The Raven (2012)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Thinly scripted, unevenly acted, and overall preposterous, The Raven disgraces the legacy of Edgar Allen Poe with a rote murder mystery that's more silly than scary.
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Cast
as Inspector Emmit Fields
as Edgar Allan Poe
as Colonel Hamilton
as Emily
as John Cantrell
as Captain Elderidge
as Maddux
as Ivan
as Mrs. Bradley
as Reagan
as Doc Clements
as Stage Manager
as Percy
as Old Gentleman
as Professor
as Dr. Morgan
as Field's Maid
as Griswold
as Sailor
as Fire Marshall
as Bookseller
as Older Tenement Woman (Dead)
as Young Tenement Woman (Dead)
as Wretching Student
as Small Boy
as Sherry Merchant
as Hamilton's Security Guard
as Salty Sailor
as Porter - Paris
as Party Reveler
as Officer at Precinct
as Lady Macbeth
as Doctor in "Macbeth"
as Gentlewoman in "Macbeth"
as Headline Man 1
as Headline Man 2
as French Officer
as Doc Clements' Maid
as Crew Member
as Cardinal
as Breathless Tenement Man
as Barfly 1
as Barfly 2
as Actress
as Church Secretary
as Maurice Robichaux
as Uniformed Guard
as Young Man Skeleton
as Servant
News & Interviews for The Raven
Critic Reviews for The Raven
All Critics (132) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (103) | DVD (1)
Basically a well-researched but formulaic mystery centered on one of those nyah-nyah serial killers we've seen a thousand times.
It lingers intolerably on some inessential scenes, rushes through others, and fails to provide any motivation either for Poe's devoted (albeit fictional) love, or the film's archvillain.
Never commits to the kind of full-bore lunacy that might have made the film a campy pleasure.
The subject matter screams out for cleverness and depth, the sort of mind-bending twists and satisfying darkness that Poe himself would love. It finds them only in small doses.
Director James McTeigue has no feel for humor or terror, making what could have been a witty pastiche into another cheesy slice-and-dice horror flick.
It's 'Saw' meets 'Sherlock Holmes.' "
Audience Reviews for The Raven
Clunky, and overwrought, in spite of a wonderful cast. The movie didn't really flow all that well, and the premise was short on substance. I usually like John Cusack, but I did not relate to his interpretation of Poe...not at all.
Super Reviewer
I've seen lots of TV adaptations of this one as a kid. I wasn't disappointed to see the same plot again since years had passed. The story wasn't perfect, but it was executed alright. Adding the Edgar Allen Poe character wasn't effective enough, though. And I reckon that shortening its length by ~20 minutes would have helped. A drag at times, overall it wasn't so painful to sit through. The casting was not a problem for me. In fact, it only made it only made it better. The leading actors did justice to their characters. Check it out for yourself & see how far it disappoints you. 4.5/10
Super Reviewer
I see what they were going for I just didn't care all that much about the journey. The film was too dark half of the time causing me to strain my eyes just trying to make out what was going on. The characters were all pretty one note. It's a plain jane whodunnit that doesn't do anything original with all the potential it has just by being a period thriller featuring Poe.
Super Reviewer
The Raven Quotes
| Edgar Allen Poe: | The only thing he's ever killed is a bottle of brandy. |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | Take this kiss upon thy brow |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | Take this kiss upon the brow! |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | Quoth the raven "Nevermore" |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | Quoth the raven 'Nevermore'. |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | I will gladly give my life for hers, Mr. Fields |
| Edgar Allan Poe: | I will gladly give my life for hers, Mr. Fields. |
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