ROTTEN TOMATOES: Review Revue: Kit Kittredge Edges Hancock in Battle for Critics' Hearts

Review Revue: Kit Kittredge Edges Hancock in Battle for Critics' Hearts

Attention, Dakota: Abigail Breslin is on the rise!

by Jen Yamato | July 04, 2008

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This week, box office dynamo Will Smith goes head to head with tweener tyke Abigail Breslin. But is Hancock's reluctant superhero routine any match for the intrepid adventures of Kit Kittredge?

Once upon a time, Will Smith (as the Fresh Prince) composed his own definition of summer madness: going to BBQs, reminiscing, waxing his car, frontin' and maxin'. But cut to 17 years later, and he has a new definition of summer madness: box office domination. With a track record of recent crowd-pleasers (I Am Legend, Pursuit of Happyness), will fans pay any heed to the less-than-super reviews of his first vehicle as a superhero? Conversely, young Abigail Breslin -- Oscar nominee, cherubic 12-year-old -- seems to be giving Dakota Fanning a run for her money as the reigning 'tween It Girl of her generation.

What should you see this weekend? Watch this week's Review Revue to find out what the critics are saying about Hancock and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.

Also head over to this week's Total Recall for our rundown of the Bill of Rights via movies. (Guess which Amendment Death Wish represents!)

Check in with next week's Review Revue for our discussion of not one, not two, but THREE movies: Meet Dave, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Related Items

Movie:	Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
Celeb:	Will Smith
	Abigail Breslin

(1-20 of 22 posts) | Reply

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jul 04 2008 04:47 PM

I can't wait for your review revue when you finally discuss "Space Chimps."

You're dead on about Hancock having similiarities with that Uma Thurman fiasco.

As far as advertising in Hancock goes, I'm confused why none seemed to show Charlize Theron.

I thought in a fight that Dakota Fanning would take down Abigail Breslin, but obviously, I'm wrong.

Everyone knows that studios select child actors for films on the basis of Kung-Fu.

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blattman writes:
on Jul 04 2008 05:31 PM

In reply to this comment (#1839674)
I was glad they played down Charlize Theron part in the Hancock advirtising. There is a reason, but I don't want to spoil anything this early. Make sure you stay for an additional scene during the credits.

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Iamremote01 writes:
on Jul 04 2008 06:22 PM

She's the bad guy, right?

Any idiot could tell that.

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Archmage_Quintus writes:
on Jul 04 2008 07:56 PM

When the review revue covers Space Chimps it will be a day long remembered.

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RottenDC writes:
on Jul 04 2008 11:11 PM

Tomwaits,

I think The Bres is tougher than her unassuming exterior lets on.

Little Miss Sunshine is no joke as aspiring journalist and general do-gooder Kit Kittredge. However, I was one of only five males in the theater watching the movie... and the only one who wasn't a dad... which I suppose might have looked a little creepy now that I think about it...

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goni27 writes:
on Jul 04 2008 11:42 PM

What about Blade, wasn't he a black superhero. Based on a comic book, He had superpowers, he was a super hero.

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RT-Actaphu writes:
on Jul 05 2008 12:11 AM

In reply to this comment (#1840867)
Don't forget Shaq as Steel too!

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RottenDC writes:
on Jul 05 2008 12:41 AM

Ah good one, Goni - not meant to be an all-inclusive list :) But definitely a good one to point out!

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thereign writes:
on Jul 05 2008 01:36 AM

Yes, Blade was a black superhero, and far more respectable in both character and storywise(the first film at least) than either Meteor Man or Blank Man. I can't believe they even mentioned those abominations.

I for one enjoyed the dichotomy of Hancock, and I think that anyone with an I.Q. over 4 won't be "confused" coming out of the theater. Jeez Dave, don't underestimate movie audiences the way Hollywood studios always do.

And congrats on the homerun, Jen...but then, you're always a sure winner in my book.

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bluecloud writes:
on Jul 05 2008 02:30 AM

This is crap, they haven't even seen Hancock and they're talking about its flaws. If I wanted to see what the critics thought, I'd read the critic's posts. Why don't they just watch the movie and tell us what they think.

Personally I thought Hancock was fine. People let expectations kill stuff for them; Honestly when you criticize a movie you're supposed to have watched it in the spirit the movie intended to begin with and these critics obviously had preconceived notions of what the movie was and when it didn't match those ideas they complained trashed what is actually a solid movie.

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CaptainSiberia writes:
on Jul 05 2008 02:40 AM

First of all, Kit Kittredge is not a doll movie; it's an adaptation of a book, and the American Girls books are quality stuff. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that one of these books formed the basis for a good movie. You can't compare it with Bratz. That's just a declaration of ignorance.

Second of all, not feeling the magic as much this week. Maybe it's because Matt isn't there.

This is the first I really heard about Dakota Fanning or her movie. All I can say is that I hope no one caved and bowdlerized it. And as for the child fanbase, to hell with them. Let the girl play serious roles if she wants to. Let her have a more sophisticated audience.

