Idlewild
Universal Pictures | Release Date: August 25, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 31 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
13
Negative:
4
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Idlewild is a romp, a ticket to rowdy good times. Read full review
90
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Idlewild has just about everything a popular entertainment can offer. It also has a soul, and that comes free with the price of a ticket. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneSid Smith
Aiding Barber is the terrific work of choreographer Hinton Battle, delivering a ferocious, contemporary update of swing and bridging the gap between quick-take MTV flash and the longer needs of cinematic dancing--a hybrid that works better here than in the frenetic, overrated "Chicago." Read full review
75
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The result is a passionate, enthralling film that isn't afraid to take chances - even if it sometimes should be. Read full review
70
VarietyJohn Anderson
Achieves magic--something sorely missing from so many movies these days--and does so via a philosophy of respect, but not reverence, for what's come before it; it never recycles, it just reimagines. Read full review
70
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Idlewild has a sober, loving respect for history and the old South, and thereby grants itself a measure of distinction. Read full review
70
Washington PostTeresa Wiltz
For all its shortcomings, Idlewild also has something that few films can pull off: Moments of such pure cinematic fabulousness, breathtaking dance sequences and idiosyncratic 3-D animation flourishes that we are more than willing to forgive it for all its sins. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Director Bryan Barber (known for his music videos) and his cast display so much gusto that it's hard to keep up your resistance--I wound up finding this more enjoyable than the Oscar-bestrewn "Chicago." Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Despite the best efforts of Barber the director, he never quite overcomes the shortcomings of Barber the writer. Read full review
63
USA TodayClaudia Puig
The music by Outkast is great, and the rowdy, randy en masse dance sequences are riveting. The story, however, is rather thin and lacks focus. Read full review
63
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Barber's screenplay is mired in cliches that got old in 1935. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
A mess, but an energetic, convivial mess. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Idle it is not. Wild it is most assuredly. Set in Prohibition-era Georgia, Idlewild boasts yesterday's style, today's music, and the Harlem Renaissance's romanticism. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
Artistic originality is not so common a commodity that you can afford to get too fussy about the details. Read full review
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