“Tower Heist,” starring Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller, is certified fresh by the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but only barely.

According to the site, the critics gave the film a 69% fresh rating, and this time, the critics were being lenient. The audience gave the film a lower rating of 66%.

The site gave the film a very backhanded compliment, saying “‘Tower Heist’ is a true Brett Ratner joint: little brains to this caper, but it’s fun fluff, exciting to watch, and showcases a welcome return to form for Eddie Murphy.” At the very least, Murphy is back on top.

Here’s what the critics thought:

“Cheerfully crappy schlock.”–Richard Roeper, RichardRoeper.com

“Call it an acceptable bit of B- work from a C- student. “–Eric D. Snider, Film.com

“This is, of course, Hollywood schlock, directed by shlock-master Brett Ratner (‘Rush Hour’). But it’s also a surprisingly effective social drama. Ratner keeps the action rooted to the here-and-now, offering a recession-times revenge fantasy where the motivations never feel fantastical, even if the heist itself does.”–Robert Levin, The Atlantic

“‘Tower Heist’ is an enjoyable ensemble comedy that gets off to a bit of a slow start, but is kicked into a higher gear by Eddie Murphy. This is a big return to form for Murphy following years of too many unfunny family films.”–Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs

What did you think of the film?

Tower Heist Arrest

By Monique Jones

Monique Jones blogs about race and culture in entertainment, particularly movies and television. You can read her articles at Racialicious, and her new site, COLOR . You can also listen to her new podcast, What would Monique Say.

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