I Dreamed of Africa
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: May 5, 2000 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
33
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
12
Negative:
15
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
20
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
I Dreamed Of Africa...and all I got was this lousy movie. Read full review
25
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
Here's hoping your own dreams of Africa are more interesting -- and better acted -- than this movie.
50
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Like the star's acting, the movie is bland, full of good intentions and generally as stiff as a fireplace poker. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Ultimately the movie is alluring and respectful--its sadness may be what saves it from becoming sensationalist or trite. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
There is a lack of drama and telling detail. When events happen, they seem more like set pieces than part of the flow. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMarc Caro
Doesn't have much plot. It just sort of meanders around like a wildebeest playing Blind Man's Bluff.
25
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The story is inspirational in a superficial way, but the filmmakers focus so exclusively on their attractive heroine that the picture loses any real connection with Africa. Read full review
20
Dallas ObserverJean Oppenheimer
A wobbly Basinger and a feeble screenplay doom I Dreamed of Africa. Read full review
33
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
A recitation of woes doesn't constitute a plot, and panoramic shots of migrating wildlife don't convey enough African flavor. Read full review
30
Film.comRobert Horton
There is no obvious reason for the film's meandering existence: it's a series of beautifully photographed postcards of Africa. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn Dumpert
There's little room for Kuki to evolve into anything approaching an actual character, and it would take an actress far greater than Basinger, who gives it her all, to make something of the role. Read full review
20
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
This is a Laura Ashley on Safari meditation on bored rich people searching for fulfillment and a new life among the photogenic wildlife of Kenya. Just wake me when it's over. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldPhoebe Flowers
A wisp of a movie that dissipates the moment you leave the theater.
39
Mr. ShowbizKevin Maynard
Why waste the price of a movie ticket when you can see wildebeests cavorting for free from the comfort of your own recliner?
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Despite the movie's dramatic weaknesses, I was spellbound by the images. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
Ends up a nightmare of a star vehicle.
63
Philadelphia InquirerDesmond Ryan
Consist of little more than people arguing or clambering in and out of dusty Land Rovers.
50
Portland OregonianDiana Abu-Jaber
Basinger herself doesn't have the vibrancy of a female hero.
30
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Plods along in the Oscar-winning, yawn-inducing tradition of "Out of Africa," making me yearn for something less "National Geographic."
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
Surprisingly dull and predictable in its characterizations. Read full review
50
San Francisco ExaminerWesley Morris
Frill-less almost to the point of minimalist, teary without being lachrymose, hers is a performance you'd think was great were the movie in a language you didn't understand. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Far from a great movie, it nonetheless does its job as a family adventure and saga of a woman's personal growth. Read full review
30
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Advance word of mouth has suggested that Ms. Basinger...turns in a performance comparable to Meryl Streep's in "Out of Africa." Would that it were so. Ms. Basinger certainly works hard at her role. Read full review
60
TimeRichard Schickel
This film, based on a true story, transcends its handsomeness to present a subtle portrait of a woman's growing consciousness. Read full review
30
TNT RoughCutSusannah Breslin
A fabulous movie if you are a woman over 40 who likes to use the word "empowered" a lot.
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Though beautifully acted by Basinger (everyone else is relegated to a supporting role), there's a strange vagueness to much of this sumptuous, stunningly photographed melodrama. Read full review
50
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
While Basinger admirably invests her role with deep passion and looks splendid in her Kenya khakis, the true story she stars in is disappointingly tame and dramatically inert.
20
VarietyEmanuel Levy
Visually gratifying but dramatically weak, the film falls short of its aspiration to be a sweeping romantic epic. Read full review
20
Village VoiceDennis Lim
Hudson keeps the movie rambling and episodic, deferring to the imposing backdrop whenever possible. Read full review
30
Washington PostStephen Hunter
The story the film tells ruins the movie. Read full review
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