The story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. Based on the1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Penn Warren.
It's Zaillian's overdirection that cooks this whole mess into a flavorless gumbo. He never shows you something just once when he could show it twice and never leaves a point unhammered home.
– Dana Stevens,
Slate,
22 Sep 2006
rotten:
All the King's Men was suspended in editing limbo for nearly a year, and the final result only makes the mind reel at what it could have been carved from.
– Geoff Pevere,
Toronto Star,
22 Sep 2006
rotten:
The director can't seem to find a natural rhythm for the movie -- it's portentous and vague at the same time.
– David Denby,
New Yorker,
25 Sep 2006
rotten:
The film isn't dreadful: it is just generally disappointing.
– Stanley Kauffmann,
The New Republic,
26 Oct 2006
rotten:
What should have been an incisive study of the American political scene turns out a lumbering celluloid white elephant.