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02/22/08
August Rush (2007)
38
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:44
Rotten:72
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: Though featuring a talented cast, August Rush cannot overcome the flimsy direction and schmaltzy plot.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 21, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $31,529,568
Synopsis: AUGUST RUSH is part romance, part gentle fantasy, but this sweet drama is all heart. When young cellist Lyla (Keri Russell) and rock musician Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) meet at a party in the mid... [More]
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Robin Williams, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Reviews for August Rush
Top CriticIt's far-fetched and a leap of faith of Olympic proportions is required to keep abreast of the plot, but August Rush does deliver some charming moments, largely due to charismatic performances from Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
02/14/08
Top CriticIntended as a fuzzy family fable, August plays more to the gag reflex than to the heart.
11/21/07
Top CriticAn aggressively bad movie. There are times when it tips the scales of absurdity and becomes almost comical.
11/21/07
"Someone in Hollywood must have it in for Thanksgiving. How else to explain the cruelly timed release of August Rush, a wretched confection that only the most determined will be able to count among their blessings?"
05/08/08
A fanciful fairytale blending elements of Oliver Twist, Ferris Bueller, Peter Pan and The School of Rock likely to entertain and enthrall preteens for a couple of hours.
11/19/07
August Rush kind of feels like a 2-hour coming attractions preview. Lots of fragmented stuff happens, without ever connecting the dots in between.
03/10/08
Even the final few moments, which should have us choking up, seemed hurried and shot from the wrong angles.
11/27/07
Top CriticThe excellent actors and good music make you think the movie will get better as it progresses, but it never does.
01/02/08
If it weren't for the wonderful soundtrack, Nick Castle and James Hart's screenplay wouldn't have made it past the slush pile.
12/01/07
The leaden script is full of empty romantic pronouncements that sound neither believable nor wondrous.
11/21/07
Watching this yucky emotional drama is like being sprayed with treacle from a high-pressure hose.
11/23/07
Top CriticA lot like a conventional musical, but the story is not conventional, it is mystically romantic.
01/21/08
To describe August Rush as a piece of shameless hokum doesn’t quite do justice to the potentially shock-inducing sugar content of this contemporary fairy tale.
11/21/07
Top CriticIf you can stomach an ultra- contrived plot with a ridiculously schmaltzy finale, August Rush will be music to your ears.
11/23/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
11/24/07
Top CriticClick to read the article
04/03/08
Top CriticDespite its flaws, the music is the ultimate star of this film and Freddy Highmore is a highlight. He plays the role with a truthfulness and innocence that hasn't been matched by a child actor in some time.
11/21/07
While many films require a suspension of disbelief, August Rush asks viewers to terminate their disbelief without severance and have security escort it from the building.
05/01/08
The goal is to drive mothers everywhere insane with the urge to rescue him and brush his hair (or the other way around), and in my case it worked.
11/21/07
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November 28, 2007:
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