Don Jon
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 57 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 57
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 57
  3. Negative: 7 out of 57

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Chazd3
    Sep 27, 2013
    1
    As a mature male that enjoys movies, attending 1-2 every week, I blanched every time I saw the preview to the upcoming Don Jon. All I got from it was a movie about porn addiction, period. Mentally I wrote it off. Today I made a critical mistake. I normally don’t read the reviews of movies I know don’t give me a single spark of interest, only the sparky ones. Alas, the reviews were surprisprisingly acceptable and I went to a morning matinee. What a waste. It was a movie about porn addiction of course, but I assumed from the reviews there were many redeeming qualities and growth in the characters included. WRONG! Joseph Gordon-Levitt & his father Tony Danza were simply vacuous, crude, foul-mouthed and valueless all the way to the closing credits. There was zero empathy or sympathy and not a hint of anyone being a protagonist. I not only did not care about the males in this film, I was repulsed by them. The Catholic sacrament of “confession” was treated like an irrelevant waste basket for immoral behavior rather than anything sacred or religious and demanding of sincere repentance as it does in real life. Scarlett Johansson and Julianne Moore performances were very good actually. This movie had one theme and one theme only…promiscuitypornpromiscuityporn. I spent the last 30 minutes mentally flipping a coin on whether to just get up and leave. I stayed because I wanted to write an honest review on a complete product. On the way out a group of five in front of me complained out loud about their waste of time and money on that piece of trash. I chimed in with them as we left the theater.… Expand
  2. Thegodfatherson
    Sep 27, 2013
    10
    In the end, Gordon-Levitt offers something that is funny, witty, honest and eventually heartfelt, without having to pander to the saccharine fantasies or gross-out raunch humor that have become the two main lanes of rom-com cinema. This is a date movie whose boldness, edge and careful handling of some volatile material truly makes it balanced and engaging to both sides of the gender spectrum. By the time the credits roll, you won’t just leave the theater feeling entertained you’ll leave with something to talk about. And for a first-timer, crafting a film that gets people talking is quite an accomplishment.… Expand
  3. Eon2323
    Sep 27, 2013
    9
    Don Jon shows an interesting view on how we as a society are products of what we watch and see everyday. Gordon-Levitt does an amazing job of illustrating this phenomenon with a great cast and superb writing.
  4. peacefire
    Sep 27, 2013
    5
    I honestly couldn't tell if I was watching a bad softcore porno or jersey shore. There were some laughs, but most of it was just watching some guys hit on girls and curse/bust each others balls, jacking off to porn, working out, and praying forgiveness for his sins. There were some laughs, and some serious notes about porn addiction, but other than that the movie was very meh. Worth seeing if you like Jersey Shore, otherwise maybe a visit to the red box (or alternative sources of movies)… Expand
  5. MarcDoyle
    Sep 27, 2013
    8
    It's a fun, honest date movie yes, date movie, if you've got the guts, fellas. It's likely to provoke a few questions during, and after the movie. But Levitt does a fine job in his direction, and against all odds, he integrates Julianne Moore into the proceedings in a refreshing way. Great to see Tony Danza back on the scene. And Jon's friends the trumpet player from "Treme", and his shorter pal are great for their words of wisdom and some comic relief. Clearly, this won't win any awards, but it surpassed my not-so-modest expectations for it.… Expand
  6. Spiralus
    Oct 2, 2013
    9
    This movie is not for the feint of heart or the "grown up"-minded. It's probably not for church goers. It's probably not REALLY for main-stream consumers, macho boys and candy princess girls. It's not for any of these because it is, at it's heart, an attempt to savage the values that all these groups hold dear. It shines a hot and otherwise absentee light the cancer of over-sexualization. It shows, subtly at times and baldly at others, how consumer driven, sexualized, culture has reached it's tendrils into every-day life, down even into the language we use, how we think and what we think we need. No character is safe, even the heroine, who chastises the male lead for being "addicted to porn" does so while lighting a joint. Entertaining, lighthearted and even touching, this movie, like it's main character, seems dumb on the outside but turns out to be intelligent after all. In fact it's really intelligent, which will hurt it's reviews. It's irreverence (which I love) makes it's target market small and it's high bar of entry (most people won't "get it") makes it's target audience smaller still. I took off a point the ending feeling rushed, but truly, I laughed my head off the whole time. If you're not in any of those listed groups, or if you're genuinely interested in gender roles, feminism, or sociology, you need to see this.… Expand
  7. sraymond7
    Sep 27, 2013
    8
    I am a leader in men's groups. I thought this movie was purely excellent and very intelligent. There are many men in the world like the character Don John, as there are women like Scarlett Johansson's Barbara. The movie is funny at first...quite funny actually...and then it moves into a coming-of-age story for Don John, with his first discovery of what authentic intimacy looks like. Our culture is awash in pornography, and our young men of this generation grow up assaulted by images that distort reality and crassify culture. Jordan Leavitt's film placed a spotlight on this problem without preaching, and gave some welcome guidance as to the way out of that morass if you are a man stuck in that mode. It is an excellent film...look behind the genuine character comedy for the deeper message.… Expand
  8. jinringa
    Oct 1, 2013
    8
    I thought it was a smart, funny, scathing, but ultimately kind indictment of douche bro society.

