RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
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.
 
Movies / On DVD / Be Kind Rewind
Be Kind Rewind

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
66 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 122

Fresh: 80

Rotten:42

Average Rating: 6.3/10

Australian Rating: PG [See Full Rating] Mild coarse language and sexual references

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 20, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $11,028,439

Synopsis: Music-video-director-turned-auteur Michel Gondry continues to charm with his low-tech offering, BE KIND REWIND. Set in dreary Passaic, New Jersey, the comedy centers on two of the town's residents:... Music-video-director-turned-auteur Michel Gondry continues to charm with his low-tech offering, BE KIND REWIND. Set in dreary Passaic, New Jersey, the comedy centers on two of the town's residents: trouble-making Jerry (Jack Black) and well-meaning Mike (Mos Def). Mike works in a video store in an age where the VHS is long dead, but the store's owner, Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover), doesn't seem to be in any hurry to change. When Mr. Fletcher leaves town for a trip, he entrusts his store to Mike with one piece of advice: don't let Jerry in the store. But after some mischief, Jerry returns to the store in a strange state. Not only is he weirder than usual, but he's also magnetized, which causes the entire store's stock to be erased. In order to keep the struggling business afloat, Mike and Jerry begin remaking the films in the store one by one. Their hilariously low-budget versions of films such as GHOSTBUSTERS and RUSH HOUR 2 soon begin to draw attention and business to the store, but that creates a whole new set of problems for the pair. Though Gondry's three previous fiction films--HUMAN NATURE, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, and THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP--were all essentially love stories, BE KIND REWIND captures another kind of romance. Both the writer-director and his characters are in love with the cinematic medium itself, and their devotion shows. BE KIND REWIND doesn't reach the heights of ETERNAL SUNSHINE, but it doesn't seem to be aiming for that genius. This is simply a hilarious comedy, fun for film fans of all stripes, which celebrates the sheer joy of watching and making films. [More]

Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow

Starring: Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, Melonie Diaz, Chandler Parker, Irv Gooch, Arjay Smith, Marcus Carl Franklin

Director: Michel Gondry

Director: Michel Gondry
Producer: Michel Gondry, Julie Fong, Georges Bermann
Composer: Jean Michel Bernard
Studio: New Line Cinema

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    Melonie Diaz
    >
    Danny Glover
    >
    Jack Black
    >
  • Michel Gondry
    >
1 - 4 of 5

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Be Kind Rewind

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The remake/parody sequences are outstanding, but Black’s all-over-the-place mania and Mos Def’s bland orphan hero don’t quite tie the rest of the picture together. Still, it has heart.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia | comment Comment
03/20/08
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine Australasia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

And the film ought to be funny, with Mike and Jerry recreating those films as home movies. But somehow it’s not, the laughs are very thin on the ground.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment 2 Comments
03/19/08
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Brilliant ideas dance on the high side of Creative Street, but Michel Gondry's outlandish premise doesn't stretch far enough to go the distance.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
03/16/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A glowing valentine to creativity in opposition to commerce.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
06/07/09
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Sua natureza auto-referencial transforma o filme numa grande homenagem ao próprio cinema.

Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
12/11/08
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Be Kind Rewind should gather dust on both DVD and VHS shelves.

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment 1 Comment
08/01/08
Christian Toto
Washington Times

Once the movie starts finding its focus it becomes a very unique experience

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment Comment
07/22/08
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

A surprisingly quiet and whimsical comedy about a ridiculous and unlikely series of events that turns into a nearly-as-likely miracle. Best bit: the film's own Sweded preview.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
07/17/08
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

An ode to finding one's creative side and the joys of being able to share one's creations with others.

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
07/11/08
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

Tackles the hackneyed with the tender hand and heart of writer/director Michel Gondry.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
06/20/08
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

But with a skill that is difficult to pinpoint, Gondry seems to stumble like a fox from this paper-thin plot into a precious little ode to community.

Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
06/09/08
Robert Davis
Paste Magazine

Director Michel Gondry delivers the first great film of 2008.

Full Review Source: Windy City Times | comment Comment
05/22/08
Richard Knight
Windy City Times

'Be Kind Rewind' is a whimsical adventure with genuine affection for its characters, but Gondry's story is essentially weightless, a fanciful flight in search of a raison d'etre.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment 1 Comment
04/09/08
Rossiter Drake
San Francisco Examiner

It's central message is that filmmakers are wonderful people, which is pretty much what you would expect filmmakers to say.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment 2 Comments
03/26/08
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

The process of Sweding soon becomes a community project, another glance back and ahead at the same time.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
03/21/08
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

Ultimately trades in schmaltz of the unearned kind.

Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment Comment
03/20/08
Rob Humanick
Projection Booth

The premise of Be Kind Rewind is pure Michel Gondry. The end result is anything but.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment 3 Comments
03/16/08
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing

quirky

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
03/02/08
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is

corny, cool and beautiful

Full Review Source: Charlotte Weekly | comment Comment
03/02/08
Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly

The community-produced version of Fats Waller's story leads to a block film party in what may be the most touching ending of Gondry's films.

Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | comment Comment
03/01/08
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for Be Kind Rewind

June 25, 2008: A people's cinema rough cut heart so squarely in the right place over in Passaic as opposed to Hollywood, that it's pretty much hard to resist. Opens in new window
More...

June 16, 2008: RT on DVD: 70 More Minutes of The Incredible Hulk on Blu-Ray??
This week in DVD news, that long-awaited Kill Bill double-volume set may finally be on its way and Incredible Hulk director Louis Leterrier promises enough leftover Hulk... More...

March 05, 2008: UK Box Office Breakdown: Slow Week Sees Bank Job Claim No.1
A slow week at the box office allowed Jason Statham's The Bank Job to sneak into first place in the UK charts. Meanwhile Rambo, Cloverfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks all... More...

February 29, 2008: UPDATED: UK Box Office Breakdown: Odeon Snubs Rambo
Jumper holds on to the number one spot at the UK box office, but only because a dispute between Sony and Odeon kept the film of the cinema chain's 100+ screens. More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Be Kind Rewind

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
84%
84%
Two Lovers
28%
28%
12 Rounds
04%
04%
Street Fighter: The Le…
23%
23%
Jonas Brothers - The C…

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Directors transform

Directors transform

What if Michael Bay wasn't director?

New Alice Pics

New Alice Pics

Glimpse Tim Burton's vision of Wonderland.

Jackson's 10 Best

Jackson's 10 Best

Remembering the star on screen

Best Movie Robots

Best Movie Robots

We pick the 50 best 'bots of all time

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
22
  • Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future Source: Moviehole
62
  • Sony's Amy Pascal Explains Moneyball Balk Source: Los Angeles Times
6
  • Three Theaters Getting Harry Potter in IMAX Opening Day Source: Collider.com
18
  • Weekly Ketchup: Adam Sandler joins The Zookeeper, David Fincher joins Facebook
72
  • Zak Penn Talks The Avengers Source: Sci Fi Wire
20
  • Watchmen Director's Cut Headed to Theaters Source: Collider.com
32
  • Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Beverly Hills Cop 4, More Source: Collider.com
14
  • (Teaser) Trailer Bulletin: The Last Airbender Source: MTV
61
  • Johnny Depp Talks Alice, Pirates 4, Dark Shadows Source: Collider.com
12
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers 2 Generates Explosive Box Office
168
  • Critics Consensus: Solid Public Enemies Doesn't Quite Bring The Noise
104
  • Five Favorite Films with Fred Durst
86
  • Total Recall: Johnny Depp's Best Movies
78
  • RoboGeisha: 2009's Most Insane Trailer?
74
  • RT on DVD: Street Fighter, Transmorphers 2, and Uwe Boll's Tunnel Rats!
36
  • Academy Invites Tyler Perry, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen to Join Oscar Ranks
28
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Dinosaurs and Gangsters Spark Fireworks
23
  • Karl Malden: 1912-2009
17
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
11
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Be Kind Rewind at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Be Kind Rewind at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
10 Questions for JJ Abrams
10 Questions for JJ Abrams External Link

J.J. Abrams has done it all: writing, producing, and directing for TV and movies. He answers reader questions here for TIME.

50 Greatest Movie Trailers
50 Greatest Movie Trailers External Link

IFC channel counts down the best film trailers, ever. Allegedly...

David Lynch's Interview Project
David Lynch's Interview Project External Link

The filmmaker takes his cameras across America for refreshing interviews with ordinary people.

Shut the f**k up, Donny
Shut the f**k up, Donny External Link

Forget the AFI, here's the other 100 Greatest Movie Quotes...

Competitions
Win <em>Transformers</em> Generation One Packs!
Win Transformers Generation One Packs! External Link

Prime old-school animation action to win, thanks to Madman

 
 
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 | 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 1998-2009, 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.