Down to Earth
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: February 16, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
32
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
9
Negative:
13
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
When Rock finds his authentic swing as an actor as well as a comedian, he'll be, like, a movie god. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Rock is such a consistent delight, and so powerfully amused at the profound pleasure of being Chris Rock, that he shares the wealth with all of us. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Rock, who seems to have studied every nuance of Beatty's Oscar-nominated comic performance -- is surprisingly appealing in what is often a straight role. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeJay Carr
A little too shipshape, too eager to please, not quite as anarchic as the best comedies.
63
Philadelphia InquirerDesmond Ryan
What Rock fans will sorely miss in Down to Earth is the earthiness and outrageous hilarity of his stand-up act.
63
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
It's Rock's first venture into leading-man territory, and the material is carefully tailored to his measurements. He's fully believable as a standup comic. How he'll fare as a character other than Chris Rock is yet to be determined. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
It's slight but likable, and diverting enough as light entertainment. Read full review
60
Village VoiceCaleb Crain
There is a lot of electricity running in these cables, and directors Chris and Paul Weitz, responsible for "American Pie," know how to tap enough of it that almost every minute of Down to Earth is entertaining. But not quite surprising. Read full review
60
SalonStephanie Zacharek
The Weitzes haven't come up with a masterpiece in Down to Earth, but they have put their stamp on a perfectly pleasant 90-minute diversion Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
This remake is shorter than its predecessors, a welcome earthly reward.
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Plays to none of Rock's strengths (even though he co-wrote the film with members of his HBO team) and intensifies his tendency to mug and shout.
50
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
This one is shot, recorded and edited without so much as a pinch of craft -- it's one of the ugliest big studio films in a long while. Read full review
50
SlateMatt Feeney
Rock (is) arguably the best comedian in America, as well as a curiously important cultural figure. It does not, however, make him an actor. In fact, it makes him something like the opposite of an actor. He does not produce lifelike gestures and emotions. Read full review
40
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Mr. Rock's attempts to disentangle himself from his persona while offering audiences a sliver of insight into his world is a lofty ambition, but Down to Earth falls short. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Proving once again that no matter how many times you remake a film it's tough to top the original. Read full review
30
Mr. ShowbizLarry Terenzi
The selling out of Chris Rock -- or Down to Earth, as he's chosen to call it -- is a sad, sad thing.
25
San Francisco ChronicleBob Graham
Beatty's "Heaven Can Wait," released in 1978, was a comic fantasy about a near-death experience. This new version is a near-life experience. Read full review
25
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
An astonishingly bad movie, and the most astonishing thing about it comes in the credits: Written by Elaine May, Warren Beatty, Chris Rock, Lance Crouther, Ali LeRoi and Louis CK. These are credits that deserve a place in the Writers Hall of Fame. Read full review
20
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Rock is undisputably gifted and charismatic, but when Down to Earth takes his edge away, the film's energy goes with it. And without energy, no comedy can survive. Read full review
20
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
If Rock ever comes to his senses, he can host Saturday Night Live and skewer this damp, gag-riddled civics lesson of a movie. Read full review
20
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
For a comedy, there are precious few real laughs. Three to be exact. Read full review
20
Film.comErnest Hardy
Pandering and tired, Down to Earth lurches from one dead gag to the other, in search of both comedic rhythm and a dramatic pulse. It finds neither. Read full review
20
VarietyTodd McCarthy
A very earthbound comic fantasy, a racially flip-flopped "Heaven Can Wait" redo stuck in a purgatory with just enough meager laughs to keep it from a more fiery fate. Read full review
20
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Not funny at all. Read full review
20
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Mr. Rock's opening scene is very funny. After that it's a steep downhill slide.
10
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
The film seems to argue that Rock's real-life manipulation of the race card is little more than exploitation, rather than the essence of his incendiary comic critique. Read full review
10
Rolling StonePeter Travers
The call on this one is: dead on arrival. Read full review
10
Dallas ObserverRobert Wilonsky
Penned by Rock and a handful of his pals, is such an utter disaster it seems to go out of its way to avoid comedy. It's the very definition of oxymoron: a crowd-pleaser that doesn't. Read full review
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