Boy
Paladin (II) | Release Date: March 2, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
The New York TimesDavid DeWittMar 1, 2012
This unpretentious comic tale of a youngster's growing relationship with a long-absent father has a surprising rhythmic genius: joy juxtaposed with humiliation, silliness with sadness, fantasy with reality, and none of it formulaic. The editing feels fresh, as does the film. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertApr 25, 2012
A film like this would have little chance without the right casting, and James Rolleston is so right as Boy, it's difficult to imagine anyone else. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubNathan RabinFeb 29, 2012
In its third act, this funny, bittersweet, tonally assured coming-of-age story grows unexpectedly poignant as Rolleston comes to realize he doesn't need a super-cool buddy or co-conspirator in his misadventures. He needs a father, and Waititi's stunted man-child is fatally unsuited and unqualified for that role. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzApr 5, 2012
A delightful discovery, a charming little film about fathers, sons, New Zealand and Michael Jackson. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMar 15, 2012
Mr. Waititi, a popular standup comic in New Zealand, is wonderfully droll and entertaining in this acting role, which isn't all that far, geography and culture notwithstanding, from Steve Zahn at his stoner best. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenApr 4, 2012
Like his previous feature, "Eagle vs Shark," Taika Waititi's Boy tells a mere wisp of a story, yet both films are filled with compelling characters, situational color, knowing observations about youthful behavior, and quirky bits of oddball and fantastical humor. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanApr 5, 2012
A funny and touching coming-of-age story. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaApr 5, 2012
Boy begins with an epigram from E.T.: "You could be happy here . . . . We could grow up together." That's what the film is about - finding happiness, growing up, feeling like a stranger in a strange world. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianM. E. RussellApr 5, 2012
Waititi is still telling stories of offbeat, semi-delusional New Zealanders, and he's still sprinkling his work with cartoonish flights of fancy -- but this time he grounds the comedy in a big-hearted, bittersweet story about a boy desperate to connect with his father. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrMar 29, 2012
Hyper-stylized, funny, a crowd-pleaser. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerMar 9, 2012
It's a lovely oddity, and one that will probably hit home for preteen audiences all over the world. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle SmithMar 2, 2012
This charming kid's-eye movie, full of comical and vivid detail about the lives of these cheerful children, has the loose, lanky feel of a memoir and of French New Wave films. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. JonesApr 26, 2012
Waititi's comic vocabulary hasn't changed much-there's a lot of voice-over narration illustrated with ludicrous, cartoonish tableaux - yet the kids' genuine longing for their no-good dad elevates this above simple deadpan humor. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanMar 1, 2012
Waititi retains his quirky style, but it feels meaningful here, a valid effort to explore the difficulties in coming of age during tough times. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoMar 16, 2012
The New Zealand feature Boy almost pulls off the trick of merging cartoonish humor and '80s pop culture with a story glancing at deeper family issues. The film has an appealing 11-year-old hero, but in the end feels half baked. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinMar 8, 2012
Writer-director and co-star Taika Waititi ("Eagle vs Shark") never builds much momentum for his largely uneventful if sometimes inventive story. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineAndrew SchenkerFeb 29, 2012
Less concerned with rendering the specifics of its setting (a small Maori town on the New Zealand coast) than in calling on bouts of whimsy and superficial cultural signifiers to approximate the headspace of its central characters. Read full review
40
Village VoiceMelissa AndersonFeb 28, 2012
The abundant charm of first-time actor James Rolleston, playing the 11-year-old of the title in Boy, doesn't quite save the aimless, nostalgia-woozy second feature from Taika Waititi (2007's Eagle vs. Shark). Read full review
40
Time OutEric HynesFeb 28, 2012
Boy needn't be pop-culturally fluent to be relatable; believable human characterizations would have sufficed. Read full review
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