Kathleen Kennedy’s Movies from Best to Worst – RT Critics

Kathleen Kennedy (born 1953) is an American filmmaker and actress who has served as president of Lucasfilm since 2012, having previously joined Amblin Entertainment in 1982, and having co-founded The Kennedy/Marshall Company in 1992.  She has served as a producer on many of the films in the Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park and Star Wars franchises, as well as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and many others.  The following are 75 of her 82 films, arranged in order from “best” to “worst” according to the collective opinions of Rotten Tomatoes film critics.  Contained is each film’s critical approval, average rating and critical consensus (if there is one).

(The remaining films either don’t have an RT page, or don’t have critical reviews on their page.)

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The Best of Roger Rabbit (1996)

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100% – 8/10 (1 review)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

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98% – 9.23/10 (129 reviews)

Playing as both an exciting sci-fi adventure and a remarkable portrait of childhood, Steven Spielberg’s touching tale of a homesick alien remains a piece of movie magic for young and old.

Schindler’s List (1993)

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97% – 9.04/10 (98 reviews)

Schindler’s List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg’s signature tender humanism to create the director’s dramatic masterpiece.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Theatrical release poster depicting filmstrips shaped like Roger Rabbit. The title "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and a text "It's the story of a man, a woman, and a rabbit in a triangle of trouble." are shown at the left top of the image.

97% – 8.43/10 (64 reviews)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is an innovative and entertaining film that features a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation, with a touching and original story to boot.

Back to the Future (1985)

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96% – 8.75/10 (81 reviews)

Inventive, funny, and breathlessly constructed, Back to the Future is a rousing time-travel adventure with an unforgettable spirit.

Persepolis (2005)

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96% – 8.18/10 (161 reviews)

Persepolis is an emotionally powerful, dramatically enthralling autobiographical gem, and the film’s simple black-and-white images are effective and bold.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

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95% – 9.26/10 (79 reviews)

Featuring bravura set pieces, sly humor, and white-knuckle action, Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most consummately entertaining adventure pictures of all time.

Arrietty (2010)

A young woman is hiding under a group of leaves with an image of a house behind her. Text below reveals the film's title and credits.

95% – 7.65/10 (150 reviews)

Visually lush, refreshingly free of family-friendly clatter, and anchored with soulful depth, The Secret World of Arrietty lives up to Studio Ghibli’s reputation.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

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94% – 8.25/10 (172 reviews)

Breathtaking visuals and dynamic performances make The Diving Bell and the Butterfly a powerful biopic.

A Brief History of Time (1991)

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94% – 7.28/10 (18 reviews)

Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)

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93% – 8.26/10 (434 reviews)

Packed with action and populated by both familiar faces and fresh blood, The Force Awakens successfully recalls the series’ former glory while injecting it with renewed energy.

Ponyo (2009)

Ponyo, in a jellyfish of sorts is looking outside. Behind her is three boats sailing in the sea near a cliff. Text below reveals the film's title and the credits.

92% – 7.61/10 (167 reviews)

While not Miyazaki’s best film, Ponyo is a visually stunning fairy tale that’s a sweetly poetic treat for children of all ages.

Arachnophobia (1990)

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92% – 6.76/10 (37 reviews)

Arachnophobia may not deliver genuine chills, but it’s an affectionate, solidly built tribute to Hollywood’s classic creature features.

Jurassic Park (1993)

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91% – 8.32/10 (127 reviews)

Jurassic Park is a spectacle of special effects and life-like animatronics, with some of Spielberg’s best sequences of sustained awe and sheer terror since Jaws.

Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

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90% – 8.08/10 (471 reviews)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi honors the saga’s rich legacy while adding some surprising twists — and delivering all the emotion-rich action fans could hope for.

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

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90% – 7.39/10 (58 reviews)

Sentimental, slow, schmaltzy, and very satisfying, The Bridges of Madison County finds Clint Eastwood adapting a bestseller with heft, wit, and grace.

Lincoln (2012)

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89% – 7.98/10 (281 reviews)

Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

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87% – 7.91/10 (71 reviews)

Lighter and more comedic than its predecessor, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade returns the series to the brisk serial adventure of Raiders, while adding a dynamite double act between Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

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86% – 7.65/10 (157 reviews)

M Night Shayamalan’s The Sixth Sense is a twisty ghost story with all the style of a classical Hollywood picture, but all the chills of a modern horror flick.

An American Tail (1986)

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86% – 6.37/10 (28 reviews)

Exquisitely animated, An American Tail is a sweet, melancholy, immigrants story.

