Mr. Woodcock
New Line Cinema | Release Date: September 14, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
41
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
16
Negative:
7
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
To laugh at parts of this film would indicate one has a streak of Woodcockism in oneself. But to gaze in stupefied fascination is perfectly understandable. That's what makes Thornton such a complex actor. Read full review
63
New York PostKyle Smith
The insult comedy is sometimes brilliant. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJoshua Katzman
There aren't that many laugh-out-loud jokes in this comedy, yet Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of ass-kicking gym coach Mr. Woodcock is almost worth the price of admission. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyMarc Bernardin
Uninspired, sure, but sporadically, spasmodically funny. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterStephen Farber
As Mr. Woodcock demonstrates, a great premise can generate a lot of goodwill and almost overcome an uneven script. So too can expert performances. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneJessica Reaves
Let's say you find yourself at the multiplex, and the first 20 minutes of Mr. Woodcock happen to correspond with the 20 minutes you need to waste before your movie of choice begins. Those are the ideal 20 minutes to spend with this marginally promising--but ultimately unfunny--comedy. Read full review
50
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Mild pleasures are available in Mr. Woodcock. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Certainly, it's mediocre, but no more so than half the comedies that are wildly promoted by their studios these days. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesJohn Anderson
A movie that commits sins of excess, except regarding Thornton. There's not nearly enough of him. Read full review
50
The New York TimesMatt Zoller Seitz
It’s “The Great Santini” remade as a sitcom. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
You can guess how it all ends, but getting there is a repetitious parade of put-downs and smackdowns that suggest you can't go home again - not when your mom's sleeping with a monster from your past. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleSteve Winn
Mr. Woodcock may be a nasty tyrant, but he also knows his domain is small. "For Christ's sake," he tells Farley at one point, "it was just a PE class, you fruitcake." Read full review
50
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Borders on poppycock. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
There are two solid sight gags and funny supporting work by Amy Poehler as a boozy publicist. Read full review
40
Village VoiceRobert Wilonsky
Amy Poehler ekes out a smirk or two as a boozy broad publicist trying to keep her paycheck in check, but even the best gags feel like leftovers, again. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleJosh Rosenblatt
Unfortunately, Mr. Woodcock is funny for exactly five minutes, during which time Woodcock is shown throwing basketballs at boys’ heads and mocking them for having dead parents. Read full review
40
VarietyJustin Chang
There's more genuine humor to be gleaned from saying "Woodcock" over and over again than from watching Mr. Woodcock, a wan comic effort barely elevated a few notches by Billy Bob Thornton's passive-aggressive villainy. Read full review
40
Film ThreatMichael Ferraro
All Mr. Woodcock gives us is mediocre comedy at its finest. Read full review
38
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
It goes without saying that the humor is vulgar and juvenile. Read full review
38
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Stephen Cole
Who wants to watch any film where Sarandon, the sexiest 60-year-old woman alive, is first prize in a corn-eating contest? Read full review
38
Boston GlobeJanice Page
The film logs almost all of its laughs when it's at its crudest, meanest, and most unfiltered. Everything else - and that is to say most of the movie - is a big, fat, derivative waste of time. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Thornton is one of America's finest actors, but after this, "Bad News Bears," and "School For Scoundrels," his run of loveably irascible authority-figure roles should probably come to a close. He's kicked around one child too many. Read full review
25
USA TodayClaudia Puig
This may be the most laugh-free comedy of the year. Read full review
25
Miami HeraldRene Rodriguez
Sarandon blends into the background, having practically nothing to do except stand around and wring her hands as the two men in her life battle it out in a passive-aggressive war. It's enough to make her want to run off with Thelma. Read full review
25
PremiereAaron Hillis
This one's been sitting on shelves for two years -- never good news -- and you can almost see the dollar signs in the cast's eyes. Read full review
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