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Lawrence O'Toole

Lawrence O'Toole's reviews only count toward the Tomatometer® when published at Tomatometer-approved publication(s).

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
The Invisible Man (1933) 95% A EDIT “Whale’s playful and innovative trick photography (using wires and mattes that have now become standard issues) and Rains’ virtuoso performance, nearly entirely vocal, turn his tragedy of transparency into something touching and timeless.” – Entertainment Weekly Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Altered States (1980) 86% C+ EDIT “As trashy entertainments go, this one’s sometimes pretty swell. ” – Entertainment Weekly Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Re-Animator (1985) 88% B EDIT “Stuart Gordon’s stitching together of Frankenstein and Night of the Living Dead is fun from start to finish, if a bit short in the style department. ” – Entertainment Weekly Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) 87% EDIT “Adults will probably tolerate it and, if they get into the swing of things and relax a little, they might find themselves enjoying bits and pieces of it. ” – Globe and Mail Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Brannigan (1975) 48% EDIT “Brannigan is a showcase for Wayne. The only difference between it and an instalment of Mannix is that the movie is longer and shot in widescreen.” – Globe and Mail Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Capone (1975) 32% EDIT “Capone's clammy atmosphere works because it throws the memory of Watergate at the audience, and the audience can't help but respond.” – Globe and Mail Oct 8, 2025 Full Review Grease (1978) 65% EDIT “Grease's pop sociology is plainly unconscious, since the film is totally unable to show the difference between noting camp and being it. ” – Maclean's Magazine Feb 8, 2024 Full Review Alien (1979) 93% EDIT “Often unintentionally funny, plotted more for convenience than sense, motivated by nothing other than money, Alien is expensive, silly, schlock. ” – Maclean's Magazine Nov 16, 2023 Full Review The Color Purple (1985) 73% EDIT “The Color Purple is the story of one woman's growth against incredible odds. But Spielberg glosses over his heroine's transformation. Instead, he has concentrated on making his movie pretty and palatable.” – Maclean's Magazine May 25, 2023 Full Review An American Tail (1986) 76% EDIT “Designed to appeal primarily to children, An American Tail is a film that grown-ups will also enjoy.” – Maclean's Magazine May 18, 2023 Full Review Superman II (1980) 88% EDIT “Both the writing and the opticals are fiendishly clever and chock-full of dry, sly wit that is never gratuitously employed. ” – Maclean's Magazine May 3, 2023 Full Review Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 94% EDIT “It sends your mind on vacation, allowing you to submit without a care to the sensual. That sensuality, surrounding its audience in a way that the visual and aural puniness of TV never can, is as big and busy as the circus, and as grand as opera.” – Maclean's Magazine May 3, 2023 Full Review Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) 77% EDIT “Temple of Doom attempts to be light entertainment. But its soul is dark, and it never stops to recognize any spontaneous emotion.” – Maclean's Magazine Apr 18, 2023 Full Review Thief (1981) 80% EDIT “As the fearless thief who doesn’t give a damn, Caan gives a sturdy, well-felt performance. And Thief, except for an aggressive and benumbing score by Tangerine Dream, delivers the action goods with style.” – Maclean's Magazine Jul 7, 2022 Full Review Tess (1979) 81% EDIT “[Tess] is as good an adaptation of Hardy as one is likely to get, or for that matter want. Beauteous and with the flowing rhythms of the novel, Tess apprehends Hardy’s tragic and theatrical view of life with consummate ease. ” – Maclean's Magazine Jun 16, 2022 Full Review Excalibur (1981) 73% EDIT “Excalibur is a miracle of pacing and seductive rhythm.” – Maclean's Magazine Jan 3, 2022 Full Review The Secret of NIMH (1982) 93% EDIT “A delicately etched, old-fashioned movie such as The Secret of NIMH seems reassuring and somewhat refreshing right now; it connects to the past.” – Maclean's Magazine Nov 9, 2021 Full Review All the Right Moves (1983) 61% EDIT “Although the characters are not especially interesting in themselves, their predicament is, and it is one that untold others share.” – Maclean's Magazine Sep 8, 2020 Full Review Superman III (1983) 31% EDIT “The film's predecessors were extremely smooth renderings of the comic strip material, but Superman III looks as chintzy as a Grade-B movie serial.” – Maclean's Magazine Aug 13, 2020 Full Review The Karate Kid Part II (1986) 49% EDIT “As enjoyably manipulative movies go, The Karate Kid, Part II pulls few punches.” – Maclean's Magazine Aug 12, 2020 Full Review Innerspace (1987) 80% EDIT “Noisy, witless and filled with unimpressive simulations of human tissue, Innerspace is a perfect example of small minds finding a suitable subject.” – Maclean's Magazine Aug 6, 2020 Full Review The Natural (1984) 83% EDIT “The script is one shockingly drab line after another, and nothing in the expensive 1930s period design can cover up the shabbiness of the moviemaking.” – Maclean's Magazine Jul 15, 2020 Full Review Heaven Can Wait (1978) 84% EDIT “What sounds excruciatingly whimsical has been woven into one of the funniest and gentlest movies since the '40s.” – Maclean's Magazine Jul 13, 2020 Full Review Sophie's Choice (1982) 74% EDIT “The amazing intimacy Pakula creates with the audience ultimately makes Sophie's Choice the best film of the year.” – Maclean's Magazine Jun 17, 2020 Full Review Chan Is Missing (1982) 96% EDIT “Director Wayne Wang has a lot to learn about cutting, pacing, composition and telling a story. What saves him, and his movie, is his ability to tell good anecdotes.” – Maclean's Magazine May 12, 2020 Full Review
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