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Mr. Woodcock

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy
Written by:
Josh Gilbert
Michael Carnes
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 14, 2007
DVD: January 15, 2008
Running Time: 87 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for crude and sexual content, thematic material, language and a mild drug reference
Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Amy Poehler, and Ethan Suplee
John Farley is a self-help author who returns to his hometown only to discover that his mother has fallen in love with his old high school nemesis, Mr. Woodcock. The gruff, no-nonsense gym teacher put John through years of mental and physical humiliation. Determined to prevent history from repeating itself, John sets out to stop his mother from marrying the man who made life miserable for him and his classmates. (New Line Cinema)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: Lars and the Real Girl
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
To laugh at parts of this film would indicate one has a streak of Woodcockism in oneself. But to gaze in stupefied fascination is perfectly understandable. That's what makes Thornton such a complex actor.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman
There aren't that many laugh-out-loud jokes in this comedy, yet Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of ass-kicking gym coach Mr. Woodcock is almost worth the price of admission.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Marc Bernardin
Uninspired, sure, but sporadically, spasmodically funny.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber
As Mr. Woodcock demonstrates, a great premise can generate a lot of goodwill and almost overcome an uneven script. So too can expert performances.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves
Let's say you find yourself at the multiplex, and the first 20 minutes of Mr. Woodcock happen to correspond with the 20 minutes you need to waste before your movie of choice begins. Those are the ideal 20 minutes to spend with this marginally promising--but ultimately unfunny--comedy.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
Certainly, it's mediocre, but no more so than half the comedies that are wildly promoted by their studios these days.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times John Anderson
A movie that commits sins of excess, except regarding Thornton. There's not nearly enough of him.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz
It’s “The Great Santini” remade as a sitcom.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
You can guess how it all ends, but getting there is a repetitious parade of put-downs and smackdowns that suggest you can't go home again - not when your mom's sleeping with a monster from your past.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Steve Winn
Mr. Woodcock may be a nasty tyrant, but he also knows his domain is small. "For Christ's sake," he tells Farley at one point, "it was just a PE class, you fruitcake."
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
There are two solid sight gags and funny supporting work by Amy Poehler as a boozy publicist.
Read Full Review >Film Threat Michael Ferraro
All Mr. Woodcock gives us is mediocre comedy at its finest.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Robert Wilonsky
Amy Poehler ekes out a smirk or two as a boozy broad publicist trying to keep her paycheck in check, but even the best gags feel like leftovers, again.
Read Full Review >Variety Justin Chang
There's more genuine humor to be gleaned from saying "Woodcock" over and over again than from watching Mr. Woodcock, a wan comic effort barely elevated a few notches by Billy Bob Thornton's passive-aggressive villainy.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Josh Rosenblatt
Unfortunately, Mr. Woodcock is funny for exactly five minutes, during which time Woodcock is shown throwing basketballs at boys’ heads and mocking them for having dead parents.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Janice Page
The film logs almost all of its laughs when it's at its crudest, meanest, and most unfiltered. Everything else - and that is to say most of the movie - is a big, fat, derivative waste of time.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
It goes without saying that the humor is vulgar and juvenile.
Read Full Review >The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Stephen Cole
Who wants to watch any film where Sarandon, the sexiest 60-year-old woman alive, is first prize in a corn-eating contest?
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Thornton is one of America's finest actors, but after this, "Bad News Bears," and "School For Scoundrels," his run of loveably irascible authority-figure roles should probably come to a close. He's kicked around one child too many.
Read Full Review >Premiere Aaron Hillis
This one's been sitting on shelves for two years -- never good news -- and you can almost see the dollar signs in the cast's eyes.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Sarandon blends into the background, having practically nothing to do except stand around and wring her hands as the two men in her life battle it out in a passive-aggressive war. It's enough to make her want to run off with Thelma.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 5.9 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Dan K. gave it a6:
No classic but Mr.Woodcock provides enough decent laughs to make for a fun Friday night picture
Val H. gave it a7:
Surprising movie with heart. Kinda reminds me of the high school days..Lots of food for thought tidbits sprinkled all over the movie, with some slapstick and insult comedy that can be hilarious at time, plus a moral story to boot in the end. i had some reservations before seeing this movie due to the kinda raunchy title and poster.. but I was surprised to find that this movie does have "balls", no pun intended.
Mike G. gave it an8:
Great movie. it appears to me that comedy movies almost never get a good score here at metacritic. people take themselves too seriously.plot/situation creates jokes through the entire movie. absolutely is better than average.
Gerrick C. gave it a5:
Takes some steam to get "funny", and when it finally does get "funny" the "funny" really isn't that "funny."
Danyelle S. gave it a2:
It just doesn't get off the ground.
Uncle Doug Bigelow gave it a0:
This movie was horrible. Need I say more?
Michelle C. gave it a10:
Very funny. Stifler returns!!!!
