Critic Reviews
Rent (2005) Rank 3 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (257) reviews
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AfterEllen.com - Lesbian and Bi Women in Entertainment
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Orlando Weekly (John Thomason)
Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
Chris Columbus has managed to make his first great film. (this despite the odious characters who we're supposed to love) ...read the complete Rent movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
Cinerina (Karina Montgomery)
Despite my frustration at the willful stupidity of some of the main characters, I had to just sit back and let all that beautiful singing wash over me. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Cinerina (Karina Montgomery)
Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
[A] wonderful, captivating and heart-pounding rendition of Rent . ...read the complete Rent movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
Vibrant, energetic, exuberantly powerful ...read the complete Rent movie review at www.susangranger.com (Susan Granger)
CHUD (Devin Faraci)
Rent reminds me of the first Harry Potter in many ways, in that it's directed modestly well but without any flair or personality ...read the complete Rent movie review at CHUD (Devin Faraci)
Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
Larson's music has been given an intoxicating urgency, and the performances are outstanding. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Jam! Movies (Louis B. Hobson)
Jam! Movies (John Coulbourn)
Inspired by La Boheme , its emotions are still operatic, but the score, for the most part, is good old rock 'n' roll. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Jam! Movies (John Coulbourn)
filmcritic.com (Chris Barsanti)
one of the most refreshingly exuberant films of the year ...read the complete Rent movie review at filmcritic.com (Chris Barsanti)
Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
I haven't seen this much tightly packed multi-talent squeezing the melodic and emotional juices out of a ripe theme since Fame in 1980. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Cinema Signals (Jules Brenner)
Las Vegas Weekly (Steve Bornfeld)
There are nearly five-hundred-twenty-five-thousand-six-hundred reasons to flat-out love, hate or love/hate Rent ... ...read the complete Rent movie review at Las Vegas Weekly (Steve Bornfeld)
The Boston Phoenix
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Mutant Reviewers From Hell
Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)
DVDwolf (Rob Paul)
Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
Rent offers rambunctious rock 'n' roll moments not seen on-screen since Hair and Fame. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Easy to like and even easier to hum. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) (Linda Cook)
"Rent" is worth saving up for. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) (Linda Cook)
Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
I could have done without seeing Idina Menzel's pale white butt. Rent contains a lot of real Hit and Miss Moments With Little Room For A Middle Ground. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Eclipse Magazine (Michelle Alexandria)
WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
Once it develops ... Rent is a moving, emotional film with some exciting music. ...read the complete Rent movie review at WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
Boston Herald (Joe Fitzgerald)
Miami Herald (Christine Dolen)
Now a vastly larger audience has the chance to experience the masterwork of a prodigiously talented man who died far too young. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Miami Herald (Christine Dolen)
Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
It's a pretty good version of a pretty great stage phenomenon. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Chicago Tribune (Michael Phillips)
Tail Slate (Douglas Strassler)
Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
The soul of Larson's then-timely passion play is intact; bring on the Sing-A-Long version. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Palo Alto Weekly (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
If you fell in love with the big-hearted sentimentality of Rent when you saw it onstage, the film version will remind you why. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Jolie Williamson)
Bullz-Eye.com
eCinemaCenter.com (Gabe Leibowitz)
For those who dig Larson's vision, Rent is a wild, emotional rush through the cold streets and tattered bodies and souls, with gripping music to boot. ...read the complete Rent movie review at eCinemaCenter.com (Gabe Leibowitz)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Columbus' schizoid approach works more often than not. ...read the complete Rent movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Treasuring what Larson and his young cast did, Columbus has made it vital again, showbizzy but only sometimes corny. ...read the complete Rent movie review at San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
If you fell in love with the big-hearted sentimentality of Rent when you saw it onstage, the film version will remind you why. If you think Jonathan Larson's musical is ponderous agitprop, the movie won't change your view. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Charlotte Observer (Lawrence Toppman)
Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Rent may not be the same transformative experience on film as it was on the stage, but Jonathan Larson's creation is strong enough to withstand a shift in mediums with plenty of its appeal still intact. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Aisle Seat (Mike McGranaghan)
Sean the Movie Guy (Sean McBride)
while I can admire the film for its efforts, Rent comes across as a somewhat lackluster performance when compared to the stage version that I so dearly love. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Sean the Movie Guy (Sean McBride)
Palo Alto Online (Jeanne Aufmuth)
Tail Slate (Douglas Strassler)
Miami Herald (Christine Dolen)
Now a vastly larger audience has the chance to experience the masterwork of a prodigiously talented man who died far too young. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Miami Herald (Christine Dolen)
Detroit News (Tom Long)
Rent is still Rent, and devotees should adore it while haters will hate it (there are, apparently, plenty of both). ...read the complete Rent movie review at Detroit News (Tom Long)
Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
The cast is uniformly amazing, but special mention must be made of Rosario Dawson, who's sexy as hell and a surprisingly great singer. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Generic songs, too much amplification, but worth a look. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Compuserve (Harvey S. Karten)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The original stage play for "Rent" was loosely inspired by the play "La Boheme", and while seeing or not seeing "La Boheme" probably won't influence whether or not you enjoy "Rent", seeing "Rent", the stag ...read the complete Rent movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Rent isn't nearly as transporting a film as the Oscar-winning adaptation of "Chicago," but its energies and passions compensate for a lot of its deficiencies. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Portland Oregonian (Shawn Levy)
