August Rush (2007) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Absolute Worst Movie
Is August Rush (2007) a good movie? No, August Rush is an emotionally manipulative, incredibly stupid 2007 musical drama. Featuring a vile character played by Robin Williams and a plot entirely devoid of logic, this film claims the absolute last spot in our ultimate movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is August Rush About?
A gifted classical cellist and a rock singer have a one-night stand on a roof, but are forced apart. The cellist's controlling father forges adoption papers and tells her the baby died in childbirth. 11 years later, that baby, Evan, runs away from his orphanage because he believes he can "hear" his parents through the magic of music. He meets a ruthless street musician named Wizard (Robin Williams) who exploits his supernatural musical talents, while Evan attempts to play a massive concert to magically summon his parents.
What Works: Nothing
There is nothing redeemable about the narrative of this film.
What Doesn't Work: Pigeon Sense and Manipulation
August Rush treats music not as art, but as a mystical seventh sense. The film wants us to believe Evan hears music the way a pigeon can see the Earth's magnetic field. He literally escapes the orphanage, slaps a guitar a few times, sleeps in a church, and is magically fast-tracked to Juilliard to conduct an orchestral piece in Central Park with zero struggle or growth.
Robin Williams plays Wizard, who is essentially running a business operation exploiting orphaned music savants. It is the most vile, despicable character of his entire career. The movie is so hollow and stupid that when it attempts to be emotional, it just comes across as deeply manipulative.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score:RETIRED Out of respect for Robin's battle with undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia, we have officially retired our performance score rating.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: In our ranking, this is dead last. We had to create a brand new tier called "Awfulness" just to properly categorize it.
FAQ: August Rush (2007) Movie
Who did Robin Williams play in August Rush? He played Wizard, a ruthless and creepy street musician who exploits runaway children for their musical talents.
Why is August Rush considered a bad movie? Our review heavily criticizes the film for being emotionally manipulative and treating music like a literal magical superpower that allows characters to magically find each other.
What is the lowest ranked Robin Williams movie?August Rush sits at the absolute bottom of our ranking, falling below even massive misfires like Jack.
