Giving moviegoers the most accurate picture of movie reviews possible
Home
Out on DVD
Search Movies
Compare Movies
Critics
Publications
About Us
Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS Movie Reviews
Comedy about an executive who aspires to scale the corporate ladder by ensuring that he brings the dumbest guest to his boss's weekly dinner party assembled to showcase such losers. Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Lucy Punch, Bruce Greenwood Director: Jay Roach Release Date: July 30, 2010 DVD Release: January 4, 2011 From: Paramount Rating: PG-13 Length: 1 hr 54 min
Out On DVD
JANUARY 4, 2011

Dinner for Schmucks, Good (Not Great) Reviews

Updated: Sun, Jul 8 2012, 10:44am
Digg This StumbleUpon del.icio.us Twitter Share on Facebook
 | E-Mail to a Friend  | Print 
Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks played to good not great reviews. • James Berardinelli wrote for Reel Views, "...sporadically amusing but gives the impression it should be generating more laughs than it does. In the end, it goes for the 'warm, fuzzy' feeling..." • And Norman Wilner wrote in Toronto Now, "The actors put engaging spins on their dialogue... but the movie lurches and lags in between set pieces."  More Reviews Below...

Dinner for Schmucks
Positive Reviews
(49 Reviews, reviews below)
 Compare This Movie... 
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
57.3% 60.9% 56.5% 54.5% 37.9% 52.7% 50.4% 60.6% $73.0M
Averages: 51.7% 54.3% 51.9% 47.1% 45.9% 49.0% 49.7% 54.4%
* 57.3% positive reviews out of 100%

Reviews & Quotes (49)


BROAD NATIONAL PRESS (10 Reviews)

Alynda Wheat, People: MODERATE (cg)
"...laughing at Barry and his schmucky cohorts is kind of the point. It's what the audience is supposed to do. So you know what that makes us, right?" (See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
181 words, 07/29/10

Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD
"...very sit-throughable... playing both sides of its coin -- acutely observed comedy and flat-out farce, offers plenty of smart entertainment. You'd be a schmuck to miss it." (See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,090 words, 07/30/10

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: MODERATE (cg)
"...the pacing drags and the script takes Carell and Rudd through some seriously time-consuming, hit-and-miss detours en route to a predictably safe ending." (See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
665 words, 07/29/10

Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING (cg)
"...a laugh-till-your-cheeks-hurt bromance..." (See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
61 words, 07/29/10

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE (cg)
"...in a rare tonal misfire, director Jay Roach delivers a bland, summer-sloppy comedy... a subpar Carell-and-Rudd odd-couple buddy movie." (See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
682 words, 07/30/10

James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...sporadically amusing but gives the impression it should be generating more laughs than it does. In the end, it goes for the 'warm, fuzzy' feeling..." (See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
790 words, 07/27/10

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...when the silliness gets out of hand, it's Carell and Rudd who remember to anchor the laughs in reality." (See all of Peter Travers's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
358 words, 07/23/10

Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...gussied-up rodents and inane male antics come together in funny and inspired ways in this screwball farce." (See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
460 words, 07/30/10

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg)
"The genius of this version depends on the performance by Steve Carell, who plays Barry Speck as a man impervious to insult... He's truly a transcendent idiot." (See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
690 words, 07/29/10

Michael Phillips, A.O. Scott, At the Movies: MODERATE (cg)
Michael Phillips: "Skip it." A.O. Scott: "See it." (See all of Michael Phillips, A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Watch the full review...)
285 seconds, 07/31/10
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app...     or get our mobile web app...
movie     review     intelligence

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)

A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...not a great movie, or even a coherent one, but in nearly every scene it draws laughter from an impressively eclectic array of sources, both obvious and new." (See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
941 words, 07/30/10

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: VERY GOOD (cg)
"While the climactic dinner is a bit too much like a circus audition, Roach knows how to enjoy each sideshow. And it's handled with a chuckle-inducing deadpan..." (See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
456 words, 07/30/10

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: WEAK
"What do you get when you combine a swell French comedy concept, a top American comedy director and two of the best comedy actors around?... unfunny..." (See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
761 words, 07/30/10

