American Underdog
Lionsgate | Release Date: December 25, 2021 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
5
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperDec 22, 2021
American Underdog is a fitting family album for the Warners and solid, safe entertainment for the viewer. Read full review
70
VarietyJoe LeydonDec 29, 2021
American Underdog is a thoroughly predictable yet hugely entertaining sports biopic that is bound to please almost anyone who’s not a sourball cynic or a snarky critic. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzDec 17, 2021
The beauty of Kurt Warner’s story is that it’s so unlikely it’s nearly impervious to clichés. The strength of American Underdog, Andrew and Jon Erwin’s film about Warner’s life in football and with his wife, Brenda, is that they realize this and let the story speak for itself. Read full review
64
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpDec 23, 2021
To the Erwins’ credit, they make an effort at taking their movie somewhere interesting and, at least for a Jesus-y football picture, new. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzJan 3, 2022
The problem, though, is that American Underdog doesn't ever really connect the modest virtuousness of Kurt and Brenda to Kurt's ascension as a quarterback. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreDec 22, 2021
A solid formula sports picture with a light dose of faith and some overt small town America “conservative signaling,” and a generally entertaining movie thanks to a decent lead and stellar supporting cast. Read full review
63
Washington PostThomas FloydDec 21, 2021
Co-directed by siblings and faith-based filmmakers Andrew and John Erwin, this down-the-middle crowd pleaser ultimately makes for a rousing enough portrayal of against-the-odds fortitude, pad-crunching gridiron action and good old-fashioned Midwestern decency. Read full review
60
TheWrapSimon AbramsDec 17, 2021
There may be nothing new about America Underdog, but it’s still good enough, as far as non-perishable comfort food goes. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubKatie RifeDec 17, 2021
Levi has a smirking quality to him that sometimes reads as if he can’t believe he’s starring in this crap. He is credible as a clean-cut, all-American boy, however, and he and Paquin work as an onscreen couple. In fact, some of their banter is kind of cute. The supporting cast has its charms as well. Read full review
50
IndieWireDavid EhrlichDec 17, 2021
Like so many of the faith-based biopics that have helped turn the genre into a flyover-state phenomenon, American Underdog is sustained by a vaguely fetishistic enthusiasm for its subject’s hardships. Read full review
40
The New York TimesTeo BugbeeDec 23, 2021
Warner’s story is inspirational but intricate, and this wan film struggles to balance simple storytelling with the complexities of the sport. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleSteve DavisDec 22, 2021
While Levi gives you someone to genuinely root for, once the movie reaches Warner’s debut game for the Rams in 1999, all nuance goes out the window as you’re pounded into semi-hysterical submission to cheer for a proverbial win for the gipper. Read full review
30
Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaDec 23, 2021
The film is sanitized to the point of sterility. Read full review
25
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Sarah HagiDec 30, 2021
American Underdog is a film so disjointed, so boring and so deeply uninspiring that it is difficult to root for anyone, or even think of Warner as a genuine underdog. Read full review
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