Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Apr 7, 2024 3/5

Rest assured, thanks to his endless versatility and charm, Costner proves again that he is a comfortable and lifting presence to any sports film.

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Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 20, 2022 4/5

The story is crisp and exciting...

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Robert Sims Lights Camera Austin Jan 22, 2022

While Ivan Reitman's a master of comedy, he fails to bring the necessary sense of urgency to a ticking-tock drama that's already hurt by a predictable script that lacks the thoughtfulness of Moneyball.

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Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Jun 21, 2021

Draft Day might bypass realism for drama but it's still a fun watch.

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Dan Brightmore NME (New Musical Express) May 26, 2021 2/5

...you'll need at least a passing interest in American football or this film will come across like a soap set in the world of a technically impenetrable sport.

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Matt Conway Battle Royale With Cheese Apr 29, 2021

Reitman combines his deep dive into the NFL's inside baseball perspective with the cheerful allures of crowd-pleasing entertainments.

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Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Feb 1, 2021 3/5

Story wise this is a pure sports film, complete with lingo and all kinds of stats, but it's also a mystery.

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Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 6, 2020 2.5/4.0

The film could have easily been a one-note sports flick, but it possesses a genuinely good spirit.

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Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Dec 14, 2019

A richly textured character study not only about a man and those around him, but about character, ethics and integrity...and yes, character does count.

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Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Aug 30, 2019 2/5

Draft Day is never surprising with its deliberate pace and conventional narrative choices. Inevitably, it becomes a convenient, cornball cliché.

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Stephen O'Nion One Room With A View May 25, 2019 2/5

Though not as incompetent as the majority of its characters for a film that begins with a countdown on "a day where lives are changed and fates are decided", Draft Day presents bafflingly little tension and precious little point.

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Debbie Baldwin Ladue News Nov 3, 2018 8/10

Despite the overall acting and the less-than-compelling subplot involving Sonny's personal life, the film is terrific. It's smart, engaging, uplifting. It's great for all ages.

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Zaki Hasan Zaki's Corner Nov 2, 2018 B

While some the broad strokes of the story may be fairly easy to call out fairly early on, it packs in enough "what's gonna happen?" suspense to make the eventual third act payoff worth hanging in there for.

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Josh Terry Deseret News (Salt Lake City) Nov 22, 2017

Anyone looking for a lot of hard-hitting football highlights will be better off spending their time with NFL films and John Facenda.

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Tara Thorne The Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Mar 10, 2017

Kevin Costner's unexpected comeback continues with this surprisingly fine sports jam in the vein of Moneyball-it's not about the meal, it's about how the sausage gets made.

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Rich Heldenfels Akron Beacon Journal Mar 2, 2017

As movies go, Draft Day is the equivalent of an 8-8 NFL team. Maybe even a 7-9. It is sporadically interesting, and suggests that it is worth sticking around for the final play. But there's no guarantee you will be satisfied with the outcome.

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Mark Jackson Epoch Times Jun 16, 2016 3/5

We've seen lots of this type of Art of the Deal maneuvering-how GMs spread gossip, bait and switch, gamble, and haggle each other. It never gets old. It's also the best part.

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Dan Mecca The Film Stage Jun 6, 2016 B

This is a very American film that - not unlike Moneyball - attempts to expand its appeal by doubling down on its focus on the very American sport at hand so as to find the universal themes intrinsic to the game.

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J. Olson Cinemixtape Apr 9, 2016 2/5

For all of the typical sports movie clichs that pop up in "Draft Day," the pic's place as an NFL-sanctioned puff piece is what's most alarming.

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Martin Tsai Critic's Notebook Oct 8, 2015

However unintentionally, "Draft Day" confirms that sports rewards heroes and villains alike. Remember Jerry Sandusky?

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