Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes
Publications list

Spokesman-Review (Washington)

Spokesman-Review (Washington) is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Dan Webster.

Prev Next
Rating Title | Year Author Quote
2/4
North (1994) Dan Webster Nice concept, but in trying to capture the kind of light fantasy that the story needs, Rob Reiner lets the seams show.
Posted Jan 26, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Jan 13, 2026  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Stand by Me (1986) Dan Webster A fine dramatic departure for a director who made his reputation in comedy.
Posted Jan 12, 2026  Edit critic review
The Princess Bride (1987) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Jan 07, 2026  Edit critic review
3/4
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Dec 09, 2025  Edit critic review
The Running Man (1987) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Nov 06, 2025  Edit critic review
The Celluloid Closet (1995) Dan Webster [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.
Posted Oct 08, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Thieves (1996) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Sep 22, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Inventing the Abbotts (1997) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Sep 22, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Hard Eight (1996) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Sep 22, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Darkman (1990) Dan Webster "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.
Posted Aug 27, 2025  Edit critic review
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) Dan Webster 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).
Posted Aug 13, 2025  Edit critic review
2/4
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) Dan Webster It just doesn't measure up to the quicker-paced "Airplane."
Posted Jul 24, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) Dan Webster 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."
Posted Jul 22, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Red Rock West (1993) Dan Webster It's dark, moody and twisted.
Posted Jul 16, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
Superman Returns (2006) Dan Webster "Superman Returns" rises and falls, then, on the strength of Routh's wide back, and he proves more than capable.
Posted Jul 08, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Final Destination (2000) Dan Webster 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.
Posted May 22, 2025  Edit critic review
3/4
The Wedding Banquet (1993) Dan Webster Lee skillfully adapts the script... and his actors fit into their respective roles with a surprising degree of comfort.
Posted Apr 15, 2025  Edit critic review
2.5/4
American Psycho (2000) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Apr 04, 2025  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Aladdin (1992) Dan Webster Though it isn't the masterpiece its immediate predecessors are, Aladdin may just be the best film of the Thanksgiving-Christmas season.
Posted Dec 16, 2024  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Shall We Dance? (1996) Dan Webster The lesson has to do with resolving the lure of a dream and coming to an acceptance of real life.
Posted Sep 10, 2024  Edit critic review
About Last Night ... (1986) Dan Webster It has a lot to say about the fears people have about committing themselves to a relationship.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
2/4
Tough Guys (1986) Dan Webster Director Jaff Kanew is interested more in going for the cheap laugh than in saying anything worthwhile.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Top Gun (1986) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3.5/4
That's Life! (1986) Dan Webster 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.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
SpaceCamp (1986) Dan Webster Despite being derivative of every film from E.T. to Short Circuit, this effort stands out because of director Harry Winer's ability behind the camera and, in general, the acting.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Short Circuit (1986) Dan Webster You've seem it before, and it's got a sweetness that makes even Steven Spielberg look a little like Scrooge, but you'll be hard pressed to find a better film to both entertain your kids and teach them an important lesson about the meaning of life.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Ruthless People (1986) Dan Webster DeVito is superb and Judge Reinhold as one of the kidnappers remains a comfortable presence on screen. But Midler nearly steals the show.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
A Room With a View (1986) Dan Webster The beauty of the Italian and English countrysides, the acting of Maggie Smith and Denholm Elliott and the immediacy of a particularly brutal killing all combine to make this one of the most visually affecting films you'll see all year.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) Dan Webster A Back to the Future for adults, this excellent film marks an acting threshold for Turner and a return to form for Coppola.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Nothing in Common (1986) Dan Webster Anyone who has ever tried to juggle family lives should relate to this film with ease.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
My Beautiful Laundrette (1985) Dan Webster The themes are familiar, but writer Hanif Kuerishi refuses to simplify the issues and director Steven Frears uses an interesting visual style to explore another seamy side of life.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
0/4
The Men's Club (1986) Dan Webster They have no saving graces, and neither does this movie.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
2/4
Legal Eagles (1986) Dan Webster Redford is good, but even his innate style can't overcome the so-so effort Reitman has thrown up on the screen.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
The Karate Kid Part II (1986) Dan Webster The sense of innocence of the original film has been replaced by a melodramatic quest for "honor." But the occasional pointed quips that Morita's Miyagi delivers, which are humorous in delivery, yet profound it meaning, are more than enough compensation.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986) Dan Webster All in all, not a bad way to pass a couple of hours.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
The Great Mouse Detective (1986) Dan Webster Especially entertaining is Vincent Price, who imbues the voice of dastardly Prof Ratigan with just the right amount of ham.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1981) Dan Webster The issue of existence, and how we define it, has been explored before, but never in a funnier -- or more poignant -- fashion than South African director Jamie Uys does it here.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) Dan Webster May be [John Hughes'] best film to date. Funny, poignant and rebellious, "Ferris Bueller" is the most cinematically controlled of Hughes' directorial efforts. It speaks to all ages.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
1/4
Extremities (1986) Dan Webster Chant after me: Plays are plays and films are films, plays are plays and films are films.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) Dan Webster Why isn't it funnier? That it's an American remake of a French comedy seems to say it all.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Crocodile Dundee (1986) Dan Webster Sure, it's predictable. But this comedy about an Australian mountain man at sea in the wilds of New York is saved by the sure hand of director Peter Faiman... and, last but not least, the acting charms of Paul Hogan.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
2.5/4
The Boy Who Could Fly (1986) Dan Webster Too much fantasy can spoil the tale, and that's just what happens in this story.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
Back to School (1986) Dan Webster In Rodney Dangerfield's patented act, he plays the perpetual chump lamenting the fact that he gets no respect. The same hardly can be said of his movie career, especially following the success of this feature which, for the most part, is hilarious.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
1.5/4
Armed and Dangerous (1986) Dan Webster Absolutely the only reason to see this wretched excuse for a comedy is to watch John Candy be occasionally funny.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
Aliens (1986) Dan Webster Cameron, who also wrote the script, borrows from the style of Australian director George Miller. He puts his story on a treadmill of action, gradually cranks it up and then lets it slow only long enough to hit us with an occasional zinger.
Posted Jul 27, 2024  Edit critic review
2.5/4
Almost Famous (2000) Dan Webster As a filmmaker, Crowe should have listened to his late [friend Lester Bangs'] advice. Because Almost Famous is not only less than honest, it's about as unmerciful as The Little Mermaid is controversial.
Posted Mar 25, 2024  Edit critic review
3/4
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Dan Webster It is Morgan Freeman, as the narrator Red, who carries the film. Can another Oscar nomination be in the works?
Posted Mar 01, 2024  Edit critic review
4/4
Pulp Fiction (1994) Dan Webster Even Travolta cant surpass the dazzling effect of [Samuel L.] Jackson...It is Jackson, as Jules, who provides Pulp Fiction, with what little concern for conscience that Tarantino deigns to give it.
Posted Feb 29, 2024  Edit critic review
3.5/4
Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) Dan Webster Remember this name: Hugh Grant. I'm not going to make the usual comparisons to Cary Grant, but the 33-year-old British actor does have the same combination of good looks and comic appeal boasted by the great stars of the past.
Posted Feb 28, 2024  Edit critic review
Prev Next