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE (cg)
"...overlong, overproduced and decidedly misogynistic... somewhere in the middle of the pack." (See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
528 words, 07/30/10

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: WEAK (cg)
"...a stupidization of a very good French farce... trips all over itself trying make sense of the characters and storyline.... I found the heart-tugs at the climax almost grotesque." (See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
677 words, 07/30/10

Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE (cg)
"Mediocre, thanks to uninspired jokes and Carell's overly obnoxious character." (See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
286 words, 07/30/10

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD (cg)
"The genius of this version depends on the performance by Steve Carell, who plays Barry Speck as a man impervious to insult... He's truly a transcendent idiot."
(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
690 words, 07/29/10

Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE
"...funny... you are welcome to laugh at these poor jerks. That's a little messed up." (See all of Dan Kois's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
790 words, 07/28/10

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: MODERATE (cg)
"This being a literal American comedy rather than a droll French one, we actually get to see one of these schmuck-free dinners, which also fails to satisfy." (See all of Peter Howell's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
821 words, 07/30/10

Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE (cg)
"You have to enjoy the generosity of seeing so many good performers punching home their few moments of screen time, but Roach chokes us with excess." (See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
663 words, 07/30/10

Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"The actors put engaging spins on their dialogue... but the movie lurches and lags in between set pieces." (See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
558 words, 07/29/10

KEY CITIES (16 Reviews)

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...as broad as the proverbial groaning board, but Rudd and Carell bring out its most toothsome delights." (See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
441 words, 07/30/10

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...sometimes very funny, sometimes not... takes this squirmy conceit and turns it into a mismatched buddies, life-lesson comedy." (See all of Steven Rea's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
520 words, 07/30/10

Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD (cg)
"It's funny from the beginning, and it stays funny, even as it beats scenes to death and overstays its welcome." (See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
525 words, 07/30/10

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...my stars and garters -- the laughs, friends. The laughs build and build... The situations are painstakingly set up and downright painful to sit through." (See all of Roger Moore's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
630 words, 07/30/10

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK (cg)
"...has everything that money can buy. That does not include comic inspiration, daring or velocity.... Flabby, monotonous and meek..." (See all of Colin Covert's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
580 words, 07/30/10

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT (cg)
"Steve Carell elevates 'Dinner for Schmucks' far above what it would have been without him... It's outstanding work. It's also a really funny movie." (See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
658 words, 07/30/10

Christopher Kelly, Dallas Morning News: POOR (cg)
"...lurching, desperate and borderline incomprehensible - a movie whose characters act according to no known precept of recognizable human behavior." (See all of Christopher Kelly's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
622 words, 07/30/10

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"A number of bits don't work, some of the characters wear out their welcome, but the whole suckers you into an agreeable state of idiot bliss." (See all of Ty Burr's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
779 words, 07/30/10

Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: FAIR (cg)
"...offers the rich talents of Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and Zach Galifianakis.... the weak script is too much to overcome." (See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
417 words, 07/30/10

Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"Rudd and Carell, two of the most likable comic actors working today, make a charming pairing... a better script, and you just might have a comedy classic." (See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
429 words, 07/30/10

Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: MODERATE (cg)
"...a plate of cold leftovers.... does offer some small pleasures.... directed by Jay Roach, and there is simply no zest or verve in his craft whatsoever." (See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
603 words, 07/30/10

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE (cg)
"...its mean-spiritedness, stupidity and squandering of talent is uniquely Hollywood.... The premise was more palatably absurd when it was in French." (See all of Joe Williams's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
306 words, 07/30/10

Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: GOOD (cg)
"Steve Carell's character is almost too pitiful for the jokes launched against him to be funny.... It takes a really smart actor to play this dumb." (See all of Steve Persall's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
506 words, 07/29/10

Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD (cg)
"Will you ponder the meaning of 'Dinner for Schmucks' over late-night espressos? Not a chance. Will you laugh out loud at times while it's playing? Pretty good chance." (See all of Tom Long's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
561 words, 07/30/10

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE (cg)
"...weak and uninventive. Although the cast tries mightily to keep the humor spinning, the laughs are disappointingly sparse." (See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
607 words, 07/30/10

