The Meaning of Life
Universal Pictures | Release Date: March 31, 1983 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
The Meaning Of Life is unsparing and elaborate in its vision of humanity at its foulest. Read full review
63
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
A movie that seems consumed with a desire to push us too far. This movie is so far beyond good taste, and so cheerfully beyond, that we almost feel we're being One-Upped if we allow ourselves to be offended. Read full review
60
EmpireIan Nathan
Excessive and self-indulgent it's true but still the Pythons at their worst are still worth a look. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklyGlenn Kenny
Life is Python at its most relentlessly tasteless and uncompromisingly Swiftian. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterRobert Osborne
Unbelievably crass. And extremely funny. Read full review
60
The New York TimesVincent Canby
Monty Python's the Meaning of Life is funny but, being unreasonable, I wish it were funny from start to finish. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyKeith Staskiewicz
It’s tough to find the meaning in much of the craziness on display here, let alone the meaning of all human existence as the title promises, but you will find a whole lot of exquisite nonsense. Read full review
70
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Gross, silly, caustic, tasteless and obnoxious are all adjectives that alternately apply to Monty Python's The Meaning of Life though probably the most appropriate description would simply be funny. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldBill Cosford
You will not necessarily know any more about life after the film is done, but you'll have killed a couple of hours painlessly, and you will have laughed a lot. [18 Apr 1984, p.C6]
80
NewsweekKatrine Ames
The best movie to date from England's satirical sextet. [04 Apr 1983, p.74]
60
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Many of the sketches show the Pythons' deranged, offbeat humor at its best, but the film begins to pale long before the end and relies on some revolting bits such as a "live" organ transplant and the spectacular (and graphic) explosion of an obese glutton. Read full review
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