(Photo by Universal Pictures International/Courtesy Everett Collection. Thumbnail: Paramount.)
Michelle Rodriguez Movies Ranked
We’re ranking the films of Michelle Rodriguez! The guide starts with her Certified Fresh films, including her 2000 debut Girlfight, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, highest-grossing movie at one point Avatar, and Furious 7, the highlight of the franchise.
Rodriguez’s Fresh films include plenty more F&F (Fast & Furious 6, The Fate of the Furious, F9 The Fast Saga), and cult sci-fi favorite Alita: Battle Angel. —Alex Vo
Critics Consensus:Widows rounds up a stellar ensemble for a heist thriller that mixes popcorn entertainment with a message - and marks another artistic leap for director Steve McQueen.
Synopsis: A police shootout leaves four thieves dead during an explosive armed robbery attempt in Chicago. Their widows -- Veronica, Linda, [More]
Critics Consensus: An infectiously good-spirited comedy with a solid emotional core, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves offers fun fantasy and adventure even if you don't know your HP from your OP.
Synopsis: A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things [More]
Critics Consensus: Michelle Rodriguez gives a compelling performance, despite lack of a boxing background; Karyn Kusama packs a punch with this directorial debut.
Synopsis: Newcomer Michelle Rodriguez in an astounding performance alongside Jaime Tirelli, Paul Calderon and Santiago Douglas. Nothing comes easy for Diana [More]
Critics Consensus: It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking.
Synopsis: James Cameron's Academy Award®-winning 2009 epic adventure "Avatar", returns to theaters September 23 in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. On [More]
Critics Consensus: Serving up a fresh round of over-the-top thrills while adding unexpected dramatic heft, Furious 7 keeps the franchise moving in more ways than one.
Synopsis: After defeating international terrorist Owen Shaw, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker) and the rest of the crew [More]
Critics Consensus:Machete is messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless -- and that's precisely the point of one of the summer's most cartoonishly enjoyable films.
Synopsis: After nearly being killed during a violent fight with a powerful drug lord, a former Mexican Federale known as Machete [More]
Critics Consensus: With high-octane humor and terrific action scenes, Fast & Furious 6 builds upon the winning blockbuster formula that made Fast 5 a critical and commercial success.
Synopsis: Since Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian's (Paul Walker) heist in Rio left them and their crew very rich people, they've [More]
Critics Consensus:The Fate of the Furious opens a new chapter in the franchise, fueled by the same infectious cast chemistry and over-the-top action fans have come to expect.
Synopsis: With Dom and Letty married, Brian and Mia retired and the rest of the crew exonerated, the globe-trotting team has [More]
Critics Consensus: It's nowhere near as inventive as its off-the-wall premise might suggest, but Turbo boasts just enough colorful visual thrills and sharp voice acting to recommend as undemanding family-friendly fare.
Synopsis: Turbo (Ryan Reynolds) is a speed-obsessed snail with an unusual dream: to become the world's greatest racer. This odd snail [More]
Critics Consensus: With its serious-minded story, Crisis aims higher than many crime thrillers -- but uneven acting and a spotty script mean the end result falls short of its goals.
Synopsis: A drug trafficker arranges a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation. An architect recovering from an Oxycodone addiction tracks down the truth [More]
Critics Consensus:Alita: Battle Angel's story struggles to keep up with its special effects, but fans of futuristic sci-fi action may still find themselves more than sufficiently entertained.
Synopsis: Set several centuries in the future, the abandoned Alita is found in the scrapyard of Iron City by Ido, a [More]
Critics Consensus:F9 sends the franchise hurtling further over the top than ever, but director Justin Lin's knack for preposterous set pieces keeps the action humming.
Synopsis: Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but [More]
Critics Consensus:Smurfs: The Lost Village may satisfy very young viewers and hardcore Smurfaholics, but its predictable story and bland animation continue the franchise's recent mediocre streak.
