Thursday, March 28, 2024

Will Smith’s Non-Apology Tour Didn’t Work: Reviewers Didn’t Like Emancipation and Neither Did Viewers

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Will Smith went on quite a bender of media last month and early this one. He went around not apologizing for anything and trying to get people to watch his $100 million movie, “Emancipation.”

It didn’t work.

The Antoine Fuqua directed black and white movie (literally) about a tragic true story of a Civil War era slave has been a bust.

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics slammed it, with a 45% rotten rating. But even worse, audiences posting to Rotten Tomatoes gave “Emancipation” a lowly 56%. No one liked it.

“Emancipation” is playing on Apple TV Plus now, long gone from theaters after its one week eligibility run. Eligible for what, one might ask? Awards groups have ignored it, and the movie will just fall into ignominy. How much is the write off? Apple will never say, but the whole thing was a disaster.

Was the film rejected solely because of Smith’s egregious behavior last spring at the Oscars? No. It was also because the movie just wasn’t good. But the reaction to it was definitely a signal that no one is willing to forgive and forget any time soon.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
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