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Defiance (2009) Rank 2 Reviews

Expert Review Summary
Movie critics combined give Defiance (2009) a score of 2.4456 out of 4
based on (135) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Excellent
4
Excellent
(6)
Very Good
3
Very Good
(73)
Good
2
Good
(52)
Fair
1
Fair
(4)
Poor
0
Poor
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
A story that ought to be heartbreaking and ennobling...comes across as little more than ordinary. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for At the Movies (Australia) (Margaret Pomeranz)At the Movies (Australia) (Margaret Pomeranz)
Defiance isn’t a bad film at all, it just isn’t as good as it could have been. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at At the Movies (Australia) (Margaret Pomeranz)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Click to read the article ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.40 out of 4 stars for PopMatters (Bill Gibron)PopMatters (Bill Gibron)
Defiance is without a doubt the best of the Holocaust themed films from 2008. Unfortunately, that may be faint praise indeed. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at PopMatters (Bill Gibron)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
The second part of the film falters, as it turns into your typical Hollywood action pic and loses the good will created in the first half when it seemed it might have something special going on. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
What's badly missing is a singular perspective that will turn the largely untold story into a thematically and technically shapelier film, and one that's more dramatically compelling. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for Week in RewindWeek in Rewind
n the right hands, such a situation could have been profound given the grim circumstances at hand. But Zwick is too unfocused to ground it with weight and meaning. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Week in Rewind
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for The Austin ChronicleThe Austin Chronicle
Howard may want to see brothers Tuvia and Zus Bielski as Moses and Aaron resurrected, but Craig and Schreiber are clever enough to play them as two warring sides of the same coin, humanists and murderers in different proportions, torn between the desire t ...read the complete Defiance movie review at The Austin Chronicle
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for Chicago Tribune (Matt Pais)Chicago Tribune (Matt Pais)
Familiar problems for Zwick, who frequently pulls viewers out of reality with rousing speeches, close-ups and sweeping camera moves, all distracting reminders that you're watching a movie. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Chicago Tribune (Matt Pais)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for News BlazeNews Blaze
Based on the best seller of the same name by Nechama Tec, Defiance is an epic tale of Biblical proportions which explores a variety of universal themes ranging from vengeance to salvation. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at News Blaze
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for New York Daily News (Joe Neumaier)New York Daily News (Joe Neumaier)
Zwick ("Glory," "Blood Diamond") lets more strategy and action into the movie than syrupy emotion (it doesn't seem at all crazy that the partisans could take on a tank). ...read the complete Defiance movie review at New York Daily News (Joe Neumaier)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.25 out of 4 stars for filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
It's strange to say, but Zwick's movies -- from Glory to The Siege to Legends of the Fall -- almost succeed despite him. Defiance carries moving images of unified strength, but the director's obvious flourishes are a distraction. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at filmcritic.com (Sean O'Connell)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.20 out of 4 stars for ComingSoon.net (Edward Douglas)ComingSoon.net (Edward Douglas)
Just one long ridiculous string of moviemaking cliches that prevents the film from having any of the desired impact. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at ComingSoon.net (Edward Douglas)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
There is one moment, where Tuvia and Zus go to a German station to steal medical supplies. Zus has some guilt, and Tuvia has a cough. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at The Scorecard Review (Jeff Bayer)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)
It's all meant to be very moving, and in several small doses it is, especially as Craig and Schreiber navigate through some murky brotherly waters. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Fresno Bee (Donald Munro)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for StarTibune.comStarTibune.com
Suffering, sacrifice, soulful faces -- we've seen it all 47 times before. Zwick does the thick-witted screenplay no favors, cutting to a close-up at each and every emotional peak. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at StarTibune.com
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Globe and MailThe Globe and Mail
What is puzzling is how Edward Zwick has taken an extraordinary real-life story about a handful of people who defied huge odds, and turned it into an utterly conventional war movie. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at The Globe and Mail
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Jam! MoviesJam! Movies
For all the dreary, authentic Eastern Europe locations, he may as well have helmed this from a classroom. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Jam! Movies