Synopsis: Best friends Smurfette (Demi Lovato), Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) use a special map that [More]
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Milton Adams (William Ainscough) feels his world is in crisis. With his parents stressing about their careers and finances, [More]
Critics Consensus:The Assignment's premise is bizarrely intriguing; unfortunately, it's also just one of many ingredients fumbled in a disappointing misfire from director Walter Hill.
Synopsis: After being double-crossed, a hit man becomes a hit woman with help from a rogue surgeon. She sets out for [More]
Critics Consensus: While possessed with the same schlocky lunacy as its far superior predecessor, Machete Kills loses the first installment's spark in a less deftly assembled sequel.
Synopsis: When the president (Carlos Estevez) of the United States has a mission that would be impossible for just any mortal [More]
Critics Consensus: While Fast and Furious features the requisite action and stunts, the filmmakers have failed to provide a competent story or compelling characters.
Synopsis: When a crime brings them back to the mean streets of Los Angeles, fugitive ex-convict Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and [More]
Critics Consensus:Resident Evil: Retribution offers everything one might reasonably expect from the fifth installment in a heavily action-dependent franchise -- which means very little beyond stylishly hollow CGI-enhanced set pieces.
Synopsis: As Umbrella Corp.'s deadly T-virus continues to turn the world's population into legions of flesh-eating zombies, Alice (Milla Jovovich), the [More]
Critics Consensus:BloodRayne is an absurd sword-and-sorcery vid-game adaptation from schlock-maestro Uwe Boll, featuring a distinguished (and slumming) cast.
Synopsis: In 18th-century Romania, after spending much of her life in a traveling circus, human-vampire hybrid Rayne (Kristanna Loken) escapes and [More]
Charlize’s hair apparent to her Furiosa character in Mad Max: Fury Road is Atomic Blonde, as she inhabits a new badass creation with a license to break bones and drub clowns across ’80s Germany. We could go Theron and on but let’s cut to the chase: Here’s 24 more female action movies, ranked by Tomatometer!
Lady Snowblood (1973, 100%)
Added to the Criterion Collection last year, this influential Japanese film starring Meiko Kaji transform blood, guts, and revenge into pure poetry.
Aliens (1986, 94%)
While Alien was a marvel of slow-building, atmospheric tension, Aliens packs a much more visceral punch, and features a typically strong performance from Sigourney Weaver.
Wonder Woman (2017, 92%)
Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot’s charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.
La Femme Nikita (1990, 88%)
Paris by night: Crooked Anne Parillaud is trained to become the ultimate assassin in this Luc Besson joint.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003, 85%) Lady Snowblood‘s most famous fan Quentin Tarantino pays homage to the film, transforming Uma Thurman into a new millennium action goddess in the process.
Haywire (2012, 80%)
MMA star and first-time actress Gina Carano displays ample action-movie chops in Haywire, a fast-paced thriller with a top-notch cast and outstanding direction from Steven Soderbergh.
Chocolate (2008, 73%) Chocolate is a bizarre martial arts flick, with a slushy plot, an unusual protagonist (played by JeeJa Yanin), and breathtaking stunts.
Hanna (2011, 71%)
Fantastic acting (Saoirse Ronan stars) and crisply choreographed action sequences propel this unique, cool take on the revenge thriller.
Blue Steel (1990, 71%)
Before Point Break and well before Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow directed Jamie Lee Curtis as a rookie beat cop fending off a psycho stalking killer.
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996, 68%)
Geena Davis goes from brunette mom to killer blonde in this bloody blitz of mixed identities, knife fights, and water wheel torture.
Lucy (2014, 67%)
Enthusiastic and silly, Lucy powers through the movie’s logic gaps with cheesy thrills plus Scarlett Johansson’s charm — and mostly succeeds at it.
Salt (2010, 62%)
Angelina Jolie gives it her all in the title role, and her seasoned performance is almost enough to save Salt from its predictable and ludicrous plot.
