Nicholas Nickleby
United Artists | Release Date: December 27, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews
Positive:
26
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
VarietyDavid Rooney
A delightful experience. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
As this wonderful adaptation reminds us, Dickens endures mostly because of his characters. Read full review
90
TimeRichard Schickel
Now and then McGrath's film feels a bit rushed and breathless, but mostly you sink gratefully into its handsomely staged plenitude. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The actors assembled for Nicholas Nickleby are not only well cast, but well typecast. Each one by physical appearance alone replaces a page or more of Dickens' descriptions, allowing McGrath to move smoothly and swiftly through the story without laborious introductions. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeTy Burr
A rambunctious joy. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
At a little over two hours, this is a pared-down but no less essential Dickensian feast. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJessica Winter
The entire unwieldy contraption rests on the shoulders of erstwhile "Queer as Folk" jailbait Hunnam: Bleached and bland, earnest and wooden, he's exactly what the film asks him to be. Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
Showcases some of the world’s finest and funniest actors having a high old time. It’s best enjoyed as a kind of traveling music-hall revue. Read full review
80
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
If you're after some family-friendly classic lit at the multiplex, here 'tis. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Although Nicholas Nickleby occasionally evidences a simplicity that resembles a Junior Scholastic production, the movie's enthusiasm is contagious. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
This mid-19th century tale of survival after the death of a parent is still compelling today, and its message of strength and the importance of family continues to resonate. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
You probably have a better chance of stuffing an octopus into a tea cup than capturing one of Dickens's fat novels in a two-hour movie. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Anyone who goes in this movie expecting a rollicking comedy is in for a shock. Its scant humor is dry as the Sahara and, like all Dickens stories, its upbeat ending is never quite convincing enough to offset the horrors of the journey toward it. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
As a means to bring a classic novel to the attention of a modern audience, McGrath's Nicholas Nickleby is a success. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
It's a generous tale, told through big performances by a talented cast, presenting a range of colorful characters that only Dickens could have created. Read full review
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
A triumph of intelligent adaptation. It shows again how well the great Victorian storyteller translates to film, and makes enjoyable use of a generally first-rate cast. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
McGrath's version of Nicholas Nickleby cashes in on age-old show biz wisdom of "always leave 'em wanting more." It's a pity we're only allowed such a small nibble of one of Dickens' richest works. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Christopher Plummer steals the show without resorting to camp as Nicholas' wounded and wounding Uncle Ralph. It's a great performance and a reminder of Dickens' grandeur. This Cliff's Notes of a film, though lively fun, only hints at that. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
An enjoyable sojourn into the world of Dickens and could inspire a trend. Shakespeare and Austen have had their Hollywood moments during the past few years; why not the proto-Hollywood Dickens? Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
McGrath has managed to turn Dickens into a cozy date movie. When was the last time anybody could make that claim? Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
It's an uneven film, but Dickens admirers shouldn't miss it. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
McGrath, who adapted the novel, manages to catch the flavor of it without its tang. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
The director has produced a colorful, affecting collage of Dickensian moods and motifs, a movie that elicits an overwhelming desire to plunge into 900 pages of 19th-century prose. Read full review
63
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Plummer's performance is a miracle: In a movie as flat as a tablecloth, he suggests dimensions as wide, deep and curved as Cinerama. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Many shallower movies these days seem too long, but this one is egregiously short. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Given the tragic events that actually happen, "Nickleby" ends not knowing what it was supposed to be. But those first two acts are nearly worth the price of admission. Read full review
60
SalonStephanie Zacharek
To paraphrase a line from another Dickens' novel, Nicholas Nickleby is too much like a fragment of an underdone potato. The chef tended it very, very carefully, and still, it didn't turn out quite right. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
On the whole, it all goes down rather smoothly. Those left wanting more are referred to the RSC's monumental production, now available on DVD, or better yet, to Dickens's original novel. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
In his capable, yet only mildly exciting, adaptation of Charles Dickens’ third novel, Douglas McGrath (Emma) keeps reminding us that what we’re seeing is theater. This feels gratuitous. Read full review
60
Film ThreatPhil Hall
McGrath's new film offers a treat for fans of Dickens and moviegoers who love to see a fairly large cast ham it up with delirious abandon. Read full review
50
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Whether the entire production comes off as classy or cloying depends entirely on the viewer's mood. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
Watchable, certainly. It should have been so much more. Read full review
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