Dragonfly 2002

Jay Carr, Boston Globe: If Oscars were dished out for tin ears, screenwriters David Seltzer, Brandon Camp, and Mike Thompson would be in the running. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: If there's anything worse than a slick, crummy horror movie, it's a slick, crummy, pretentious horror movie. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: Dragonfly has no atmosphere, no tension -- nothing but Costner, flailing away. It's a buggy drag. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: ... where The Sixth Sense radiated intelligence and style, Dragonfly exudes a certain whiff of desperation. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: You come away wishing, though, that the movie spent a lot less time trying to make a credible case for reports from the afterlife and a lot more time on the romantic urgency that's at the center of the story. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: Director Tom Shadyac and star Kevin Costner glumly mishandle the story's promising premise of a physician who needs to heal himself. Read more

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: A sappy, often absurd disappointment. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: As the movie dragged on, I thought I heard a mysterious voice, and felt myself powerfully drawn toward the light -- the light of the exit sign. I have returned from the beyond to warn you: this movie is 90 minutes long, and life is too short. Read more

Jan Stuart, Newsday: There are enough throwaway references to faith and rainbows to plant smile-button faces on that segment of the populace that made A Walk to Remember a niche hit. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: The undisputed king of the cornball concept, Kevin Costner has an uncanny aptitude for gravitating toward the dopiest projects in sight, but this time he's outdone himself. Read more

Hap Erstein, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Messages from the afterlife unnerve Costner, but the spooky first half is far better than the payoff. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: It would be churlish to begrudge anyone for receiving whatever consolation that can be found in Dragonfly, yet it is impossible to find the film anything but appalling, shamelessly manipulative and contrived, and totally lacking in conviction. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: The film has a solid premise. For them to twist it into such preposterous shape, they must really hate us. Read more

Paul Tatara, CNN.com: Costner's warm-milk persona is just as ill-fitting as Shadyac's perfunctory directing chops, and some of the more overtly silly dialogue would sink Laurence Olivier. Read more

Steven Rosen, Denver Post: ... plays like it was written from the end backward. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: ...silly humbuggery... Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Dragonfly has more plot than a figure-skating competition, and just about as much credibility. Read more

Paul Malcolm, L.A. Weekly: Despite the film's aspirations to soul healing, its uplift remains mechanical, like an escalator's. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The dragonfly is a sleek, graceful insect that doesn't deserve to have its reputation sullied by being associated with this pile of offal. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: There are deeply religious and spiritual people in this world who would argue that entering a church, synagogue or temple doesn't mean you have to check your brain at the door. The same should go for movie theaters. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: The thriller is only thrilling enough to kill the movie's romantic mood, while the romance just makes Dragonfly seem meandering and inert. Read more

Susan Walker, Toronto Star: ... better described as a ghost story gone badly awry. Read more

Time Out: The 'surprise' ending is as predictable as it is a long time coming. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: While the themes sound intriguing, the movie lacks the necessary clarity of vision. Read more

Joe Leydon, Variety: Chances are good that if you loved Ghost or Truly Madly Deeply, you'll at the very least like this fitfully affecting tale of love beyond death and faith beyond reason. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: Probably was hatched by screenwriters watching The Sixth Sense on methamphetamines. Read more