How does the Tomatometer work 
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
It'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
Top CriticClick to read the article
Top CriticCloying, annoying, and absurd. And that doesn't even include Robin Williams.
Kirsten Sheridan, who helped write her father Jim Sheridan's overcooked In America (2003), directs this awful drama, so soggy that her previous work looks positively austere.
Flawed, yet, does what I, as a musician, find difficult to do. It conveys in words&pictures that wonderful feeling of being caught in a much grander current of rhythm&melody.
Yes, it's all pretty silly. But director Kirsten Sheridan weaves a certain spell with her lush poetic montages, heart-tugging close-ups of Highmore's angelic face and mostly appealing performances.
Wholesome family entertainment with a life-affirming message.
The leaden script is full of empty romantic pronouncements that sound neither believable nor wondrous.
The excellent actors and good music make you think the movie will get better as it progresses, but it never does.
An aggressively bad movie. There are times when it tips the scales of absurdity and becomes almost comical.
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.
Watching this yucky emotional drama is like being sprayed with treacle from a high-pressure hose.
Top CriticThat Robin Williams' character turns out to be a controlling bully is one of the picture's few surprises; everything else falls neatly into place, thanks to a script that needs about 128 coincidences to retain its forward momentum.
Sheridan's magical movie blooms at the crossroads of music, melodrama, and love; leaving the theatre, you'll find yourself happily immersed in the sounds of the streets.
A light, fanciful touch at times bolsters its "fairy tale" feel, but at times the story incorporates just enough "realistic" elements to drag the whole thing back down to earth.
Its almost desperate earnestness actually turns out to be its greatest appeal -- August Rush does believe in fairy tales, it does it does it does!
August Rush feels like the cinematic equivalent of being stuffed with fruitcake and doused with a gallon of egg nog.
Top CriticIf you appreciate a well-crafted fantasy tale that is a showcase for its young star and its great music, then you might just like August Rush.
Fans of soppy movies will probably love it, but everyone else should steer clear.
Director Kirsten Sheridan's new film is August Rush. But she might as well have named it Oliver! 2: Electric Boogaloo.
March 10, 2008:
RT on DVD: Call It, Friend-O -- No Country For Old Men Hits DVD
The critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men comes to DVD this week, accompanied by a litany of fellow Fresh films (Lake of Fire, Summer Palace, Dan in Real... More...
December 13, 2007:
Fifty-Nine Songs Vying for Best Song Oscar Nominations
When they sit down on January 15th to determine the Best Song nominees for this year's Oscars, voting members of the Academy's Music Branch will have plenty of tunes to choose... More...
November 28, 2007:
A fanciful fairytale blending elements of Oliver Twist, Ferris Bueller, Peter Pan and The School of Rock, and likely to entertain and enthrall preteens for a couple of hours. 
More...
November 25, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Enchanted Conjures Up $50M Thanksgiving Debut
The box office bounced back over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend as moviegoers spread their dollars across a wide variety of films which collectively helped to bring the... More...
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
20 double passes to win to the new animated film, produced by Tim Burton.
Free double passes to join Spike Jonze's wild rumpus.
IGN.com |
GameSpy |
Comrade |
Arena |
FilePlanet |
GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox |
Planets |
Vaults |
VE3D |
CheatsCodesGuides |
GameStats |
GamerMetrics
AskMen.com |
Rotten Tomatoes |
Direct2Drive |
Green Pixels
IGN RSS Feeds
Comment