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (9 Reviews)

Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE
"...funny... you are welcome to laugh at these poor jerks. That's a little messed up." (See all of Dan Kois's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
790 words, 07/28/10

Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"...fitfully hilarious but inert and repetitious... the idiot is merely a comic device that bludgeons you with shtick until the pat, preordained resolution rolls in..." (See all of Peter Keough's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
513 words, 07/29/10

Genevieve Koski, AV Club: GOOD (cg)
"...with a couple of exceptions, none of the jokes stick after their initial impact. Instead, they dissolve into a vague notion of humor without any sharp edges." (See all of Genevieve Koski's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
402 words, 07/29/10

Peter Martin, Cinematical: VERY GOOD
"...very, very funny, smart and inventive, stupid and schmaltzy and sentimental." (See all of Peter Martin's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,019 words, 07/30/10

Ed Gonzalez, Slant: WEAK (cg)
"...underdone sitcom fodder forces a cast of exceptional and almost always adroit comedians to tough it out with irreparably bland and thoughtlessly broad material." (See all of Ed Gonzalez's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
757 words, 07/28/10

Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT) (cg)
"The actors put engaging spins on their dialogue... but the movie lurches and lags in between set pieces."
(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
558 words, 07/29/10

Edward Adams, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK (cg)
"...derails by just going too far -- never knowing when to rein in the sheer onslaught of buffoonery." (See all of Edward Adams's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
492 words, 07/30/10

MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: POOR (cg)
"...like a schmuck parade marching through your head for two hours.... the only even mildly amusing moment comes at the end, when we finally get to the damn dinner..." (See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
955 words, 07/29/10

HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)

John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR
"Pathetically unfunny most of the time..." (See all of John Anderson's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
140 words, 07/30/10

A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...not a great movie, or even a coherent one, but in nearly every scene it draws laughter from an impressively eclectic array of sources, both obvious and new."
(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
941 words, 07/30/10

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: WEAK
"What do you get when you combine a swell French comedy concept, a top American comedy director and two of the best comedy actors around?... unfunny..." (See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
761 words, 07/30/10

Tom Shone, Slate: POOR
"Jay Roach's remake manages both mean-spiritedness and timidity at the same time. That's some feat -- moviemaking for boneheads." (See all of Tom Shone's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
969 words, 07/29/10

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...minor but reasonably amusing... a bland and miscellaneous collection of gags and situations.... has more laughs than your average dumb-ass comedy..." (See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,117 words, 07/29/10

MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)

Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: GOOD
"...an uproarious odd-couple remake... Either such a goofy caricature never grows old, or he proves unbearable from the moment he first appears onscreen." (See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
1,017 words, 07/16/10

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...a broad laffer redeemed by occasional quirks.... If not for an occasional bit of good schtick, we might be inclined to shake our heads in sorrow and walk away." (See all of John DeFore's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
524 words, 07/16/10

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: WEAK
"What do you get when you combine a swell French comedy concept, a top American comedy director and two of the best comedy actors around?... unfunny..."
(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
761 words, 07/30/10

Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD (cg)
"...the film is well cast.... It feels as though portions of the dialogue have been improvised on the set, which is a good thing in this case." (See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
886 words, 07/19/10

A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)
"...not a great movie, or even a coherent one, but in nearly every scene it draws laughter from an impressively eclectic array of sources, both obvious and new."
(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
941 words, 07/30/10

John Anderson, Wall Street Journal: POOR
"Pathetically unfunny most of the time..." (See all of John Anderson's reviews...) (Read the full review...)
140 words, 07/30/10
(cg) = based on the critic's grade

Review Mixture
19.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews
(Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks's reviews are separated by an average 19.1 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.

Dinner for Schmucks
(49 reviews)
Roll over dots for each review
Broad National   Alternative/Indie   Highbrow Press   Key Cities
NY, LA, Chicago, & Toronto Movie Industry  
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Moderate
Weak
Poor
Reviews
Big
Publications
>Bigger
Publications
>Biggest
Publications
Coverage, Volume & Length
Dinner for Schmucks

Coverage: Dinner for Schmucks's reviews cover 92.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume: The film's reviews total 29,564 words in volume (average is 20,194 words). Length: The film's reviews average 603 words in length (the norm is 517 words).

