55
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 82TheWrapTodd GilchristTheWrapTodd GilchristEven if the casting choices in portraying some of iconic talents in Kenney’s orbit are occasionally questionable — a detail the film gleefully acknowledges — there’s something delightful about watching actors known for comedy now try to capture the sound or energy of the performers who inspired them.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperThis is quite possibly the most self-referential, inside-jokey, look-at-how-clever-we-are, off-the-charts Meta Movie I’ve ever seen. Sometimes that’s pretty great. At other times, it detracts from the core story at hand.
- 75ConsequenceMichael RoffmanConsequenceMichael RoffmanAlthough the film lacks his absurdism, there’s a musicality to Wain’s direction that’s addicting, and the emotional punch in the final five minutes proves there’s a future for the filmmaker that goes way beyond the yucks.
- 70New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinIt’s not particularly illuminating, but it’s far from futile.
- 70IGNAlex WelchIGNAlex WelchEven though the use of one particular plot device ends up feeling unnecessary and Will Forte can often appear miscast in the lead role, A Futile and Stupid Gesture still conjures up enough real emotions and inventive moments to feel like a worthwhile addition to Hollywood’s often tired biopic subgenre.
- 58The A.V. ClubCharles BramescoThe A.V. ClubCharles BramescoWhile pretty consistently amusing, the film still suffers from a chronic case of Wikipediitis, recreating Kenney’s bullet-point moments as substitution for original wit or drama.
- 50IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichMaybe this is exactly the biopic that Kenney would want, silly and bittersweet and laced with regret. Unfortunately, the film is just good enough to convince us that he deserved better.
- 50Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleLos Angeles TimesRobert AbeleWry, head-shaking smiles at bad behavior are many — open laughter is lacking. Wain maintains a frenetic, near-vaudevillian pace, but this is a tribute flick that rejoices in anarchy and tastelessness without being exhilaratingly either thing itself.
- 50ScreenCrushMatt SingerScreenCrushMatt SingerThere are some highlights — mostly the lead performances.
- 30VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanWain made a terrible mistake when he decided to turn Kenney’s story into a goof, a sketch, a riff of threadbare mockery, instead of treating it as a relatively straight movie with laughs. If he had done that, it might have been hilarious, though in an acidly downbeat and far-reaching way.