Foxy Brown (1974, 60%)
The ’70s called for a new breed of Hollywood action and Pam Grier answered the call: her Foxy Brown remains one of the sterling efforts of the blaxploitation era.
Doomsday (2008, 50%) Doomsday is a pale imitation of previous futuristic thrillers, minus the cohesive narrative and charismatic leads. Sorry, Rhona Mitra!
Underworld (2003, 31%)
Though stylish to look at (just look at Kate Beckinsale’s leather combat onesie!), Underworld is tedious and derivative.
The Assignment (2017, 30%)
Tough guy director Walter Hill goes off the deep end with Michelle Rodriguez, who stars as a hitman out for revenge after he’s captured and wakes up a new woman.
Barb Wire (1996, 28%) Barb Wire could’ve been fun camp, but Pamela Anderson can’t deliver her lines with any dramatic or comedic impact.
Colombiana (2011, 27%)
Zoe Saldana has the chops but she’s taken out by erratic and sloppy filmmaking.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001, 20%)
Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can’t save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact.
Aeon Flux (2005, 10%)
Charlize Theron kicks back! Aeon Flux lacks the gravity-defying pace of its animated predecessor, and, despite some flash, is largely a dull affair.
Elektra (2005, 10%)
Jennifer Garner inhabits her role with earnest gusto, but Elektra‘s tone deaf script is too self-serious and bereft of intelligent dialogue to provide engaging thrills.
Catwoman (2004, 9%)
Halle Berry is the lone sorta bright spot, but even she can’t save this laughable action thriller.
Ultraviolet (2006, 9%)
An incomprehensible and forgettable sci-fi thriller, Ultraviolet is inept in every regard despite all the time Milla Jovovich spent at the gym.
BloodRayne (2006, 4%) BloodRayne is an absurd sword-and-sorcery vid-game adaptation from schlock-maestro Uwe Boll, featuring a distinguished (and slumming) cast.
A pair of forbidden romances highlight this week’s new DVD releases: Disney’s live-action retelling of their take on Beauty and the Beast, and a true story based on the King of Botswana and his British wife. Read on for details on those and a well-received HBO series, a psychological horror film, and few smaller releases from recent months.
This post-WWII historical drama from Denmark tells the true story of the German POWs who were conscripted by the Allied forces to clear their own land mines from the west coast of Denmark. Information on special features is currently unavailable.
David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike star in this fact-based drama about the international outcry that erupted after the king of Botswana married a British citizen. This release comes with a making-of featurette, a look at on-location filming in Botswana, and a look at the real-life story behind the film.
Jude Law and Diane Keaton star in Paolo Sorrentino’s HBO Limited series about an arrogant, power-hungry, newly elected American-born pope who stirs up controversy. The season set comes with brief interviews with the cast and crew for each episode, a making-of featurette, and a short interview with Jude Law.
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star in Disney’s live-action reimagining of the classic tale about a small-town farm girl who falls in love with the fearsome beast who has imprisoned her. It comes with a wealth of extras, including a table read, and extended making-of featurette, deleted scenes, an extended song, and more.
Dane DeHaan and Jason Isaacs star in Gore Verbinski’s psychological thriller about a young man who slowly loses his mind as he investigates his suspicions about a mysterious wellness spa. Special features include a pair of featurettes and a deleted scene.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Scoot McNairy star in this based-on-true-events drama about an air traffic controller whose grave error results in the death of another man’s family. It comes with a commentary track and interviews with director Elliott Lester and director of photography Pieter Vermeer.
Shirley MacLaine and Amanda Seyfried star in this comedy about an uptight former businesswoman who forms a bond with the young woman she enlists to write her biography. There are no special features listed.
Michelle Rodriguez stars in Walter Hill’s action thriller about a hitman who is betrayed and forced to undergo gender reassignment surgery against his will, and seeks vengeance for the act. No information on special features is available.
