Man Up
Saban Films | Release Date: November 13, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
69
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
15
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
The PlaylistKate ErblandApr 23, 2015
The film is rife with contrivances and clichés, but it engages with them in a respectful and clever manner, enough to sell even the silliest ideas. Man Up knows what it is, and the result is unexpectedly refreshing and exceedingly charming. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternNov 12, 2015
From start to almost finish, Man Up, directed by Ben Palmer from a terrific script by Tess Morris, sustains a remarkably high level of verbal invention. Mr. Pegg, a superb comic actor in his own right, serves as an endearingly frantic foil to Ms. Bell, whose lips, larynx, facial features and thought processes all move at Mach 2 speed. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenNov 12, 2015
Frequently laugh-out-loud funny and tangibly tender where it ought to be, the immensely satisfying screwball romp feels freshly contemporary even as it largely conforms to genre conventions. Read full review
80
Total FilmJamie GrahamMay 26, 2015
Not up there with key US influences "Annie Hall," "When Harry Met Sally" and "Jerry Maguire," but a romcom Brits can be proud of. Make a date of it. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartNov 13, 2015
This featherweight comedy from director Ben Palmer (“The Inbetweeners Movie”) is a lot more fun than many heftier, supposed rom-coms, thanks to the timing and chemistry of its leads. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireNov 13, 2015
Bell and co-star Simon Pegg are such enjoyably unlikely rom-com leads, and they have such crackling chemistry from the word go, they more than make up for some of the film’s more predictable plot elements. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzNov 25, 2015
With Lake Bell and Simon Pegg as the would-be couple involved, the emphasis is squarely on comedy. There’s some romance in there, too, but it’s nicely twisted, just enough to keep things fresh and funny. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNov 23, 2015
Even a second-rate farce like Man Up can be a jolly pick-me-up. Its momentum alone made me very happy. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNeil GenzlingerNov 12, 2015
Man Up, a destined-for-romance story in the spirit of “You’ve Got Mail” and “Sleepless in Seattle,” has just enough edge to distinguish it from a Lifetime movie. It also has Lake Bell and Simon Pegg, versatile and likable actors who help the mild story considerably. Read full review
70
Village VoiceDan GvozdenNov 12, 2015
Pegg's comic chops elevate even the most juvenile of jokes, but it's Bell's daring and impolite performance that steals the show. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeApr 21, 2015
Both actors stay sharp through some pretty degrading moments, and if Palmer and screenwriter Tess Morris are bent on serious button-pushing in the closing scenes, at least they garnish it with playfulness and wit. Read full review
70
VarietyGuy LodgeApr 21, 2015
The upshot of this loopy masquerade is more predictable than it is progressive, but considerably pleasurable thanks to Morris’s generous supply of pithy one-liners and the resourceful, ribald skills of Bell, as engaging and elastic a comic everywoman here as she was in her impressive directorial debut “In a World … ” Read full review
70
Screen DailyGraham FullerApr 21, 2015
In focusing on Bell’s flamboyant performance and moving the action along at a frenetic pace, [Palmer] did what was required here in making a rowdy, infectious entertainment. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloNov 12, 2015
Rather than aim for uproarious, it constantly settles for amusing. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreNov 10, 2015
The wistful and poignant stuff doesn’t play as well as the surprising setbacks to romance, many of them delivered by the weirdly randy Sean at the most opportune times. Read full review
60
EmpireAli PlumbMay 26, 2015
If it could decide whether it was a cute romcom or a dirty one, Man Up would be a real gem, but as charming as it is, it falls between two stools and never manages to, ahem, Man Up. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonCath ClarkeMay 26, 2015
Bell is so goofy and likeable I found myself willing the film to keep up with her. But the funny bits are never quite funny enough, and the script loses feminist points bigtime for its sour bitch ex-wife character. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaNov 9, 2015
Lake Bell and Simon Pegg's star wattage isn't enough to distract from the sense that their characters are almost exclusively defined by their single-ness. Read full review
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