What's that music just before he flies? Sounds like some cover version of "20th Century Boy." And why can't Will Smith stop this crap and just star in movies like The Pursuit of Happyness? Hey, at least Ebert liked Hancock.

By the way, Hancock didn't seem like that major of a movie to me. It seems a little like you chose this movie just because there was nothing bigger. Maybe it's just because I don't watch TV, but usually if something is big, I git the buzz anyway.

I am already angry about Journey to the Center of the Earth. Rip Brendan Fraser a new ***hole for me.

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707PG13 writes:
on Jul 05 2008 03:19 AM

Get Well soon Matt!!! Though still a kick arse Review Revue as always :)

Dave I work as a projectinist at one of the Regal multiplexes and we didn't even get BRATZ, so I don't blame you if you rented it. I was interested myself because I'm always down for quality family flix (e.g. Princess Diaries 1&2, Lemony Snickett, and Holes). But from the reviews I hear Bratz is anything but quality entertainment.

As for "Kit Kitteradge", I dunno. That whole depression time period doesn't really do it for me.

Oh, and the Bres will take Dakota any day! It'll most likely end in Abby getting Dakota in a rear naked choke then into an arm bar. Joe Rogan calls the match.

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rayofsunshine writes:
on Jul 05 2008 06:45 AM

It is a tragedy of Tsunami proportions that a projectionist in Amerika's largest theater chain can't even spell the title of his job. But sadly, not unexpected. Rock on Regal!

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707PG13 writes:
on Jul 05 2008 05:04 PM

rayofsunshine,

*projectionist* my apologies kind sir. From now on, when anyone unintentionally misspells a word on the net, I'm going to call the phrase a "TYPO".

I'm such a genius.

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707PG13 writes:
on Jul 05 2008 05:26 PM

rayofsunshine,

Oh Dude! I just noticed you spelled *America* wrong. Are you just playing with me?

If you are, then ignore my retaliation. It's cool.

If not, then that is definitely "a tragedy of tsunami proportions".

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High73K Drif73R writes:
on Jul 05 2008 06:16 PM

Hancock

B 4 I write any reviews, I will always view the movie first. Unlike some who would think the most important thing, is to be first with a review at the expense of quality in truth. Which is the case in the movie HANCOCK. I am new to this site and I thought I would give it a chance. The 2 reviewers that critic the movie totally missed the point. They sounded like they did not see the movie at all. They were busy saying what others of their kind (Critics) were saying. Things like ... That's right, they said nothing because they did not see the movie, so they could not say anything helpful about it. I don't know, I thought when you preceded the prefix 're' in front of the word 'view', it meant, and I may be wrong, you may have seen the movie first? When you do that, it makes what you have to say as BS and why should we care about what you say ever again. There's a trust issue envolved and it going to be hard to put faith in what you have to say in the future. With that said, HANCOCK as Summer Blockbusters go, lives up 2 the tradition of blockbuster movies. There was action from beginning to end. The plot itself, kept you awake between the action scenes. I would not put to muck stock in what the critics have 2 say, especially the 2 mentioned above. IT IS A VERY FUN AND ENTERTAINING WATCHFEST that will leave you wanting more. The tension between Mr. Smith and Ms. Theron alone gave me a semi and that has not happen from the silver screen in quite a while. Go see the movie.

PS: What the deal with putting the 150 million movie like HANCOCK in the same catagory as, come on, Blankman and pleaseee...Meteor Man. Get the Fake out of here.

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elvisjulep writes:
on Jul 06 2008 07:21 AM

Wow! I didn't know that The Artist Formerly and Presently Known As Prince had started posting here...I Would Die 4 U!

I'm not sure you really get this site. RT is a collection of reviews by others and the score is an aggregate of their opinions. The purpose of the RR is not so much to review the movies as it is to discuss the buzz from others. It is a revue of other people's reviews and the overall opinion gleaned from that buzz.

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High73K Drif73R writes:
on Jul 06 2008 11:53 AM

Ohhhhh.

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Jen Yamato writes:
on Jul 06 2008 07:35 PM

Thanks, elvisjulep, for explaining what we're doing here. I'd be happy to discuss what I think of any film, but because of the nature of RT (aggregating reviews en masse) it seems more appropriate to take that step back and survey the critical buzz with a wider scope. High73K, thanks for finding your way to the site - I hope you find plenty that you do like here.

Thanks to thereign for the homer love! And my vote: Breslin's got the weight advantage on Dakota, but you can tell that Fanning is a scrapper. She'll scratch your eyes out.

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wordweaver12 writes:
on Jul 06 2008 10:05 PM

As far as I'm concerned, these "critics" have lost their credibility. The same critics that gave Indiana Jones and the crystal skull a 77 percent and had very positive reviews for the new Hulk movie. Should I take you seriously? I doubt it.

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