19 % Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work
Reviews Counted: 16

Fresh: 3
Rotten:13
Average Rating: 4/10

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong war violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.

Runtime: 2 hrs 40 mins

Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release: Sep 26, 2008 Wide
Synopsis: Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd “Buffalo Soldier” Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II. They experience the... Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four black American soldiers who are members of the US Army as part of the all-black 92nd “Buffalo Soldier” Division stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II.

They experience the tragedy and triumph of the war as they find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy.

Directed by Spike Lee from a screenplay written by James McBride, the author of the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film explores a deeply inspiring, powerful story drawn from true history, that transcends national boundaries, race, and class to touch the goodness within us all. [More]

Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller

Starring: Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, Omar Benson Miller, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valentina Cervi, Matteo Sciabordi, Pierfrancesco Favino, John Leguizamo, Naomi Campbell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Gandolfini

Director: Spike Lee

Director: Spike Lee
Screenwriter: James McBride
Producer: Spike Lee, Roberto Cicutto, Luigi Musini, Roberto Cicutto
Composer: Terence Blanchard
Studio: Touchstone Pictures

[See More Credits]

Trailers Pictures
>
>
>
>
>|>>|See More Movie Trailers & Pictures
Reviews for Miracle at St. AnnaT-Meter Critics Top Critics RT Community My Critics My Friends 1 - 16 (sorted by date)Text View
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
[A] sloppy, absurdly long mashup of combat film cliches.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
A dollop of Saving Private Ryan, a dash of Letters from Iwo Jima, and a sprinkle of Italian neorealism characterize the style and sentiment of Miracle at St. Anna.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Jay Antani
Slant Magazine
As another example of Lee settling scores, it ruins its own premise by attempting to out-do Saving Private Ryan.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Armond White
New York Press
A major disappointment.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
Miracle at St. Anna is wildly unfocused in terms of tone and, at two hours and 40 minutes, it is unjustifiably overlong.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Christy Lemire
Associated Press
Miracle at St. Anna wants to do too many things at once to do any of them with much verve. It aspires to be a war epic, but it's dominated less by combat than by flat, meandering talk.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic
It's impossible not to admire what Lee has wrought here, and the evident passion with which it has been brought to the screen. However, the realization is flawed, and those flaws make this 160-minute epic feel a little too much like an ordeal.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic
Mr. Lee has stretched his material in so many different directions that one is left with unacceptable levels of religiosity and sentimentality in the overall context of the naked brutality we have witnessed.
Full Review | Comment 09/24/08 Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Lee's creative passion is apparent throughout Miracle at St. Anna, but the screenplay lets him, and the audience, down.
Full Review | Comment 09/23/08 Alonso Duralde
MSNBC
Lee screws up his best ideas by trying to blow us away.
Full Review | Comment 09/22/08 David Edelstein
New York Magazine
Top Critic
When Miracle at St. Anna falters, it's in the moments that seem like they could have been crafted by any other film maker; when Miracle at St. Anna succeeds, it's in the moments that could only have been crafted by Lee.
Full Review | Comment 09/22/08 James Rocchi
Cinematical
It's always engaging, but the constant tonal shifts sometimes disjoint what should have been a seamless narrative.
Full Review | Comment 09/11/08 Marco Cerritos
Boxoffice Magazine
St. Anna is probably too strange and unwieldy to become the classic that Lee wants it to be, but it's a worthy stretch for the director.
Full Review | Comment 09/10/08 Katey Rich
CinemaBlend.com
The tone here is inconsistent to say the least, and screenwriter James McBride, who also wrote the film's source novel, doesn't take any one character's point of view throughout, leaving the narrative decidedly unfocused.
Full Review | Comment 09/09/08 Mike Goodridge
Screen International
Spike Lee's intent to pay tribute to the role of black soldiers in WWII is honorable, but the film is poorly conceived and executed, unfolding as a sprawling, overlong, dull saga that's shapeless both narratively and stylistically.
Full Review | 3 Comments 09/09/08 Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Lee's muddle of inappropriate camera angles, overemphasized exposition, and overall inability to get beyond the scope of the source material makes the cinematic garment seem like it was made with a shortage of fabric.
Full Review | Comment 09/07/08
[Edited 9/24/08 17:00pm]

I don't really care for his movies all that much, but this one I was really interested in seeing.

It looks stunning from the previews.

dang... I was looking forward to seeing this.

Imago said:

ditto.

now what was the other movie was excited about seeing?

I wasn't planning on seeing it because I hate war movies but I was hoping it was gonna get good reviews.

This should be interesting. Tropic Thunder got 83% I guess Spike didn't put in enough explosions I kid. I checked out The Women too since I just saw that and though it was just okay, it got 10%, so I guess St Anna's is almost 2x better, so it's palatable.

I saw the movie at the Toronto International Film Fest. It is imperfect -- it's slightly (although not absurdly) too long, the lead characters are a bit flat, the film takes no one's point of view, and there are some ridiculously sentimental moments. But it is always watchable, not so much as a war film worthy of the best of the genre, but as a decent mystery and ensemble study with war as a backdrop.

I solidly recommend the film, even as I'd say it's no more than at midline between Spike Lee's best and worst.

Flowers2 said:

that's me too, I like to decide for myself if I like it or not as I do with most things.

Fuck the reviews/critics,,,,when have they ever worked in Spike's favor?

*trying to rememeber*

I'm going to see this movie and I'll keep supporting the dude.

Harlepolis said:

I watched a critic give a negative review on 'Idlewild' he said: 'it's nothing but a 70 minute music video' ..and no, it wasn't. I liked 'Idlewild' .. I don't listen to any of those critics...

I could tell by the trailer that something just wasn't quite right about it.