Emilia Clarke and Martin Csokas star in this period thriller about a nurse in 1950s Tuscany who becomes convinced the mute boy under her care is under the influence of a dark presence. No information on special features is currently available.
Lastly, from the Criterion Collection, we have a new Blu-ray release of Kenji Mizoguchi’s classic ghost story about two men in ancient Japan who seek fortune and glory but suffer tragic losses in the process. The new release comes with a 1975 Kaneto Shindo documentary on Mizoguchi, a 2005 appreciation of Ugetsu by Masahiro Shinoda, a 1992 interview with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, and more.
At this point, there are no surprises with the Smurfs — you’re either on board with the little blue creatures debuted by Belgian artist Peyo in 1958 or you find their antics insufferable, and never the twain shall meet. With that in mind, it’s worth noting that this weekend’s Smurfs: The Lost Village represents something of a departure from recent installments in the franchise, given that it’s an all-animation outing instead of the live-action/CGI hybrids of the previous trilogy, but the story remains substantially the same. On one side of the story, you’ve got the Smurfs happily smurfing along; on the other, you have their eternal nemesis, the wicked wizard Gargamel (voiced by Rainn Wilson). This adventure adds a few new narrative wrinkles, but as has been the case with recent Smurfs outings, critics aren’t impressed — whether it’s the rather mundane story or the middle-of-the-road animation, reviews identify no shortage of deficiencies for discerning family audiences. The next time you’re in urgent need of a cinematic babysitter, it might do in a pinch, but this Lost Village probably isn’t worth finding at a theater near you.
If a movie offers a brilliant cast a too-rare opportunity to shine — but still ends up being somewhat less than compelling — should it still be celebrated on some level? That’s the question facing critics this weekend with Going in Style, which puts veteran talents Alan Arkin, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Ann-Margaret back in the spotlight for a loose remake of the somewhat forgotten 1979 dramedy of the same name. Like the original, which starred George Burns, Art Carney, and Lee Strasberg, the plot finds a trio of retirees plotting a robbery — but this time around, instead of just looking for one last adventure, our protagonists are righteously ticked off after being cheated out of their pensions by unscrupulous bankers. There’s an opportunity to justify this remake with a fresh timely perspective, in other words; alas, critics say director Zach Braff leaves it on the table — along with just about everything else that might have made the movie more than a painless passing diversion. That being said, the opportunity to watch these old pros work together might make Going in Style worth a watch… if only to let Hollywood know there’s still a demand for its stars’ services.
An Easter-season dramatization of the real-life marital/spiritual crisis that engulfed journalist Lee Strobel after his wife experienced a religious awakening, The Case for Christ (starring Mike Vogel and Erika Christensen as the Strobels) purports to tell the tale of his unexpected journey upon setting out to debunk Christianity once and for all. We’d love to tell you what the critics have to say about all this, but unfortunately, the movie didn’t screen for them ahead of time — and you know what that means. Guess the Tomatometer!
Brockmire insinuates itself as the series goes on, elevated by assured, compelling performances from Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet — and a raw humor all its own.
Prison Break recaptures some of its old urgency in its return, but familiar faces and frenetic action aren’t enough to make up for a plot that manages to bore while beggaring belief.
Also Opening This Week In Limited Release
Truman (2015)99%
, about two old friends reconnecting under the specter of looming sadness, is Certified Fresh at 100 percent.
Your Name (2016)98%
, an anime about two teens who suddenly swap bodies — and genders — is Certified Fresh at 97 percent.
Graduation (2016)94%
, about a father’s progressively more complicated efforts to ensure a bright academic future for his daughter, is Certified Fresh at 96 percent.
Their Finest (2016)90%
, about a woman pressed into service writing propaganda movies for Britain during World War II, is at 92 percent.
