Eminem proves capable of carrying the lead, at least when the material is tailored to fit. Rather than show great range in his first outing, he gives an effective slow burn.
Comment
11/06/02
8 Mile (2002)
74
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:178
Fresh:132
Rotten:46
Average Rating:6.7/10
Consensus: Even though the story is overly familiar, there's enough here for an engaging ride.
Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Controversial rapper Eminem (real name Marshall Mathers) makes his big screen debut with 8 MILE, a bracing drama directed by the increasingly audacious Curtis Hanson. Set in 1995 in the bleak,... [More]
Starring: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy
Director: Curtis Hanson
Reviews for 8 Mile
Qualifies as a cinematic event by tapping into the roots of Eminem and the fury and feeling that inform his rap.
11/06/02
O.K., so I'm the wrong audience for this teenage junk.
11/06/02
Gritty and electrifying.
11/06/02
A movie that will satisfy hip-hop and Eminem fans in ways they never expected; even more significantly, it will touch people who thought they hated hip-hop and/or Eminem in ways they would have never expected.
11/06/02
Tony Manero, Rocky Balboa, Eminem. It’s a dazzling debut and an important movie.
11/06/02
The dialogue sometimes gets so silly and redundant when trying to push Bunny Rabbit’s talent that I expected to see Waterboy’s Rob Schneider pop out and shout “You can do it Eminem”.
11/06/02
Eminem kept his cool, and his new movie was straight dope.
11/06/02
Some Eminem worshippers may be slightly disappointed to find that '8 Mile' doesn't make full use of his verbal vitriol until late in the game. The payoff, however, is definitely worth the wait.
11/06/02
Effective, if not more than a little dishonest. Think Blue Crush with swear words.
11/06/02
By its crowd-pleasing finale, 8 Mile is well on its way to becoming redundant at best and facile at worst.
11/06/02
As a vanity project, the film is more tolerable than Purple Rain but it's every bit as obvious and redundant.
11/05/02
A canny, and largely successful, attempt to broaden the star's appeal.
11/05/02
Writer Scott Silver and director Curtis Hanson dig deep into the subculture to deliver a terrific movie.
11/05/02
Top CriticI would imagine most of the exaggerated praise Mile has received is in direct correlation to the stupid pictures most rap-rock-pop stars have made in vain attempts to become movie stars.
10/31/02
The pleasant surprise of 8 Mile is that, despite the conventional structure of Scott Silver's script, Curtis Hanson hasn't made a film about Rabbit transcending his underclass roots, but embracing them instead.
09/27/02
Eminem gives a sincere, heartfelt, genuine performance as rapper Jimmy Smith (Rabbit) in the Detroit hood.
08/07/02
Latest News for 8 Mile
May 03, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Spidey Senses Tingling For a Record Opening Weekend
Will the friendly neighborhood webslinger reclaim the holy grail of the movie biz - the opening weekend box office record? More...
December 04, 2006:
Movie Pirate Gets Seven Years in Jail
Think it sounds like a good idea to head into your local multiplex and videotape the biggest movies so you can upload them onto the internet and give a bunch of strangers free... More...
June 21, 2006:
Brittany Murphy to Give "Tinker Bell" Her Voice
Now that they've made direct-to-video sequels from allllll their classic features, the Disney gang will finally give a voice to a character who's remained mute for over 50 years... More...
June 13, 2006:
Eminem to Anchor "Have Gun, Will Travel" Remake
We haven't seen a whole lot of M&M since he appeared (as basically himself) in "8 Mile," but now comes word that the rapper will star for Paramount in an... More...
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