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Interestingly, seven years ago, the Italians made a brilliant film called "Perlasca," with Luca Zingaretti as a businessman who risked his life to save thousands of Jews from the Nazis. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Detroit NewsThe Detroit News
"Defiance" is a good story that falls flat. As history, it's impressive and important. As a movie, not so much. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at The Detroit News
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Boston GlobeBoston Globe
And there's this, too: By treating the notion of the Fighting Jew as a historical novelty, Zwick and Frohman unwittingly step on the toes of all those who did push back. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Boston Globe
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun
Still, stereotypes surround the stars and choke off their best moments - for example, in the Bielski camp, the devout schoolteacher who genially argues with the socialist pamphleteer (Allan Corduner and Mark Feuerstein, respectively), and, in Panchenko's ...read the complete Defiance movie review at The Baltimore Sun
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)
A strangely unaffecting story about real heroism in World War II ...read the complete Defiance movie review at jackiekcooper.com (Jackie K. Cooper)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
The material is engrossing, but the execution is ponderous... ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) (John Beifuss)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Colorado Springs Gazette (Brandon Fibbs)Colorado Springs Gazette (Brandon Fibbs)
Zwick's latest film, Defiance, is based on an exceptional true story. Regrettably, the movie is anything but exceptional, and represents Zwick's most disappointing work in more than a decade. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Colorado Springs Gazette (Brandon Fibbs)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)
One of Defiance’s primary faults is its inertia. To survive, while noble, does not make for compelling drama. It is stasis, not action. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at BrandonFibbs.com (Brandon Fibbs)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for HollywoodChicago.comHollywoodChicago.com
Ed Zwick’s “Defiance” is a dramatically inert film that misses the mark by allowing its director to play up his notable weaknesses as a filmmaker. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at HollywoodChicago.com
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Time OutTime Out
But these trappings are just the gravy. The meat is Liev Schreiber, as the even-tougher Bielski sib, Zus, tearing out of the trees with machine guns blazing, like Rambo with a yarmulke. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Time Out
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Lessons of Darkness (Nick Schager)Lessons of Darkness (Nick Schager)
Can no one stop Ed Zwick's reign of mediocrity? Defiance smacks every clichéd note with maximum gusto, but given the absence of depth and mystery to its narrative and characterizations, there's virtually no reason to even pay attention. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Lessons of Darkness (Nick Schager)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
The cast is a promising one as well. Craig, with his piercing gaze and stalwart good looks, is a natural as Tuvia, and Schreiber has the gruff personality and strong physique that Zus requires. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Onion AV Club (Nathan Rabin)Onion AV Club (Nathan Rabin)
Schreiber's relationship with the Russians typifies the film's squandered potential. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Onion AV Club (Nathan Rabin)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
For all his armchair humanism, Zwick has always had skill with action sequences; an early scene, when Craig goes to confront the men who killed his family, has a rough power to it, and a final battle against the German army is full of excitement. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Newark Star-Ledger (Stephen Whitty)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
So back to my initial point: Zwick is a terribly consistent filmmaker, and he's done yet again exactly what he always does. Defiance is technically accomplished, formally uninventive, and fumbles its story right from the word go. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Antagony & Ecstasy (Tim Brayton)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for film.com (Eric D. Snider)film.com (Eric D. Snider)
I have no quarrel with the performances from Craig, Schreiber, or Bell -- all three do the best they can with what they're given. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at film.com (Eric D. Snider)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Edward Zwick's WWII era Belarus is the same as Elem Klimov's similarly-timed war drama "Come and See" except that "" wears its heart on its sleeve where Klimov's superior film took a more poetic yet realistic approach. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at ColeSmithey.com (Cole Smithey)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for BrianOrndorf.com (Brian Orndorf)BrianOrndorf.com (Brian Orndorf)
Layering in a surprising amount of chase (effectively turning Tuvia into a Moses-like character) and bullet-happy combat sequences to showcase the tenacity of the Bielskis, "Defiance" keeps its blood boiling right to the end. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at BrianOrndorf.com (Brian Orndorf)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for News BlazeNews Blaze
Defiance is actually quite commendable a production and the first glimpse in movies, beyond Warsaw Ghetto films from Hollywood, of Jewish resistance to the Nazis. If only Zwick didn't try so hard, and had just let the inspirational event speak for itself. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at News Blaze