    The repetitiveness and shallowness of man child Jon's existence speaks loudly to my millenial sensibilities. A victim of a self centered father and over accommodating mother, Jon is a self centered douche bag, whose only goal in life is to have meaningless fun. The blank faces on Jon's famil    y during church and his road rage on the way there speak towards the emptiness of being nominally religious. The meaningless confession of sins, the meaningless prayers, all contribute to Jon's status as a shallow guy who doesn't really care about anything but banging an equally shallow and ridiculously hot girl and then spanking it to some meticulously selected pornography.

    I think the fact that Barbara isn't actually a good person is a really important part of the film. That neither party in the Jon/Barbara relationship is actually that likable, despite both of them being very good looking, is pretty refreshing.

    I really liked that Jon isn't actually that likable. He's charming, but he's a self centered dick with nothing really to say. And then he grows and he's still kind of a dick and he doesn't really have that much to say, but he is less self centered and I think that's a lot more honest than most other films.

    I think attacking the tendency to be self centered through porn addiction was really clever. Self centeredness is kind of this internal thing with tons of symptoms, but it's really hard to pull at something and make a difference. With Barbara it manifests as manipulativeness, which I think is a really hard thing to make a person aware of in a meaningful way. With porn addiction it's a pretty straight shot to, you have a problem because you can't get off without porn.

    I enjoyed it, I liked watching Jon struggle and grow, I liked that the ultimate love interest is really screwed up for totally believable reasons, I liked that no one is actually that likable. It feels like reality, but slightly prettier, as opposed to fantasy.    … Expand
  9. wilemon2000
    Oct 8, 2013
    1
    October 2013

