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Throwing Up Hands, Critic Reviews ‘21’ Based Solely on Its Trailer

Courtesy of Sony Pictures


Vulture has learned that a film critic for a major magazine has reviewed the new blackjack movie 21 without even seeing the film. The move — a seemingly outrageous breach of journalistic ethics akin to Maxim’s recent decision to review the new Black Crowes album without listening to it — is only mitigated by the fact that the reviewer, The New Republic’s Christopher Orr, explains from the beginning what he’s doing and why.

Orr is annoyed, as we often are, at trailers that give the whole freaking movie away, so he’s reviewing 21 based on its trailer. He’s seeing the movie today, and will update his clever and very funny “(p)review” afterwards, checking to see if he was right. Seriously, this is awesome. Remember the trailer for Cast Away, which revealed how Tom Hanks got off the island? Or similarly complete trailers for The Italian Job, The Truman Show, or Titanic? In one extreme case, an entire movie was spoiled by its poster. This cannot stand!

The Movie (P)review: ‘21’ [TNR]

See Mary-Kate Olsen, Clive Owen, and others at our complete coverage of last night’s screening of 21.

Throwing Up Hands, Critic Reviews ‘21’ Based Solely on Its Trailer