Poltergeist (1982)

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85% – 7.29/10 (61 reviews)

Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and — most importantly — consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

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85% – 7.22/10 (68 reviews)

It may be too “dark” for some, but Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom remains an ingenious adventure spectacle that showcases one of Hollywood’s finest filmmaking teams in vintage form.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

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84% – 7.48/10 (446 reviews)

Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground — and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.

Gremlins (1984)

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84% – 7.34/10 (70 reviews)

Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, Gremlins is a minor classic.

Innerspace (1987)

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82% – 6.7/10 (39 reviews)

A manic, overstuffed blend of sci-fi, comedy, and romance, Innerspace nonetheless charms, thanks to Martin Short’s fine performance and the insistent zaniness of the plot.

The Color Purple (1985)

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81% – 6.86/10 (31 reviews)

A sentimental tale that reveals great emotional truths in American history.

Back to the Future Part III (1990)

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80% – 6.72/10 (44 reviews)

Back to the Future Part III draws the trilogy to a satisfying close with a simpler, sweeter round of time-travel antics.

Munich (2005)

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78% – 7.42/10 (210 reviews)

Munich can’t quite achieve its lofty goals, but this thrilling, politically even-handed look at the fallout from an intractable political conflict is still well worth watching.

Seabiscuit (2003)

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78% – 7.1/10 (205 reviews)

A life-affirming, if saccharine, epic treatment of a spirit-lifting figure in sports history.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

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78% – 6.95/10 (274 reviews)

Though the plot elements are certainly familiar, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull still delivers the thrills and Harrison Ford’s return in the title role is more than welcome.

War of the Worlds (2005)

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75% – 6.98/10 (262 reviews)

Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells’ classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.

War Horse (2011)

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75% – 6.97/10 (236 reviews)

Technically superb, proudly sentimental, and unabashedly old-fashioned, War Horse is an emotional drama that tugs the heartstrings with Spielberg’s customary flair.

Empire of the Sun (1987)

Against the backdrop of orange sun is the smoke trail of a falling aircraft. In the foreground is the silhouette of a boy jumping for joy.

75% – 6.81/10 (56 reviews)

One of Steven Spielberg’s most ambitious efforts of the 1980s, Empire of the Sun remains an underrated gem in the director’s distinguished filmography.

The Goonies (1985)

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75% – 6.29/10 (57 reviews)

The Goonies is an energetic, sometimes noisy mix of Spielbergian sentiment and funhouse tricks that will appeal to kids and nostalgic adults alike.

Cape Fear (1991)

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74% – 7.04/10 (50 reviews)

Smart and stylish, Cape Fear is a gleefully mainstream shocker from Martin Scorsese, with a terrifying Robert De Niro peformance.

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011)

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74% – 6.98/10 (230 reviews)

Drawing deep from the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark playbook, Steven Spielberg has crafted another spirited, thrilling adventure in the form of Tintin.

Signs (2002)

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74% – 6.79/10 (236 reviews)

With Signs, Shyamalan proves once again an expert at building suspense and giving audiences the chills.

The BFG (2016)

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74% – 6.74/10 (296 reviews)

The BFG minimizes the darker elements of Roald Dahl’s classic in favor of a resolutely good-natured, visually stunning, and largely successful family-friendly adventure.

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

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74% – 6.62/10 (193 reviews)

A curious, not always seamless, amalgamation of Kubrick’s chilly bleakness and Spielberg’s warm-hearted optimism, A.I. is, in a word, fascinating.

Creepshow (1982)

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73% – 6.4/10 (37 reviews)

It’s uneven, as anthologies often are, but Creepshow is colorful, frequently funny, and treats its inspirations with infectious reverence.

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

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73% – 6.4/10 (22 reviews)

The Indian in the Cupboard gussies up its classic source material in modern effects without losing sight of the timeless themes at the heart of the story.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

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72% – 7.11/10 (253 reviews)

Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an epic fantasy tale with rich storytelling backed by fantastic performances.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

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71% – 6.62/10 (63 reviews)

Gremlins 2 trades the spiky thrills of its predecessor for looney satire, yielding a succession of sporadically clever gags that add some flavor to a recycled plot.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

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70% – 6.4/10 (471 reviews)

A flawed yet fun and fast-paced space adventure, Solo: A Star Wars Story should satisfy newcomers to the saga as well as longtime fans who check their expectations at the theater door.

The Land Before Time (1988)

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70% – 6.38/10 (33 reviews)

Beautifully animated and genuinely endearing, The Land Before Time is sure to please dino-obsessed tykes, even if it’s a little too cutesy for older viewers.