    The topic of porn addiction might be worth exploring in a movie. And certainly writers should be able to generate a few laughs out of it .Oddly the laughs are very few here except those lame ones at the expense of Catholics and Italians (undershirts at dinner really The real problem here is casting .Bluntly Gordon-Levitt is an excellent actor but really doesn't have the dr    op dead "look" to play the super babe magnet of the movie lead. His exchanging glances with the best looking women in the bar and then running to bed with them is pretty much a fairy tale. This is easily explained of course by the director writer choosing himself for the lead. Then it gets a little worse when about half the movie seems dedicated to loving closeups of the directors favorite actor. A self indulgent waste. Gets as much as a 4 only because every other actor is great.… Expand
  10. DarkCritic
    Oct 3, 2013
    8
    Joseph Gordon Levitt's first feature of Don Jon is funny, enjoyable, and entertaining about one man who struggles his life of being a cool dude for fantasizing women a lot.
  11. TVJerry
    Oct 1, 2013
    8
    Joseph Gordon-Levitt wrote, directed and stars as a character who looks and acts like he stepped out of "Jersey Shore:" brusque, muscular, shallow, sexy and a total stud. When he meets the girl of his dreams (Scarlett Johannson who embodies the tough, slutty borough girl), his obsession with pornography becomes an issue. This is a fast-paced, quick-witted character study about a man who's more of a mess than he seems. Gordon-Levitt has fully immersed himself in the character and it's a winner. His scenes of dinner with his dad (Tony Danza) are great fun. It's a bit raunchy, if you have a problem with that and not all that deep, but it's entertaining as hell and bodes well for his hyphenate talent.… Expand
  12. ROFLoom
    Sep 30, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. For his first film, JGL did not do awful... it started off alright, it had its funny moments, you go through Don Jon's daily routines and see how they slowly change over the period he dates Barbara... pretty obvious analysis, but come one what was with Julianne Moore, I guess she was just the first person he truly connected with? And then he randomly just re-introduced her at the end so abruptly... just not the most amazing movie I have seen in awhile. What is happening to Cinema?… Expand
  13. analogkid280
    Oct 5, 2013
    8
    The trailer does this movie no justice as it makes you think this is a one subject movie. What this movie does is take you on a tour of Levitt's character as he matures from an early 20's kid into an adult. There are many issues along the way and the movie's light heartened approach is just perfect.
  14. ClayMerritt
    Sep 30, 2013
    8
    To be very honest, porn addiction is a real thing. Not a serious issue, but its very real. There are guys out there that do think like Don Jon. However, the problem is that when people see porn in a movie, its automatically disgusting. One thing I observed from watching this movie is that this is a guys movie. Certainly debatable if its a date movie, but its a mans movie. I'm sure going in, people were expecting the chick flick. Ya know, where the guy gets the girl, they briefly break-up, and guy does everything to get her back. It wasn't that. It ended differently, and it was fantastic. This is probably the most fun movie I've seen this year. I suggest that if you like good movies, you should put this on your must see list. The story is above the porn, its a real, down-to-earth story that can be enjoyed.… Expand
  15. Compi24
    Sep 28, 2013
    7
    While some of its more dramatic elements could be executed much better, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's first writer/directorial outing is a successful comedic drama with an admirable sense of honesty for its subject matter.
  16. SimpleMethod
    Oct 4, 2013
    7
    As a debut, Don Jon is pretty solid. It was really far from perfect, but again it's a debut. I liked it but really didn't love it as much as I expected I might. The porn gets a little annoying too.
  17. Movie1997
    Sep 28, 2013
    8
    In Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut, he has offered heart, witty humor and a great script that shows the view of one man's deception on porn and how it has affected his humanity. Overall, great job Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel, "TheMovieManLife" for all things movies.
  18. StevieB212
    Sep 28, 2013
    10
    Great fun. A romantic comedy, with a serious lesson. Fine performances all around. Slick to watch. Moves fast. No immaturity in the script. Bravo to Gordon-Levitt.
  19. NubiaInChicago
    Oct 1, 2013
    10
    As a female viewer, I entered a new world of the male mind. Not to direct this as the inner workings of each male persona but it does fit every guy I have met.
    I saw where the movie was going. This is beyond the pornography, the yelling, and the accents.
    The point of the movie is the separation of reality and illusion without the acknowledgement of a separation.
    Very well made. I reall    y did enjoy it!… Expand
  20. johncbeattie
    Oct 5, 2013
    6
    Light treatment of a serious problem for too many men. Intimacy with women versus sex with women who have been objectified as sex objects by all forms of media. One benefit of this movie may be a better understanding that, given men's attitudes towards women as sex objects, that women shouldn't take it so seriously and personally if their man watches "some" porn. It's early, learned behaviour and as long as it doesn't become an obsession as it does to Don Jon, it's relatively meaningless.
    I thought the dialogue and relationship Don Jon had with Julianne Moore's character was artificial and hard to swallow as real, although it was key to the story.

    Worth seeing but could open a can of worms as a date movie. Drive with caution.    … Expand
  21. LowbrowCinema
    Oct 12, 2013
    5
    If you've seen the trailer for DON JON, then you've seen the film. In fact, the trailer is far better edited and paced than this first from the ever likable Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The comedy in DON JON never takes off and the film's more serious examination of porn obsession never takes off. The actors are all good but Scarlett Johansson totally commands the screen. Her character is gorgeous and awful but you just want her to come back. Ultimately, DON JON feels like a short film stretched to 90 minutes. But Gordon-Levitt clearly has a voice and this is his first.… Expand
  22. Kevin4900
    Oct 14, 2013
    7
    I was impressed with Gordon-Levitt's auteur film debut. I like the premise of the film. Porn is popular.

    What I didn't like about the film was Gordon-Levitt and Johansson performance.

    Joseph and Scarlett over acted. They did the Jersey thing too much. Which is a shame because they are good actors who did an otherwise good job in the film.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 40 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 40
  3. Negative: 3 out of 40
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Sep 30, 2013
    75
    Short, sweet, raunchy and often screamingly funny.
    Read full review
  2. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Odie Henderson
    Sep 27, 2013
    38
    A sex comedy that just lays there and expects you to do all the work. Gordon-Levitt's direction is repetitive and dry, and his screenplay is a collage of badly cut out pieces from other movies.
    Read full review
  3. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    Sep 27, 2013
    63
    What becomes increasingly apparent is that Gordon-Levitt hasn’t exactly decided what Jon’s problem is, in a character that seems partly an expression of male wish fulfilment.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »