Director Twyker seems much more interested in the architecture of the world capitols the characters chase through than in having anything of much interest happen there.
Comment
02/12/09
The International (2009)
58
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:191
Fresh:111
Rotten:80
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: The International boasts some electric action sequences and picturesque locales, but is undone by its preposterous plot.
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 19, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $25,450,527
Synopsis: Released in a post-globalization economy teetering on the brink of a depression, THE INTERNATIONAL admirably stays in step with its time. Screenwriter Eric Singer hangs this man-against-the-machine... [More]
Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Brian F. O'Byrne
Director: Tom Tykwer
Reviews for The International
141 - 160 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
The International is so self-assured, so assertive in its devotion to craftsmanship, that it proves Tykwer is continually building on his promise as a filmmaker, not squandering it.
02/12/09
Fantastic action, a brilliant cast and a sharp script tightly directed, The International's thrills and excitement are matched and heightened by its uncannily apropos timing.
02/12/09
traces its bloodline back to the paranoia peddlers of the 1970s
02/12/09
It's got some effective moments and aspects, but the film goes in and out of plausibility, and its elements never manage to unify into a coherent whole.
02/12/09
Top CriticOK, it doesn't tell you much about the role of banks in the current economic free-fall. But if you want to know, it's a humdinger of a stimulus package.
02/12/09
The International almost seems like a Monty Python spoof on spy-game thrillers in which the phrase 'secret agent' is constantly replaced by 'banker,' resulting in lines like, '...If I die, 100 other bankers take my place.'
02/12/09
Despite the script's persistent focus on the link between terrorism and big business, The International feels naggingly generic. You've seen this movie before, if perhaps not quite so stylishly directed.
02/12/09
... for all its impressive set pieces and breathless momentum, it's neither passionate nor urgent.
02/12/09
As smartly as it begins, the film nearly completely unravels around the 70-minute mark.
02/12/09
Everything about it is good-looking, tautly paced and sophisticated; what it isn't, unfortunately, is memorable.
02/12/09
...even the de rigueur international cityscapes look as intricate and detailed as a Where's Waldo tableaux (try to catch this in digital projection if you can).
02/12/09
Real life aside, The International is a compelling and suspenseful thriller that features one of the best shootouts of the decade.
02/12/09
Where Run Lola Run was like a perpetual-motion machine, The International seems to forever be stopping in its own tracks.
02/12/09
The International is a film I liked enough that I wished I liked it better.
02/12/09
It's a well-made and handsome drama centering on a powerful and corrupt European bank with ties to arms dealers.
02/12/09
Top CriticGarbled at times, the movie still hums along with attractive, smooth efficiency.
02/12/09
Top CriticA lot like the global economic crisis -- muddled and grim.
02/12/09
It's a mildly intriguing political puzzler, but never manages to engage the heart as well as the head or make your pulse race as it should.
02/12/09
Its premise aches with timely resonance. It’s directed with meticulous artistry. So why does it ultimately feel so empty and forgettable?
02/12/09
Latest News for The International
March 22, 2009:
Click for trailer and preview 
More...
February 16, 2009:
Perhaps a perverse variation of The Peter Principle comes into play, here, since Tom Twyker appears to be over his head helming a Hollywood blockbuster as opposed to a modest, art house indie.
More...
February 14, 2009:
The Naomi Watts International Interview: On sleepless nights, lactose lobotomies and almost kissing scenes
More...
February 12, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Friday the 13th Feels Too Familiar
This week at the movies, we've got creepy campers (Friday the 13th, starring Jared Padalecki and Danielle Panabaker), conspicuous consumption (Confessions of a Shopaholic,... More...
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