Always (1989)

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67% – 5.55/10 (24 reviews)

Its central romance takes occasional dives into excessive sentimentality, but Always otherwise flies high thanks to director Steven Spielberg’s rousing feel for adventure.

A Map of the World (1999)

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65% – 6.37/10 (55 reviews)

Disjointed storytelling overshadows noteworthy performances.

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

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65% – 6.16/10 (60 reviews)

Back to the Future II is far more uneven than its predecessor, but its madcap highs outweigh the occasionally cluttered machinations of an overstuffed plot.

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

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64% – 5.64/10 (22 reviews)

Young Sherlock Holmes is a charming, if unnecessarily flashy, take on the master sleuth.

Batteries Not Included (1987)

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63% – 5.69/10 (16 reviews)

Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

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63% – 5.55/10 (30 reviews)

Joe Versus the Volcano erupts with plenty of screwball energy and thoughtful observations about living to the fullest, but its existential ambition may prove too goofy for some audiences.

Noises Off (1992)

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61% – 5.75/10 (23 reviews)

Dad (1989)

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60% – 5.67/10 (10 reviews)

Alive (1993)

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59% – 6.17/10 (27 reviews)

Twister (1996)

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57% – 5.96/10 (54 reviews)

A high-concept blockbuster that emphasizes special effects over three-dimensional characters, Twister‘s visceral thrills are often offset by the film’s generic plot.

Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

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56% – 5.85/10 (39 reviews)

The Twilight Zone: The Movie suffers from the typical anthology-film highs and lows; thankfully, the former outnumber the latter.

Balto (1995)

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54% – 5.88/10 (24 reviews)

Balto is a well-meaning adventure with spirited animation, but mushy sentimentality and bland characterization keeps it at paw’s length from more sophisticated family fare.

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

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54% – 5.84/10 (13 reviews)

Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

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51% – 6.13/10 (490 reviews)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker suffers from a frustrating lack of imagination, but concludes this beloved saga with fan-focused devotion.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

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51% – 5.57/10 (76 reviews)

The Lost World demonstrates how far CG effects have come in the four years since Jurassic Park; unfortunately, it also proves how difficult it can be to put together a truly compelling sequel.

Fandango (1985)

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50% – 6.33/10 (6 reviews)

A Dangerous Woman (1993)

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50% – 5.88/10 (12 reviews)

Jurassic Park III (2001)

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49% – 5.28/10 (183 reviews)

Jurassic Park III is darker and faster than its predecessors, but that doesn’t quite compensate for the franchise’s continuing creative decline.

The Money Pit (1986)

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48% – 4.78/10 (21 reviews)

Hereafter (2010)

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47% – 5.73/10 (234 reviews)

Despite a thought-provoking premise and Clint Eastwood’s typical flair as director, Hereafter fails to generate much compelling drama, straddling the line between poignant sentimentality and hokey tedium.

The Young Black Stallion (2003)

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45% – 5.56/10 (40 reviews)

It may strike a chord with very young equine enthusiasts, but gorgeous cinematography isn’t enough to make up for The Young Black Stallion‘s uninspired script.

A Far Off Place (1993)

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45% – 5.03/10 (11 reviews)

The Girl on the Train (2016)

Film poster with the tagline, "what you see can hurt you"

44% – 5.29/10 (304 reviews)

Emily Blunt’s outstanding performance isn’t enough to keep The Girl on the Train from sliding sluggishly into exploitative melodrama.

Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

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39% – 5.26/10 (92 reviews)

Though Snow Falling on Cedars is beautiful to look at, critics say the story becomes dull and tedious to sit through.

We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story (1993)

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38% – 4.11/10 (16 reviews)

Hook (1991)

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28% – 4.66/10 (64 reviews)

The look of Hook is lively indeed but Steven Spielberg directs on autopilot here, giving in too quickly to his sentimental, syrupy qualities.

The Flintstones (1994)

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22% – 3.73/10 (45 reviews)

The Flintstones wastes beloved source material and imaginative production design on a tepid script that plunks Bedrock’s favorite family into a cynical story awash with lame puns.

Congo (1995)

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22% – 3.62/10 (49 reviews)

Mired in campy visual effects and charmless characters, Congo is a suspenseless adventure that betrays little curiosity about the scientific concepts it purports to care about.

Milk Money (1994)

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10% – 3.02/10 (41 reviews)

The Last Airbender (2010)

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5% – 2.78/10 (190 reviews)

The Last Airbender squanders its popular source material with incomprehensible plotting, horrible acting, and detached joyless direction.

[What do you think of these films?  Be sure to let me know in the comments!  Also, send me your review for any movie, and I’ll post it on this site.]

Index of films

http://www.cepher.net/?af=59

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