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Movies / On DVD / Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker

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Jawbreaker (1998)

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Reviews Counted:57

Fresh:4

Rotten:53

Average Rating:3.3/10

Consensus: This throwaway comedy falls victim to its hip sensibilities.

Runtime: 87 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: In what seems to be a hybrid of classic teen flicks HEATHERS and CLUELESS, three of the most popular girls in school (Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz) pretend to kidnap their friend... In what seems to be a hybrid of classic teen flicks HEATHERS and CLUELESS, three of the most popular girls in school (Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz) pretend to kidnap their friend as a prank, shoving a jawbreaker in her mouth to keep her quiet in the process. The plot unfolds around the friend's unfortunate demise after she chokes on the jawbreaker. [More]

Starring: Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, Judy Greer

Starring: Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, Judy Greer, Chad Christ, Pam Grier, Carol Kane, Jeff Conaway, Ethan Erickson, William Katt, P.J. Soles

Director: Darren Stein

Director: Darren Stein
Screenwriter: Darren Stein
Producer: Thom Colwell

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Jawbreaker

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Mildly diverting rip-off of the far superior, Heathers.

comment 1 Comment
02/12/03
Alex Sandell
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

An entertaining and smart film.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

A darkly fun romp.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

Does an admirable job of further defining just how ruthless, superficial, symbolic and saccharine is that social and vocational training ground called high school.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
01/01/00
Nick Carter
Nick Carter
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A fine cast is wasted here and the culprit is writing that lacks the scabrous wit and campy crackle needed to pull this homage off.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
E! Online

For all its posturing, and despite an odd cameo by McGowan's fiance, Marilyn Manson, Jawbreaker is missing anything resembling its own sensibility.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

If you are up for a dark teen comedy, you could do much worse than Jawbreaker.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cheryl DeWolfe
Cheryl DeWolfe
Apollo Guide

It's a tired lousy movie, a terrible twosome that deserves your heartfelt indifference.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
11/06/02
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

Jawbreaker offers no new insights into teen hell.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia City Paper | comment Comment
01/01/00
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
Philadelphia City Paper

There's no fluff like brash, jaded fluff!

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

Jawbreaker is the kind of film that makes you want to kidnap the director and lock him in a trunk, bound and gagged, so he doesn't make any more movies like this.

Full Review Source: Cinemaphile.org | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Keyes
David Keyes
Cinemaphile.org

Desperately wants to be an edgy, ultra-hip black comedy along the lines of 'Heathers,' with the 'Grand Guignol' aspects of 'Carrie' thrown in for good measure. Unhappily, writer-director Darren Stein fatally lacks the requisite wit to bring it off.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
01/01/00
David Noh
David Noh
Film Journal International

Only the soundtrack (the Donnas, Imperial Teen) and the irrepressible McGowan make it fractionally more bearable.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
11/07/02
Dennis Lim
Dennis Lim
Village Voice

Why sit through a lesser imitation, when you could just rent Heathers and those other movies for a far more enjoyable time?

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

Teenagers, as well as the rest of the audience, really don't need to insulted.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
10/11/04
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

I’d rather suffer root canal that burden myself with another viewing of Jawbreaker, or as I call it: Battle of the High School Bimbo Bitches. Class dismissed!

Full Review Source: Nitrate Online | comment Comment
01/01/00
Elias Savada
Elias Savada
Nitrate Online

More stylish than 'Heathers,' but not nearly as witty or engaging.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/01/00
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One-liners tumble over one another, dulling their own impact. Plot points hurl from the screen with velocity, but fizzle from a lack of inspiration.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Ernest Hardy
Ernest Hardy
Film.com

The most unfortunate thing about Jawbreaker has to be its blatant imitation of 1989's vastly superior Heathers.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Francesca Dinglasan
Francesca Dinglasan
Boxoffice Magazine

Leaves a bad aftertaste.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Gabriel Shanks
Gabriel Shanks
Mixed Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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