The Samaritan 2012

Kathleen Murphy, MSN Movies: The theme's familiar, but The Samaritan's stylish palette -- the colors of corruption and despair -- paints it new. Read more

Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times: [Jackson's] doleful revenant is in almost every scene, and this hardworking actor seems to know that the film around him should be a light-footed caper instead of a grim noir with a side order of deviance. Read more

Sam Adams, AV Club: Jackson seems only interested in cashing his paycheck, even if it's not an especially large one. Read more

Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: A rock solid Samuel L. Jackson adeptly anchors the twists and turns of this noir crime thriller. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: The haphazard feeling of the narrative deflates any real tension. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: It's not honest with its people, or its plot. And the only ones it really cheats are audience members. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Way too much psychosexual melodrama, portrayed in performances that range from utterly bored (Jackson) to embarrassingly broad (Kirby). Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: "The Samaritan" proves that even Samuel L. Jackson can be boring. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: "The Samaritan" isn't a great noir, but it's true to the tradition and gives Samuel L. Jackson one of his best recent roles. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: A scripted cliche: the ex-con who wants to go straight until the plot kicks in. Read more

Cath Clarke, Time Out: Surely there were sheepish faces all round in Jackson's camp when they saw this? Read more

Eric Hynes, Time Out: Despite its exploitation ambitions, this Samaritan is good only for a last-ditch swerve into schmaltz. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Sets itself up as a crime thriller yet fails to deliver more than a twinge of surprise as it meanders toward a flaccid endgame swindle. Read more

Robert Koehler, Variety: If anything, this Canadian production misses a great opportunity to dig into its setting and examine the dark side of seemingly pristine Toronto, even as the script by Elan Mastai and director David Weaver labors over a mostly boilerplate storyline. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: Weaver's story slowly begins to buckle under the weight of its own self-seriousness and familiarity, concluding with a showdown and resolution marked by one implausible and unsatisfying been-here-done-that twist after another. Read more