The Lucky Ones
Lionsgate | Release Date: September 26, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
11
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
58
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
It's not a political film, but it's also not a bland recitation of homilies about the honor of serving one's country. It's a jokey road movie, in which three soldiers heading home from Iraq are forced into a cross-country van ride together. Read full review
55
NPRBob Mondello
There's something centrally pat and predictable about the coincidence-laden story, and by the time they get to Vegas, The Lucky Ones has been all but done in by a surfeit of serendipity. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterSura Wood
This moderately engaging, offbeat film requires a patience that audiences haven't demonstrated recently for stories concerning the fate of soldiers at home or abroad. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
More than a story about Iraq war veterans, The Lucky Ones is a movie about carefully considering one's options. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
The film itself, which has everything from erection jokes to a computer-generated tornado, comes down to a battle between the interpreters and a screenplay riddled with convenience, cliche and well-meaning contrivance. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Burger is so respectful of the trio that he never gets under their skin. Apart from the generosity of strangers who pay tribute to the soldiers with little acts of kindness, you get the same generic observations of any road movie. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
If this is meant to look fresh while still being sensitive, it doesn't and it isn't. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
As the film meanders, the powerful moments barely outnumber the ridiculous. And another excellent performance from McAdams isn't quite good enough to mask the distractions. Read full review
50
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
About the only thing I like about this movie is its shaggy, relatively apolitical stance. Instead of setting itself up as a brief for or against the Iraq war, it just moseys along without much on its mind except how to connect the dots in the plot. Read full review
40
VarietyTodd McCarthy
It's hard to find the genuine heartfelt moments in The Lucky Ones. Read full review
40
Village VoiceVadim Rizov
Its hopelessly schematic road-trip arc (bond-fight-reconcile-repeat) grows increasingly tedious. Read full review
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