Oppenheimer; what are Google Reviews saying about Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece - is it too long?

“Oppenheimer” has opened today in cinemas nationwide and already has been heralded by critics in early reviews as a masterpiece. But as evidenced by box office figures on previous occasions, what critics think is cinematic brilliance sometimes does not translate into audience appreciation.

Where better then to get an “honest” account of how those fortunate enough to see “Oppenheimer” already that by virtue of the seemingly growing number of Google Reviews for the film, which for the most part have been positive by many who appreciated the performances of Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh.

It currently has a rating on Google Reviews of 4.1, but with all places such as Tripadvisor and Amazon, it’s always worth a cursory look over the reviews that are all one star rated; and in some cases those reviews might have a point for your casual movie goer.

“As a fan of historical dramas and biographical films, I was eager to watch "Oppenheimer" with high hopes of experiencing an engaging and insightful depiction of one of the most critical scientific figures in history. However, I was left deeply disappointed by the film, which fell far short of my expectations,” one review wrote in their one star review. 

“Rather than delving into the intriguing details of his scientific genius and the moral dilemmas surrounding the development of the atomic bomb, the film becomes an incoherent mess of disconnected scenes and poorly developed characters.”

Then comes the complaints about the running time; “WARNING: this movie is 3 hours of pure boring, slow, hard to understand dialogue. The average viewer will have a tough time enjoying this film,” another Google Reviews critic wrote, stating that the film was mainly about Oppenheimer and his mistress, while a second review echoed run time sentiments with “the movie is a muddled, blighted, very long and equally boring effort that most of the audience could not stay awake for.“

“Seriously. When the credits rolled over half the theatre was dead asleep, which is quite a feat considering how loud this movie is.”

“Whole movie was people bickering, arguing, and talking so quickly that some conversations don't even make sense,” wrote another reviewer, alluding to it being a potential Oscar-baiting film for Nolan. “Movie is made for critics so I expect it will be rated very highly but normal people like me who just want to enjoy a movie will find it super boring and a waste of time.”

One review was from an expert in the field of nuclear energy itself; “Did not see the entire movie.  The first hour and a half was enough.  We walked out.  I actually worked at the nuclear test sites so my expectations were high.  I am sure this is a movie that will get all the awards. It was that bad.”

Those reviews must not have made their way over to Rotten Tomatoes, where the film is not only certified 94% “Fresh” by film critics, but also holds an Audience Rating also of 94%.

“Oppenheimer” is out now in cinemas nationwide and on IMAX