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City of Men
Metascore
63 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
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  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    88
    In many ways, City of Men is like a Portuguese-language version of David Simon's "The Wire."
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    75
    Director Morelli and editor Daniel Rezende know how to set up complex lines of action and keep the screws tight.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Ruthe Stein
    75
    A compelling and visually arresting drama.
  4. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    75
    It's lighter, funnier and violent, and it's not entirely without hope, making this tale of survival under horrendous conditions far more suitable for younger, more impressionable audiences.
  5. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    75
    A poignant look at the legacies of fathers who abdicate their responsibilities.
  6. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    75
    The three leads all played these characters over multiple seasons on the TV show; they're comfortable in these skins, and they show that. (Confusingly, all three appeared in "City of God" under other characters' names.)
  7. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    75
    It's energetic and occasionally inspired. Its gritty, sweaty, shiny feel deepens the case that there's a vital new essence to Brazilian cinema.
  8. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Bill White
    75
    Cunha and Silva, both featured in 2002's similarly themed "City of God," have been playing these roles since they were 13, and the rapport between them is electrifying. Much of the sweetness of the film comes from what they bring to their roles.
  9. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: K.J. Doughton
    70
    Some might perceive City of Men as a slow film, while others could reasonably argue that Morelli is taking more time to develop characters.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Derek Elley
    70
    Despite its sudsy storyline, this second tour through the punk-infested Rio slums could attract more mature arthouse auds, drawn by character rather than the minutiae of guns 'n' drugs, though it's unlikely to match "God's" muscular $7.5 million U.S. take.
  11. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    70
    So much emotional traffic streams through this City of Men that it's easy to miss a narrative turnoff. You won't get lost, but your sense of direction might be profoundly changed.
  12. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    The story might have been lifted from an old Warner Brothers melodrama, though it's smartly paced, sincerely delivered, and consistently absorbing.
  13. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    67
    Intriguing.
  14. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    67
    As heavy with message as any Hollywood delinquent drama of the late '50s.
  15. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    67
    City Of Men has its share of problems, but being too entertaining isn't one of them.
  16. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    63
    The movie's power comes less from its contrived story than everything else: the stark setting, chaotic energy and authentic cast.
  17. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    63
    A mix of credible sociology and tired melodrama, along with a palpable sense of déjà vu. Because the plight of boyz 'n' the hood is a global tragedy, its depiction on the screen has become a global commonplace with its own attendant danger – the tragedy is starting to feel trite.
  18. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    60
    City of Men is clunky and often contrived, but there's something haunting about fatherless boys in a blighted place fumbling to teach themselves what it means to be a man.
  19. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Julia Wallace
    60
    Paulo Morelli directs capably, with a heavy dash of MTV-generation flair: hyper-saturated colors, close-ups of skin glittering with sweat, and a constant patter of gunfire that undergirds the soundtrack like a steady heartbeat.
  20. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    60
    Morelli uses plentiful flashbacks drawn from the earlier movie and television series that are at times intrusive to the narrative but eventually serve to deepen the relationship of Ace and Laranjinha.
  21. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    60
    City of Men has a more humane, you might say bleeding-heart, perspective on this anarchic culture than "City of God."
  22. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    58
    It's doubly disappointing that all the subplots about Ace and Wallace and their fathers intertwine in increasingly predictable ways.
  23. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Rene Rodriguez
    50
    Six years after its release, "City of God" is still electrifying and fresh: It hasn't aged a bit. City of Men, though, already feels strangely stale.
  24. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    50
    Performances are up to par, but the story unfolds conventionally - it lacks the fragmented fury of its predecessor. You might call it "City of God Lite."
  25. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    50
    The movie has a dramatic thinness, breezy tone, and unconvincing happy-ish ending that make it feel more inconsequential than anything about killers and imperiled children probably should.
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