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TopTenREVIEWS presents the movie reviews of Great Debaters, The (2007)

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Great Debaters, The (2007)

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Great Debaters, The (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars Great Debaters, The (2007) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Overall Rating:2.9799
Avg Critic Score:2.9531

Great Debaters, The (2007) Rank 2 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
26.57%
(38)
Very Good
3
53.15%
(76)
Good
2
19.58%
(28)
Fair
1
0.70%
(1)
Poor
0
0.00%
(0)

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Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten) Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for New York Times (Stephen Holden) New York Times (Stephen Holden)
There are enough things to admire about The Great Debaters , the heavily fictionalized true story of The Little Debate Team That Could, that your impulse is to forgive the movie its shortcomings. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at New York Times (Stephen Holden)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for PopMatters (Bill Gibron) PopMatters (Bill Gibron)
As a movie, The Great Debaters misses too many possibilities, and harps on too many ancillary issues, to be stellar. It's solid, but that's all. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at PopMatters (Bill Gibron)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Cinematical (Scott Weinberg) Cinematical (Scott Weinberg)
It's as if Mr. Washington wanted to deliver a important story, but felt he had to stay firmly within the proven formula to get his message out. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Cinematical (Scott Weinberg)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Jam! Movies (Kevin Williamson) Jam! Movies (Kevin Williamson)
There may be little here we haven't seen before, but rarely has it been executed this expertly. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Jam! Movies (Kevin Williamson)

Great Debaters, The (2007) Critic Reviews continued...

Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for CinemaBlend.com (Katey Rich) CinemaBlend.com (Katey Rich)
A classic story told traditionally and well: Hollywood at its classiest, if most predictable. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at CinemaBlend.com (Katey Rich)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Bullz-Eye.com Bullz-Eye.com
Denzel Washington is one of the most powerful actors in Hollywood. Unfortunately, his star power means nothing as a director, and though he’s proven himself behind the camera before, no studio is ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Bullz-Eye.com
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo) Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Loosely based on a true story, as documented in the "American Legacy" article by Tony Scherman, The Great Debaters centers on poet Melvin B. Tolson (Washington, American Gangster), who spent several years as a teacher of speech and English at all-negro ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick) Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten) Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik) Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
A movie about ideas that's a bit too timid to actually be about them. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for NewsBlaze (Kam Williams) NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)
Well-Intentioned and well-executed, and recommended with reservations only because there's still something terribly troubling even about a feelgood flick packed with so many misrepresentations. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice) Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
This fact-based drama is well-intentioned but gets a little bogged down in the details. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Seattle Times (Mark Rahner) Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)
Resolved: No more movies can have inspiring, self-sacrificing teachers standing on desks. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Seattle Times (Mark Rahner)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Miami Herald (Connie Ogle) Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
The Great Debaters keeps things on the surface and pushes the obvious buttons, hoping you won't notice its distinct lack of depth. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Detroit Free Press (John Monaghan) Detroit Free Press (John Monaghan)
The Great Debaters has value, to be sure, especially for teenage viewers. But serious moviegoers, especially those attracted by the movie's aggressive Oscar campaign, will likely find the package gorgeously wrapped but intellectually empty. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Detroit Free Press (John Monaghan)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline) Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Based on a terrific true story, this film has an important message and knows it. As a director, Washington punches every emotional and thematic point in Eisele's script, which undermines the raw power of the story. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Newsday (Gene Seymour) Newsday (Gene Seymour)
Now that it's possible to get stories about thoughtful African-Americans on the big screen, is it too much to ask that the stories be more thoughtful as well? ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Newsday (Gene Seymour)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten) Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
As the director, [Denzel] Washington brings no special stylistic flourish to the film, instead placing himself at the straightforward service of the Oprah Winfrey-produced story. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman) TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
When The Great Debaters ends, expect to be uplifted despite the inherent schmaltz. Think about the film for any length of time afterwards, and the wheels of its storytelling undeniably begin to deflate. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Globe and Mail The Globe and Mail
Given the dearth of movies about American black intellectual history, you can't help hoping for something historically corrective from The Great Debaters. The movie was inspired by the true, Depression-era story of the all-black championship debating ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at The Globe and Mail
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Movie Boy (Dustin Putman) The Movie Boy (Dustin Putman)
Denzel Washington (2007's "American Gangster") and Forest Whitaker (2002's "Panic Room") headline the period drama "The Great Debaters," but, in what has to be one of the strangest casting coincidences in cinema history, a teen actor with both of their ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at The Movie Boy (Dustin Putman)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox) TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Polished, pokey and cloyingly formulaic. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)) St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
At the end of the film, we learn that many world-changing ideas originated in the Washington character's classrooms, so there are obviously great stories to tell. If only somebody could figure out how to tell them. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Premiere Magazine (Glenn Kenny) Premiere Magazine (Glenn Kenny)
It's terrifically acted, pretty much a given with this cast. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Premiere Magazine (Glenn Kenny)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Slant Magazine (Nick Schager) Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
Without unpredictability or the possibility of an unhappy ending, how can a film truly inspire? ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Slant Magazine (Nick Schager)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell) filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
The phrase "inspired by" may buy a filmmaker creative leeway, but it's at the cost of credibility with an audience. ...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Great Debaters, The (2007) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Christian Spotlight on the Movies Christian Spotlight on the Movies
...read the complete Great Debaters movie review at Christian Spotlight on the Movies
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