Wag the Dog (1997)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:70
Fresh:59
Rotten:11
Average Rating:7.4/10
Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and uncomfortably prescient political satire from director Barry Levinson and and all-star cast.
Runtime: 2 hrs 25 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: When a Firefly Girl accuses the president of sexual misconduct in the Oval Office less than two weeks before the upcoming election, White House official Winifred Ames (Anne Heche) is told to bring... [More]
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Denis Leary
Director: Barry Levinson
Reviews for Wag the Dog
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 |
Smart political satire from director Barry Levinson. Full Review |
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Lazily assembled by director Levinson, it slides into a series of soft, extended skits on engineering a media war, not helped by several badly handled leaps in the story. Full Review |
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Great acting, great filmmaking, half-realised idea -- but nonetheless entertaining. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
Anyone who would be inherently interested in this kind of sendup is unlikely to be surprised by anything in this film -- overall it feels like a trifle, if an entertaining one. Full Review |
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Hilary Henkin and David Mamet’s script is gleefully hyperbolic without ever straying from its political target. Full Review |
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4/4 |
Twisty and flat-out hilarious. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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5/5 |
Feels tossed-off and casual in the best way. Full Review |
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B+ |
Strong performances abound in the film. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
I doubt it will age as well as Network, but it is close to that realm of brilliance. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
Beyond a couple of hilarious zingers, its impact feels smug and minor. Full Review |
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4/5 |
Brilliantly scripted and acted to the point where even Barry Levinson's typically uninspired direction doesn't matter. Full Review |
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B |
Levinson has created a surprising quickie that satirically strikes out at our political system, the media (easy target) and the whole business of image versus reality. Full Review |
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A- |
It is fun when people with Hollywood clout decide to do something as fast and loose as this... Full Review |
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B- |
It's half a brilliant political satire, half a wacky outrageous comedy of errors. The first half works, the second half doesn't. Full Review |
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B- |
A film that, for every scene of genuine hilarity, all too often just lies there smirking at itself about how darn clever it is. Full Review |
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6/10 |
Very relevant not only for 1990s, but also for generations to come. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Click to read the article Full Review |
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D |
Hollywood meets Washington. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Wag the Dog
October 12, 2006:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Grudge" Reborn at Box Office
With the pumpkin holiday approaching, Sony unleashes the terror with its frightfest "The Grudge 2" which aims to dominate the marketplace this weekend. More...
October 27, 2005:
Levinson & De Niro to Pair Up for Tinseltown Satire
Variety brings news of an intriguing project that's being described as "Wag the Dog" of the moviemaking world." Robert De Niro will play the lead character in... More...
October 06, 2005:
Robin Williams is Levinson's "Man"
According to Variety, Robin Williams will reunite with filmmaker Barry Levinson on the political comedy "Man of the Year." The actor and director previously worked... More...
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