Metacritic reviews

What it's really about is the euphoria that talent can bring to those who are possessed by it. That euphoria lights up the screen.

The film's absolute conviction keeps it from feeling formulaic.

This is about the rise of a pop star, plain and simple. The real deal –- and the movie's greatest fun –- is in the rap contests.

The rap sequences are shot and edited with the excitement of a crisply broadcast sporting event, which in a way they are.

It’s too early to place Eminem alongside those Hollywood giants (Jimmy Cagney/John Garfield), but the promise is there. He understands the power of being still in front of a camera. Compact, volatile and burningly intense, he’s got charisma to spare.

What makes 8 Mile transcend the formulaic nature of its plot is the way it makes these rap competitions compelling even for those unfamiliar with rap music, and its scrupulous, loving rendition of a grim, wintry Detroit circa 1995.

Extremely clever in its use of self-deprecation, it's guaranteed to bring down the house at any remotely sympathetic venue.

A star is born in 8 Mile, all right, but his name is Mekhi Phifer.

The loosely autobiographical 8 Mile, an uneven but watchable drama about life in Detroit's slums, begins the shrewd transformation of vitriolic rapper Eminem into a mainstream figure.

What's most disappointing is the thoroughly cliched story.