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)
A little sentimentality can fuel a lot of action, yet Zwick buries his film in cloying guilt, in the end sinking "Defiance" with the holocaust film's bait. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Film Threat (Matthew Sorrento)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 2.00 out of 4 stars for Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)
Emotionally robotic and superficially deliberate. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Projection Booth (Rob Humanick)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.75 out of 4 stars for Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
"Defiance" tells a remarkable, and true, story of Jewish partisans fighting the Nazis during World War II, but tells it in the stolid style and theatrical accents of a bygone time. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Wall Street Journal (Joe Morgenstern)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.75 out of 4 stars for New York Times (A.O. Scott)New York Times (A.O. Scott)
"Defiance" celebrates strong men (who in real life sought no such glory) at the expense of those whose weakness - whose inability to fight back, or to stay alive - was not a moral failure but a fact of history. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.75 out of 4 stars for Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)
A stirring story ends up being lost in a stir of clichés and designer desultoriness. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Financial Times (Nigel Andrews)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.75 out of 4 stars for Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
By the time estranged brother Zus rides in like Han Solo to save Moses Skywalker's butt at the exact moment when things look hopeless, Zwick's done it again. He's made a true story feel awfully false. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Philadelphia Weekly (Sean Burns)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.60 out of 4 stars for Sacramento News & Review (Jonathan Kiefer)Sacramento News & Review (Jonathan Kiefer)
The actors’ way of reveling in their stagey gestures, sooty makeup and silly accents becomes increasingly pitiable. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Sacramento News & Review (Jonathan Kiefer)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for eFilmCriticeFilmCritic
If lofty ambitions, impeccable taste and noble intentions were all that was necessary to become a great filmmaker, then Edward Zwick would surely make the shortlist of the top auteurs of our time. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at eFilmCritic
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)
Much of it reminded me of those well-intentioned, ingenuously performed school Holocaust programs like Survivor and The Wall where the actors emote like it's a grand ole mitzvah. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Bangitout.com (Jordan Hiller)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Reel Film reviewReel Film review
Defiance comes off as a hopelessly transparent bit of Oscar bait that ultimately does a disservice to the real-life figures that inspired this story. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Reel Film review
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for TotalFilm TotalFilm
"Jews don't fight!" mutters a Red Army soldier. "These Jews do!" says another admiringly. Great pitch, largely undone by stilted, solemn direction. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at TotalFilm
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Guardian [UK] (Xan Brooks)Guardian [UK] (Xan Brooks)
Defiance makes a noise but leaves no echo. It feels progressively more bogus and less significant the further it recedes from view, and myths are meant to wax in the memory, not wane. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Guardian [UK] (Xan Brooks)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Tulsa World (Michael Smith)Tulsa World (Michael Smith)
Consider this: In "Defiance," after a year in the forest, the men have no additional facial hair, and the women look as fresh as a daisy merely by bathing in a stream. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Tulsa World (Michael Smith)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)
A wonderful companion piece to Blindness, this saga of a world restructured along new lines is as blinkered and embarrassing as Zwick's Blood Diamond and, to some extent, Glory. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at Film Freak Central (Walter Chaw)
Defiance (2009) scores a combined 1.50 out of 4 stars for St. Paul Pioneer PressSt. Paul Pioneer Press
A documentary would have been the best way to go with this material. ...read the complete Defiance movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press
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Users combined give Defiance (2009) a score of 4 out of 4
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by ryan on July 14, 2009
This movie took place in the time of Hitlers rulings. It has a great story line featuring the lead role Daniel Craig. You may also know him from the new James Bond movies. This movie shows the hardships the Jews had to go through in the time of Germanys ...
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Movie Reviews: Action
Defiance (2009) Reviews
Defiance (2009)

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Lowest Price:

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Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.
Overall Rating:
2.5118
Defiance (2009) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
Avg Critic Score:
2.4456
Defiance (2009) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars
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