Tales of the Rat Fink
Abramorama | Release Date: October 6, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
67
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
A nonstop cavalcade of Roth-style animation starring Rat Fink, vintage footage, artfully animated black-and-white film, and fanciful "interviews" with beautifully preserved cars of the era. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
In addition to a vast array of incredible autos crafted from fiberglass, Roth also created the anti-Mickey cartoon character Rat Fink, a deranged-looking, filthy rodent. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Tales of the Rat Fink is an ebullient survey of Roth's life that revs along with the zest a souped-up hot rod. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
The colorful cultural history lesson in an idiosyncratic key is entertaining and informative, if a little indulgent in its adoration of Roth and his counter-car culture. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie Punter
Mann (Comic Book Confidential) plays with archive, animation and music (hot soundtrack by the Sadies), illuminating another worthy counter-culture corner. Pure fun, fun, fun. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
Some of Roth's cars become characters, their voices furnished by Ann-Margret, Jay Leno, Brian Wilson, Matt Groening, Tom Wolfe, and others. The pace never flags, and the enthusiasm is infectious. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
These hunks of greased lightning tell how a gearhead SoCal teen got wind of the post-World War II hot-rodding craze, crossed paths with a pinstriper named von Dutch and ended up as the automotive visionary whom Tom Wolfe famously called “a genius of the only uniquely American art form.” Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMark Olsen
A breezy and lightweight primer, but to really make Roth's work and influence into more than just a nostalgia trip would require a discipline and wit seemingly beyond Mann's easygoing, feel-good survey. Read full review
60
The New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis
Depending on your age, sex and mechanical inclinations, Tales of the Rat Fink will convince you that Mr. Roth should either have been canonized or smothered at birth. Read full review
50
Film ThreatSally Foster
Full of interesting visuals and illustrations, Tales of the Rat Fink would have made a really great introduction to a film that I never got to see. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeJanice Page
To those filmgoers who wouldn't know Rat Fink from Barton Fink, this reviewer's advice is: Pass. The latest counterculture tribute by Mann, director of 1988's "Comic Book Confidential" and 1999's "Grass," is as proudly silly as it is informative, and it can't help that a critical amount of brand coolness gets lost in the translation. Read full review
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