Dinner for Schmucks
Coverage, Volume & Length
(49 Reviews, reviews below)
TotalBroad
National
Press
Local
News-
papers
Alter–
native/
Indie
High-
Brow
Press
Movie
Industry
NY/LA
Chicago
Toronto
Key
Cities
Total
B.O.
Coverage:
Volume:
Length:
92.3%
29,564
603
100.0%
5,262
526
98.4%
14,566
583
86.0%
5,773
641
67.8%
3,928
786
100.0%
4,269
712
90.6%
7,458
622
100.0%
8,743
546
$73.0M
Averages: 67.9%
20,194
517
65.9%
3,293
468
80.7%
10,360
518
82.0%
3,545
448
58.6%
2,460
626
85.2%
3,381
674
84.6%
5,870
497
73.2%
2,799
533
Opening Day Reviews
Reviews Broke 21.5 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Dinner for Schmucks

Dinner for Schmucks's reviews on average broke 21.5 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Dinner for Schmucks's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.

Dinner for Schmucks
(49 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
M O R E    P O S I T I V E    R E V I E W S
E
A
R
L
I
E
R
L
A
T
E
R
M O R E    N E G A T I V E    R E V I E W S
Movie Review Intelligence Mobile Web App 1.2
Updated: Sun, Jul 8 2012, 10:44am
Digg This StumbleUpon del.icio.us Twitter Share on Facebook
 | E-Mail to a Friend  | Print 


Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser.

From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...


 

get one email
Update
every Friday when
the reviews are in
GO

Opening Soon
   (Early Figures)

Friday, May 24
Fast & Furious 6 78.0% May 24
The Hangover Part III 25.0% May 23
Epic (2013) nr May 24
3 Geezers! 50.0% May 22
A Green Story 25.0% May 24
Alyce Kills 62.5% May 24
Before Midnight (2013) 97.5% May 24
Charge 75.0% May 23
Fill the Void (Lemale et ha'halal) 77.5% May 24
Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself 67.9% May 22
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks 76.7% May 24
Friday, May 31
After Earth nr May 31
Now You See Me (2013) nr May 31
American Mary 66.6% May 31
Hannah Arendt 65.6% May 29
I Do (2013) 54.5% May 31
Shadow Dancer (2013) 73.3% May 31
The East 89.1% May 31
The Kings of Summer 75.0% May 31
Friday, June 7
The Internship (2013) nr Jun 7
The Purge nr Jun 7
Évocateur: The Morton Downey Jr. Movie nr Jun 7
Dirty Wars 83.0% Jun 7
Much Ado About Nothing (2013) 95.6% Jun 7
Passion 53.5% Jun 7
Rapture-Palooza nr Jun 7
Syrup nr Jun 7
Tiger Eyes nr Jun 7
Violet & Daisy 58.0% Jun 7
Wish You Were Here (2013) 72.7% Jun 7
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (Vous n'avez encore rien vu) 71.1% Jun 7
Friday, June 14
This Is the End nr Jun 12
Man of Steel (2013) nr Jun 14
The Bling Ring 66.6% Jun 14
Vehicle 19 25.0% Jun 14
Beyond
Don Jon 55.6% Oct 18
Battle of the Year nr Sep 13
Ain't Them Bodies Saints 86.3% Aug 16
Crystal Fairy 65.0% Jul 12
Fruitvale Station 89.3% Jul 26
I'm So Excited! 54.7% Jun 28
In a World... 81.5% Aug 9
Lovelace 73.5% Aug 9
Prince Avalanche 77.9% Aug 16
The Attack (L'attentat) 62.8% Jun 21
The Hunt (Jagten) 71.3% Jul 12
The Spectacular Now 82.2% Aug 2
The Way, Way Back 87.6% Jul 5
Touchy Feely 61.5% Sep 6
V/H/S/2 68.3% Jul 12
Wadjda 90.1% Aug 30
You Will Be My Son (Tu seras mon fils) 71.3% Sep 13