Bamboozled
New Line Cinema | Release Date: October 6, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
56
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews
Positive:
17
Mixed:
16
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
New York PostLou Lumenick
Lee's incendiary and brilliant new film.
90
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Spike Lee's explosive, near-masterpiece media satire balances between brilliance and incoherence. Read full review
90
Village VoiceAmy Taubin
Primary story line is clumsy and badly acted. But he (Lee) reminds you that movies have power, that they matter, and for a few brilliant moments, Bamboozled matters more than any other American movie this year. Read full review
90
The New YorkerRichard Brody
With a wide range of incisive, sardonic, hyperbolic humor and drama, Lee sketches the circular connections between racist images, racist policies, and the lack of leadership to resist them. Read full review
90
Film ThreatRon Wells
The director’s new masterpiece is a summation of nearly everything he has learned as a filmmaker, and about black culture, but he doesn’t feel the need to beat the audience over the head for each lesson he’s trying to impart. Read full review
88
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Nothing seriously detracts from the film's overall brilliance.
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Starts out hilarious and then turns very, very grim.
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Too much is tossed into the ring and the last hour becomes a frantic swell of emotions and ideas, not all of which are exactly on point. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
It's a unique blend of history and hysteria, and there's no escaping the dead-serious ideas that run beneath its flamboyant surface. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleEdward Guthmann
Guaranteed to inspire, antagonize and divide his (Lee's) audience. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
It's a film about dumbing down that has the effect of wising up its audience.
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
What the movie lacks in clarity, it makes up for in honesty, toughness, relentlessness and passion. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
It's the angriest film an unfailingly angry filmmaker has yet made, skewering almost everyone in it, both black and white. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Spike Lee has grabbed a tiger by the tail in his scabrously risky new comedy, Bamboozled. The wonder is how long he succeeds in hanging on. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Ends with a fizzle, not a bang.
63
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
Collapses under its own contempt.
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
At his best, Spike Lee is too brave to be subtle. Read full review
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