Gifted (2017)73%
, starring Chris Evans as a man whose guardianship of his niece is threatened by the attention attracted by her prodigious intellect, is at 57 percent.
Another Toronto International Film Festival draws to a close and all its attendant major movies (Arrival, La La Land, A Monster Calls) are fleeing the border as we speak, soon to take residence in multiplexes and art house screens alike across the globe. Need a list on what to keep an eye out for? Here’s every TIFF 2016 movie that generated enough reviews and interest for individual Tomatometers! —Alex Vo
Critics Consensus:After the Storm crosses cultural lines to offer timeless observations about parental responsibilities, personal bonds, and the capacity for forgiveness.
Synopsis: A dissolute private detective (Hiroshi Abe) attempts to reconnect with his distrustful family following the death of his father. [More]
Critics Consensus:All I See Is You hints at a number of intriguing questions with its premise, but they dissolve in a stylish yet empty psychodrama that fails to connect.
Synopsis: Gina is a beautiful young woman who's still haunted by the accident that took her sight years earlier. Living in [More]
Critics Consensus:Amanda Knox honors its subject with an absorbing -- if slightly incomplete -- look at the details and troubling implications of her arrest and subsequent fight for freedom.
Synopsis: The trial, conviction and acquittal of Amanda Knox for the murder of an exchange student in Italy. [More]
Critics Consensus:American Honey offers a refreshingly unconventional take on the coming-of-age drama whose narrative risks add up to a rewarding experience even if they don't all pay off.
Synopsis: Star (Sasha Lane), an adolescent girl from a troubled home, runs away with a traveling sales crew that drives across [More]
Critics Consensus: Led by a powerful performance from Sônia Braga, Aquarius uses a conflict between a tenant and developers to take an insightful look at the relationship between space and identity.
Synopsis: Clara, a 65-year-old widow and retired music critic, vows to live in her apartment until she dies after a developer [More]
Critics Consensus:Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person's sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.
Synopsis: Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations [More]
Critics Consensus:The Bad Batch has its moments, but it's too thinly written and self-indulgent to justify its length or compensate for its slow narrative drift.
Synopsis: Arlen is abandoned in a Texas wasteland that is fenced off from civilization. While trying to navigate the unforgiving landscape, [More]
Critics Consensus:Barry opens a speculative window into a future president's formative college years, offering a flawed yet compelling glimpse of American history in the making.
Synopsis: Barack Obama arrives in New York in the fall of 1981 for his junior year at Columbia University. He struggles [More]
Critics Consensus:The Belko Experiment offers a few moments of lurid fun for genre enthusiasts, but lacks enough subversive smarts to consistently engage once the carnage kicks in.
Synopsis: An ordinary day at the office becomes a horrific quest for survival when 80 employees (John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, [More]
Critics Consensus:The Birth of a Nation overpowers its narrative flaws and uneven execution through sheer conviction, rising on Nate Parker's assured direction and the strength of its vital message.
Synopsis: Nat Turner is an enslaved Baptist preacher who lives on a Virginia plantation owned by Samuel Turner. With rumors of [More]
Critics Consensus:Blair Witch doles out a handful of effective scares, but aside from a few new twists, it mainly offers a belated rehash of the original -- and far more memorable -- first film.
Synopsis: A young man and his friends venture into the Black Hills Forest in Maryland to uncover the mystery surrounding his [More]
Critics Consensus:Bleed for This rises on the strength of Miles Teller's starring performance to deliver a solid fact-based boxing drama that takes a few genre clichés on the chin but keeps on coming.
Synopsis: Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza (Miles Teller), a local Providence boxer, shoots to stardom after winning two world title fights. [More]
Critics Consensus:Blue Jay's song will warm the soul of any hopeless romantic who loves trips down memory lane, impromptu dance scenes, and naturally performed two-handers.
Synopsis: Former high school sweethearts Jim and Amanda have been out of touch for more than 20 years -- but they [More]
91%
71%
59%
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