46
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeA winning film about reconciling one's self-image with reality.
- 70Village VoicePete Vonder HaarVillage VoicePete Vonder HaarIt doesn't hurt to have excellent support from the likes of Emma Roberts (as Ed's love interest Eloise) and Sarah Silverman, surprisingly winning as Ed's affection-starved mother. But it's Wolff and Rourke who have to carry the load, and for the most part they do.
- 58The PlaylistKate ErblandThe PlaylistKate ErblandMcNamara attempts to keep the movie ticking right along, and for all its half-cocked plotlines, Ashby is able to maintain a consistently humorous and light tone.
- 50Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleRourke and Wolff certainly have chemistry, and Sarah Silverman (as Ed's concerned single mom) and Emma Roberts (as Ed's potential girlfriend) provide solid support on the edges. But the humor never feels aimed in any particular direction.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyEntertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyRourke, whose face has become an inexpressive waxwork in recent years, doesn’t do much with what’s already a pretty undercooked role.
- 40The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenAshby is a movie divided against itself. It’s a comedy afraid of being too funny lest its macho sentimentality seem even more ridiculous than it is, and a drama afraid of appearing too serious lest you dismiss it as hogwash.
- 40VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyMcNamara’s second directorial feature (following 2003’s Aussie “The Rage in Placid Lake,” another teenage-misfits-make-good comedy) winds up a poorly mixed bowl of mismatched ingredients that is nonetheless tepidly, forgettably digestible.
- 38Slant MagazineClayton DillardSlant MagazineClayton DillardThe film displays little ability to utilize Ashby's violent actions for means other than high-concept fodder and out-of-place bloodshed.