Charlotte Weekly (Sean O'Connell)
What we're left with, in place of directorial pizzazz, is the sheer impact of the original show. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Charlotte Weekly (Sean O'Connell)
TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
An emotional, exhilarating experience, Rent is alive with such boundless energy and joy that it is one of the year's most purely entertaining cinematic efforts. ...read the complete Rent movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
If nothing else, the movie reveals Jonathan Larson's musical to be an illuminating time capsule of a wild period immediately before and after the scourge of AIDS. ...read the complete Rent movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews (Harry Knowles)
The Phantom Tollbooth
filethirteen.com
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
Film Monthly (Erin Paulson & Aaron Riccio)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Comingsoon.net
Wolf Entertainment Guide (William Wolf)
Comingsoon.net
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Movie-Vault.com (John Reents)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
DVD Verdict (Brett Cullum)
DVD Town (James Plath)
filmdeculte.com (Julie Anterrieu)
Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)
Pajiba (Dustin Rowles)
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
Sacramento News & Review (Jim Lane)
Premiere Magazine
digitallyOBSESSED.com (David Krauss)
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Freeze Dried Movies (Brian Juergens)
Though the storyline is sparse and it's about 30 minutes longer than it needs to be, there's still something about it that's hard to shake. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Freeze Dried Movies (Brian Juergens)
ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
If nothing else, it's now a revisitable, visually represented document of a very good show. ...read the complete Rent movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Jeffrey Chen)
Seattle Weekly (Tim Appelo)
Rent works best as a centaur creation: half-movie, half-play, plunging into theater world in all its mindless, cheesy, sentimental splendor. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Seattle Weekly (Tim Appelo)
The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
Often dramatically jumbled and musically muddled - but every time the film seemed ready to tip into awfulness, the sneer on my lips was trumped by the lump in my throat. ...read the complete Rent movie review at The New York Times (A.O. Scott)
JackassCritics.com (Mike Long)
Entertainment Insiders (Scott Mantz)
CinemaZone.dk
Shadows on the Wall (Rich Cline)
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
The Gate.ca (W. Andrew Powell)
hybridmagazine.com
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
There's still something staid and doggedly stagebound about this Rent , a reluctance to set out for someplace unique and engage the audience on purely cinematic terms. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Dallas Morning News (Chris Vognar)
Slant Magazine
Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
Columbus has talked admirably about his wish to preserve and honor the play. But he's turned Larson's homage to the energy and vitality of youth into a mere facsimile, a stuffy memorial to Larson. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Philadelphia Daily News (Gary Thompson)
The Arizona Republic
PopMatters (Cynthia Fuchs)
Film Freak Central
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
"The times have changed, but this period piece musical about protesters unfortunately hasn't." ...read the complete Rent movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
The Onion A.V. Club
Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
Now that it is at last on screen, my reaction is ... what's all the ...read the complete Rent movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)
CineScene.com (Shari L. Rosenblum)
In Review (Adam Suraf)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
The Spinning Image (Pablo Vargas)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Premiere (Peter Debruge)
Considering how much new additions Rosario Dawson (as Mimi) and Tracie Thoms (as Joanne) bring to the film, it's a shame Columbus didn't introduce more changes. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Premiere (Peter Debruge)
TV Guide (Angel Cohn)
While most of the show's scenes work well cinematically, some are laughably miscalculated. Rock-video aesthetics and overamplification swamp "Glory" and "What You Own" while also robbing other sequences of their depth. ...read the complete Rent movie review at TV Guide (Angel Cohn)
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
As a conventional drama, Rent would be a pretty corny soap opera. As filmed theater, it's only slightly more conÂvincing. The saving graces - and there are many - are Larson's original songs and the comfortable fit of its ensemble cast. ...read the complete Rent movie review at New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
Rent, for all its good intentions and sensitivity, is easy to forget but easy to forgive. The music and direction feel generic but the cast deserves credit for squeezing every possible drop of emotion out of the material. ...read the complete Rent movie review at The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (Liam Lacey)
Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Rent, Jonathan Larson's 1996 rock-salsa-gospel opera, arrives on the big screen (almost) intact, carried triumphantly by six of eight original Broadway cast members. Let the Rentheads, as the hard-core fans style themselves, kvetch that some ...read the complete Rent movie review at Philadelphia Inquirer (Carrie Rickey)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
On film, Rent is the sound of one hand clapping. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
Laramie Movie Scope (Robert Roten)
DVD Clinic (J. Andrew Hosack)
Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)
Gotta sing? Definitely. Gotta dance? Sort of.
Gotta see it?
With "Rent," it depends.
Unlike last year's eye-popping but emotionally inert "Phantom of the Opera," this year's "Rent" -- based on the Tony-winning (and Pulitzer-winning) Broadway hit ...read the complete Rent movie review at Las Vegas Review-Journal (Carol Cling)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
'Rent" is a stage musical that wants to be a movie musical. Many stage musicals, from "Oklahoma!" to "West Side Story," feel right at home on the screen. "Rent" on film is missing a crucial element of its life-support system: a live audience. The stage pr ...read the complete Rent movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
Austin Chronicle (Marc Savlov)
Nick Schager Film Project (Nick Schager)
Constantly dragged down into mediocrity by Chris Columbus' dreary, rhythm-challenged direction. ...read the complete Rent movie review at Nick Schager Film Project (Nick Schager)
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