History of the World, Part II
HULU | Release Date: March 6, 2023
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews
Positive:
14
Mixed:
6
Negative:
2

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
ConsequencePaolo RagusaFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Overall, History of the World, Part II succeeds mostly in the outstanding comedic performances from its cast. Read full review
91
ColliderArezou AminFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: What it winds up becoming, then, is not only a worthy sequel to one of Brooks' best and most quotable works but a loving homage to his entire oeuvre. So did History of the World: Part II meet my expectations? In a word, yes. Read full review
80
IGNSamantha NelsonJun 1, 2023
Season 1 Review: An all-star cast joins Mel Brooks for History of the World, Part II, a Hulu series sequel to his 1981 film that mashes up comedic styles and world events to hilarious effect – even if some jokes go on a bit too long. Read full review
80
The New York TimesJames PoniewozikMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: In an era of dutiful brand extensions and pointless revivals, it turns out to be history that’s surprisingly worth repeating. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonMar 2, 2023
Season 1 Review: As prepared as a viewer might be to laugh out loud, he or she will still laugh out loud. Read full review
80
Rolling StoneAlan SepinwallFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: History of the World, Part II is, in other words, more or less what you might have expected from a long, long, long-delayed sequel to the movie. I rolled my eyes when some sketches kept coming back again and again, but I also laughed more than enough to feel glad I watched it all. Read full review
80
TimeJudy BermanFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: For an unnecessary sequel realized in the age of infinite derivative content, History of the World, Part II is pretty damn funny. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comNick AllenMar 1, 2023
Season 1 Review: "History of the World, Part II" flourishes from the work of its on-screen MVPs. Read full review
70
DeciderJoel KellerMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: If you’re expecting full-on Brooks in History Of The World, Part II, you’ll likely be disappointed, but there’s enough of his comedy DNA in each episode to keep fans watching. Plus, most of the sketches have at least one big laugh, and that’s always a good thing. Read full review
70
VarietyAmber DowlingMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: If one or two gags land in a vignette, odds are audiences will keep watching to see what happens next. If not, the next sketch comes in hot, pulling viewers in a different direction. Add those sketches up and this isn’t a hilarious or groundbreaking show, but there are hidden gems that make it funny enough. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDaniel FienbergFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: History of the World, Part II is uneven, but there’s enough that works here that I’d happily watch Part III — perhaps even sooner than 42 years from now. Read full review
70
Paste MagazineTerry TerronesFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: History of the World Part II certainly works as a loving homage to a comedy icon, with Brooks’ influence easy to see wherever you look. However, much like the 42-year-old film it’s based on, at times the show’s humor feels like it was written in 1981. Read full review
68
Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewRob OwenMar 3, 2023
Season 1 Review: “History of the World, Part II” would be more worthwhile if it was shorter in duration. It has one movie’s worth of strong material stretched out over eight streaming episodes. Maybe consider watching episodes one through four and then skip to eight. Read full review
63
NewsdayVerne GayMar 3, 2023
Season 1 Review: Some very funny stuff, ultimately overwhelmed by the very indulgent stuff. Read full review
60
CNNBrian LowryMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: The show squeaks by, barely, though this is one of those exercises where a little fast-forwarding through “History” couldn’t hurt. Read full review
58
IndieWireSteve GreeneMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: For a long-awaited sequel with this much leeway to rewrite history, there should be more reasons to celebrate. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneNina MetzMar 6, 2023
Season 1 Review: Not all of it works. In fact, a lot of it doesn’t. Maybe the misses are inevitable when the goal is an explosion of concepts and barrage of jokes; some won’t land. But the ones that do stick with you. Read full review
50
The PlaylistBrian TallericoMar 1, 2023
Season 1 Review: It really feels like it needed one more voice in the writers’ room to iron out some of the bits that feel comedically rushed, like someone just accepted the first idea thrown up on a whiteboard and moved on. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 28, 2023
Season 1 Review: Running through much of the series, I’d say there a laugh or chuckle or three per episode, and every so often a genuine spit-take. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubDavid CoteMar 2, 2023
Season 1 Review: Retrograde and lazy comedy punches down; virtuous, often smug comedy punches up; the truest sort (even History Of the World, Part I) punches in both directions to dismantle all pieties. Sadly, this limp coda to the Brooks oeuvre only lands a half-hearted knuckle sandwich on its own crotch. Read full review
10
The Daily BeastNick SchagerMar 7, 2023
Season 1 Review: The results are so dismal, they make one pine for the end of civilization. ... Taika Waititi, Seth Rogen, and a handful of additional notable stars pop up to no avail, thanks to writing that seems to have been completed mere seconds before the cameras rolled. Read full review
0
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMar 3, 2023
Season 1 Review: We finally get that sequel — and boy, it reeks. Read full review
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