MovieChat Forums > The Sandlot (1993) Discussion > 56% on Rotten Tomatoes?

56% on Rotten Tomatoes?

posted 6 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8289)
11 replies | jump to latest

I recently watched The Sandlot for the first time a few weeks ago and enjoyed it quite a bit. So you can imagine my surprise when I went to check the RT score and it was only 56%.

What's up with that? I thought for sure that this would be a film the critics would appreciate.

The audience score, by contrast, is 89% which is a lot more in line with my expectations. It's interesting to see how much higher the audience score is than the critics' score.

All in all, I found The Sandlot to be a charming and nostalgic movie, even though the early 60s was not an era I lived through and baseball is not a game I particularly care about.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I was fine with it...

Until the idiot end narration calling Benny...Benny “the Jet” Rodriguez.

All of us fans of martial arts in the 70s and 80s remember Benny “the Jet” URQUIDEZ.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Urquidez

[–] Faridah (1325) 6 years ago

I think it’s still good today as it was when it came out.

[–] DracTarashV2 (4474) 6 years ago

Kinda odd. Sure it has its detractors, but it’s beloved by many and is widely recognized as a 90’s classic. Even some of today’s well-known critics consider it a great movie.

I seriously find nothing wrong with it, so I’m reluctant to say nostalgia is what makes me “think” this movie is better than it supposedly isn’t. Such a feel-good, entertaining, well-made and acted period piece.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8289) 6 years ago

When I watched it the other day, it was my first time seeing it, so nostalgia wasn't much of a factor for me.

I just though it was a fun, old-fashioned sort of coming-of-age movie. As you say, it's a feel-good story, and for me at least feel-good movies are among my most favorite.

I think the moviegoing experience is at its best when it allows the viewer to escape the cares of real life for a little while and The Sandlot did that for me.

[–] AP (5256) 5 years ago

I think it was one of those movies that became popular once it hit home video. That's how I discovered it.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8289) 5 years ago

Could be. That still doesn't really explain why nearly half the critics turned in a negative review though.

It's a well-made movie!

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Another reason to pay absolutely no attention to RottenTomatoes.

[–] jdforyou1983 (1469) 3 years ago

Film critics aren't always right

[–] sut6432 (2830) 3 years ago

They are probably upset and feel the Wendy Peffercorn scene was assault, and wish the movie changed its focus from the kids playing ball in the summer to Wendy’s lawsuit against Squints, and his eventual incarceration at 12 years old or so...and they also probably think the “You play ball like a girl” insult will crush the fabric of society and take us back to the caveman days.

In my opinion, The Sandlot is an all time classic summer and baseball movie. It’s hysterical, nostalgic, and so much fun. I proudly own it, and the critics have no idea what they’re talking about, not that I give RT any credence when it comes to good movies, as my earlier joke shows. Critics now rate movies based on politics and social justice, and I’m sure the reviews were dragged down by newer critics putting their current review out there for The Sandlot.

I’ll go with the audience reviews on this one, and pretty much any other film on RT.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8289) 3 years ago

That's an interesting thought regarding critics of today vs critics of yesteryear. I would be really curious to see how the score would change if only reviews that were contemporary with the film were counted.

We are definitely in a weird place as a nation. It sucks.

[–] HelpMeRhonda (1154) 3 years ago

That’s just almost too hard to believe. I thought everyone liked this movie.