52
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaLos Angeles TimesMichael OrdoñaYou don’t have to be into football to appreciate the high-stakes struggle in National Champions.
- 68TheWrapTodd GilchristTheWrapTodd GilchristIt’s a story ripped from at least a few years of headlines, and a subject about which there has been much debate. It may or may not come as a surprise, then, that a single two-hour film fails to sufficiently capture its complexities, even working from a compelling premise with a gifted cast.
- 67Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerAustin ChronicleRichard WhittakerIt’s bleak and brutal, and Waugh’s cold tone (a definite throwback to Shot Caller) leaves no one with clean hands. But as a testament to the costs of a noble sacrifice in the face of institutional inhumanity, it’s as vital as any of his earlier films.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreIt’s a sports movie that’ll make you think, and its release — cleverly-timed for the weekend when the only college tilt is the rare one with real “student athletes,” the Army/Navy game — invites fans to put down the beer, get off those Internet sports gambling sites, and think about what’s going on.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliNational Champions remains effective as an ode to cynical realism but it’s uneven at best as a slice of drama.
- 50Screen RantRachel LaBonteScreen RantRachel LaBonteAided by solid performances, National Champions has a great story, but ultimately its individual parts aren't enough to score the winning touchdown.
- 50Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperThe ruling on the field is this is an incomplete pass.
- 42The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThis movie is all talk and no action. It’s a two-hour pregame show, with no game.
- 40The New York TimesGlenn KennyThe New York TimesGlenn KennyThe movie dilutes its impact with lackluster direction of samey scenes — people in hotel rooms speechifying — and a distracting nighttime soap subplot.
- 25Slant MagazineMark HansonSlant MagazineMark HansonAs a peek into the relationship between sports, media and capitalism, National Champions feels like a beginner’s playbook.