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Dan Webster

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Frilm critic, books editor, features writer for The Spokesman-Review since 1984.

Favorites:

Citizen Kane (no kidding), Lone Star, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Seven Beauties, Wings of Desire, Fargo, Pulp Fiction, Raising Arizona, Yojimbo, Shane, Apocalypse Now Redux.

Location:

Spokane, Wash.

Official Website:

http://www.spokesmanreview.com/sections/entertai/movies/cover.asp

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
North (1994) 12% 2/4 EDIT “Nice concept, but in trying to capture the kind of light fantasy that the story needs, Rob Reiner lets the seams show.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jan 26, 2026 Full Review The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 91% 3/4 EDIT “For all its strengths, though, the film's biggest problem is much the same posed by the first novel itself: The road-trip plot is a little too straightforward to fill three hours.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jan 13, 2026 Full Review Stand by Me (1986) 88% 3.5/4 EDIT “A fine dramatic departure for a director who made his reputation in comedy.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jan 12, 2026 Full Review The Princess Bride (1987) 93% EDIT “Rob Reiner and William Goldman know about balance. They know about fantasy, too. And that's why The Princess Bride... is such a joy. The pair cuts sweetness with humor and evil with good intentions as effortlessly as Beauty captivated her Beast.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jan 7, 2026 Full Review Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 91% 3/4 EDIT “The effects are great and the violence is less explicit than, say, "Total Recall." All in all, it may be the hit of the summer. It just isn't Cameron's best.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Dec 9, 2025 Full Review The Running Man (1987) 59% EDIT “Buoyed by good production values, able direction, a fine supporting cast and the indomitable presence of its star, "The Running Man" manages to be more than just a Schwarzenegger vehicle.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Nov 6, 2025 Full Review The Celluloid Closet (1995) 96% EDIT “[An] incisive study of how society, through its most popular art, attempts to curb behavior that the mainstream considers uncomfortable - or even despicable. Further, it is a candid illustration of how those who engage in that behavior respond.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Thieves (1996) 83% 3/4 EDIT “Not always clear, and ultimately something of a non-mystery, the movie benefits both from a sense of irony and the several good performances -- especially by Daniel Auteuil and Catherine Deneuve. ” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Sep 22, 2025 Full Review Inventing the Abbotts (1997) 41% 3/4 EDIT “With a cast that is far too beautiful for real life, this period-piece romance would seem to be some sort of fantasy straight from the pages of, say, Mirabella magazine... [But] this ends up being a small, patiently paced and touching story.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Sep 22, 2025 Full Review Hard Eight (1996) 82% 3/4 EDIT “Hard Eight ends up being something special. Credit that both to Anderson's minimalist filmmaking style and to his sense of character, which blends a feel for illogic with basic survival mechanisms. ” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Sep 22, 2025 Full Review Darkman (1990) 80% 2.5/4 EDIT “"Darkman" is a slick bit of filmmaking that's just too shallow to be effectively moving. Essentially, it's a movie in search of a sequel.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Aug 27, 2025 Full Review The Return of the Living Dead (1985) 71% EDIT “If O'Bannon doesn't warrant passing marks for originality, he is still far from a failure. His effort so well captures the spirit of its predecessors that it deserves a place alongside them in the Horror Film Hall of Fame (if there is such a thing).” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Aug 13, 2025 Full Review The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) 88% 2/4 EDIT “It just doesn't measure up to the quicker-paced "Airplane."” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 24, 2025 Full Review The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) 77% 2.5/4 EDIT “The gags miss as much as they connect, but there are a few choice moments -- one being director David Zucker's clever takeoff of the pottery scene from his brother Jerry's box-office hit "Ghost."” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 22, 2025 Full Review Red Rock West (1993) 95% 3/4 EDIT “It's dark, moody and twisted.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 16, 2025 Full Review Superman Returns (2006) 72% 3/4 EDIT “"Superman Returns" rises and falls, then, on the strength of Routh's wide back, and he proves more than capable. ” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 8, 2025 Full Review Final Destination (2000) 50% 2.5/4 EDIT “Director James Wong manages to keep things more interesting than, say, the two "I Know What You Did Last Summer" movies, despite some pretty lame plot twists.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) May 22, 2025 Full Review The Wedding Banquet (1993) 94% 3/4 EDIT “Lee skillfully adapts the script... and his actors fit into their respective roles with a surprising degree of comfort.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Apr 15, 2025 Full Review American Psycho (2000) 68% 2.5/4 EDIT “Harron's final problem is an ending that is beyond vague. If her sense of satire hasn't been sharp enough until then, it loses all focus here.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Apr 4, 2025 Full Review Aladdin (1992) 96% 3.5/4 EDIT “Though it isn't the masterpiece its immediate predecessors are, Aladdin may just be the best film of the Thanksgiving-Christmas season.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Dec 16, 2024 Full Review Shall We Dance? (1996) 90% 3.5/4 EDIT “The lesson has to do with resolving the lure of a dream and coming to an acceptance of real life.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Sep 10, 2024 Full Review About Last Night ... (1986) 65% EDIT “It has a lot to say about the fears people have about committing themselves to a relationship.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 27, 2024 Full Review Tough Guys (1986) 47% 2/4 EDIT “Director Jaff Kanew is interested more in going for the cheap laugh than in saying anything worthwhile.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 27, 2024 Full Review Top Gun (1986) 59% 3/4 EDIT “The musk-heavy performances by Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer... the charm of Anthony Edwards and the film-savvy of director Tony Scott manage to make this traditionally minded film something more than just your average Neo-Patriotic thriller.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 27, 2024 Full Review That's Life! (1986) 60% 3.5/4 EDIT “Despite its obvious autobiographical base, the affluent setting and the occasional typical excesses of Lemmon, the film strikes a core of emotion that's hard to resist.” – Spokesman-Review (Washington) Jul 27, 2024 Full Review
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