the get-go and contains a startling amount of sexism. At 11 percent on the Tomatometer, this "Wicker Man" is getting burned. It's also well below the original (89 percent).


Movie critics tried a bunch of disguises in an attempt to sneak into screanings of "The Wicker Man."

One of the reasons streetball is so much fun to watch is its sheer unpredictability. The critics say the opposite is the case with the hoops drama "Crossover." The film tells the story of Noah (Mackie), a talented kid who hopes to get to med school with an assist from his hoops scholarship, but must deal with the full court press of some of his relationships. The critics are treating "Crossover" the way Dikembe Mutombo would handle a shot in his direction. They say the film is too by-the-numbers to be dramatic. At zero percent on the Tomatometer, "Crossover" is tied with "Zoom" (each of which have 46 rotten reviews) for the title of worst reviewed film of the year.


"Run, Anthony Mackie! Run for your life! Get help!"

"The Illusionist" goes wide this week, and the critics are largely under the spell of this Sundance-approved period mystery. The film tells the tale of Eisenheim (Norton), a magician who runs afoul with the authorities for his feats of illusion and his romance with the prince's fiancée (Biel). The scribes are praising "The Illusionist" for its remarkable set design, sweeping romance, and its twisty plot. It currently stands at 75 percent on the Tomatometer, good enough for Certified Fresh status.


In "The Illusionist," Ed Norton plays a man outstanding in his field -- or is it out walking? (Thank you. I'll be here all week.)

Also out this week in limited release: hipster fave Andrew Bujalski's no-budget comedy "Mutual Appreciation" is at 100 percent on the Tomatometer; Ric Burns' "Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film" is also at 100 percent; that lovable collie "Lassie" is at 90 percent; Kirby Dick's guerilla investigation of the MPAA, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," is at 83 percent; Zhang Yimou's latest, "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles," is at 69 percent; Edward Burns' latest examination of suburban romantic angst, "Looking for Kitty," is at 38 percent; and Mike Judge's "Idiocracy," which is in limited release, was not screened for critics.


"Mutual Appreciation": As Sonic Youth might say, confusion is next and next after that is the truth.

Recent Neil LaBute Movies:
------------------------------------
65% -- The Shape of Things (2003)
64% -- Possession (2002)
83% -- Nurse Betty (2000)
76% -- Your Friends and Neighbors (1999)
89% -- In the Company of Men (1997)

Recent Jason Statham Movies:
---------------------------------------
15% -- London (2006)
27% -- Revolver (2006)
50% -- The Transporter 2 (2005)
73% -- The Italian Job (2003)
53% -- The Transporter (2002)

Recent Basketball Movies:
--------------------------------
90% -- The Heart of the Game (2006)
58% -- Glory Road (2006)
69% -- Through the Fire (2005)
14% -- Rebound (2005)
64% -- Coach Carter (2005)

Related Items
Movie:
Rebound
Transporter 2
Glory Road
Through The Fire
London
The Heart of the Game
This Film is Not Yet Rated
The Illusionist
Zoom
Snakes on a Plane
Crank
Crossover
Idiocracy
Looking for Kitty
Revolver
Coach Carter
Riding Alone For Thousands of Miles
In the Company of Men
Your Friends & Neighbors
The Wicker Man
Nurse Betty
Possession
The Transporter
The Shape of Things
The Italian Job
The Bicycle Thief
Celeb: Sonic Youth
Edward Burns
Edward Norton
Andrew Bujalski
Kirby Dick
Yimou Zhang
Ric Burns
Mike Judge
Jessica Biel
Amy Smart
Anthony Mackie
Neil LaBute
Jason Statham
Nicolas Cage
Bookmark and Share
Comments (1-7 of 7 posts) | Reply
FMAN3448 writes:
on Aug 31 2006 09:45 PM

I don't think Crank will do that bad. Maybe in the 40-50% range.

(Reply to this)
Pokchu writes:
on Sep 01 2006 08:09 PM

Then again, should we really be surprised that the cream of the crop critics don't get Crank?

(Reply to this)
262702
TheIceGhost writes:
on Sep 02 2006 12:18 PM

Here is my little story: A few weeks ago I stumbled on a story talking about Edward Norton's new movie, 'The Illusionist'. The poster looked fairly good, and I'm a fan of Edward Norton so I checked out the trailer. The first half was, well, magical. Paul Giomanni (I apologize for possible spelling errors) looked to be an excellent co-star; this film was quickly becoming the must see flick for me this fall. Then Ms. Beil makes her debut, and my expectations start to plummet. She looks good for the part, but just from the trailer her acting was terrible! She cracked her accent several times in the trailer alone. It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to realize where this film is heading. Now I am so torn if I want to see this movie, it could have been so much more than it probably is (sorry, I don't listen to critics). In the beginning I was looking forward to seeing it opening weekend..now I'm not even sure I'll be renting it...curse it all.

...why is Jessica Beil still getting work? She is a horrible actress.

..and on the movie Crossover......HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! That's all I have to say.


(Reply to this)
28086
FILMCZY writes:
on Sep 02 2006 07:06 PM

Lassie(90% FRESH!) is the man...I mean...the dog...is Lassie a he or she? Anyway, you go dawg!!!

(Reply to this)
VML writes:
on Sep 03 2006 12:31 AM

In reply to this comment (#843569)
I was surprised to see that Jessica Beil's acting was really good in the movie.

(Reply to this)
2439
South_park300 writes:
on Sep 03 2006 08:21 PM

this is the first weekend in quite awhile that i didn't go see a movie in the theater. what a boring weekend.
looking foward to october!


(Reply to this)
262702
TheIceGhost writes:
on Sep 04 2006 07:27 PM

In reply to this comment (#843571)
...maybe I'll check it out when it hits rental status :)

(Reply to this)
Read More Comments
Page | 1
Post Your Comment
You must be registered to post comments. Login or Register.
Related Links
The Wicker Man
  • Pictures
  • Posters
  • News
  • Forum
Related Articles
  • Nicolas Cage Joins The Vanished 10
  • Nicolas Cage Is Magnum P.I.? 46
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Halloween Strikes on the 31st 11
  • Razzie Nominations Announced! 52
  • Box Office Wrapup: Gridiron Gang #1, but Box Office Still Fumbles 6
  • Box Office Wrapup: "Covenant" Leads Pathetic B.O. Frame 9
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Covenant Brings Evil to Theaters 0
  • Box Office Wrapup: Invincible Scores Another Win at #1 2
  • Box Office Preview: "Crank" Closes Up Summer Movie Season 3
  • Critical Consensus: "Crank" Is Well-Ranked; "Illusionist" Is Magic, "Crossover" Is An Air-Ball, "Wicker Man" Gets Burned 7
Most Discussed
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Four Christmases has a lot to be thankful for this weekend 27
  • Critics Consensus: Four Christmases Gets Coal 26
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Vince & Reese Offer Holiday Cheer 21
  • Total Recall: Not-So-Happy Movie Thanksgivings 20
  • RT on DVD: Prince Caspian, Wanted Battle for DVD Supremacy 9
  • RT Tours Weta Workshop and The Real Narnia - A Photo Tour 8
  • Further Reading: Take an Adventure in Space with Spaceflight IC-1 3
  • Holiday Movie Preview -- Get The Scoop On Hot Winter Movies! 0
Latest News
  • RT on DVD: Prince Caspian, Wanted Battle for DVD Supremacy 9
  • RT Tours Weta Workshop and The Real Narnia - A Photo Tour 8
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Four Christmases has a lot to be thankful for this weekend 27
  • Further Reading: Take an Adventure in Space with Spaceflight IC-1 3
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Vince & Reese Offer Holiday Cheer 21
  • Total Recall: Not-So-Happy Movie Thanksgivings 20
  • Critics Consensus: Four Christmases Gets Coal 26
  • Holiday Movie Preview -- Get The Scoop On Hot Winter Movies! 0
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Statham 80
  • RT on DVD: Fred Claus, Hancock, and 24: Redemption 28
Latest Interviews
  • RT Interview: Daniel Craig talks Quantum of Solace 10
  • Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 5 1
  • Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 4 3
  • Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 3 1
  • Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 2 1
  • Ricky Gervais - RT's Dinner and the Movies Interview - Chapter 1 4
  • Video Exclusive: Josh Brolin and Elizabeth Banks on W. 4
  • RT Interview: Charlie Kaufman on Synecdoche, New York 39
  • Exclusive: Alexandre Aja talks Mirrors and Piranha 3D 9
  • RT Interview: Jason Statham Chats Death Race, Crank 2 and The Sweeney 9
Latest Features
  • RT Tours Weta Workshop and The Real Narnia - A Photo Tour 8
  • Watching the Latest Watchmen Trailer: A Detailed Analysis 56
  • Five Favorite Films with John Lasseter 45
  • A Look Inside the Making Of WALL-E 10
  • Five Favorite Films with Twilight's Robert Pattinson 69
  • Waltz with Bashir - David Polonsky's Visual Companion 0
  • RT Sees Star Trek Footage! 36
  • Video Exclusive: Ricky Gervais Collects his Certified Fresh Award 2
  • Five Favorite Films with Seth Rogen 36
  • Five Favorite Films with Kevin Smith 62

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | ModCenter | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2008, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.