Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 21 Ratings

  • Starring: Brie Larson, Logan Lerman, Luke Wilson
  • Summary: Three middle-schoolers take on greedy land developers, corrupt politicians, and clueless cops in the mystery adventure Hoot based on Carl Hiaasen's Newbery Honor-winning book. (New Line Cinema)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 26
  2. Negative: 4 out of 26
  1. Fun to watch although falling short of a real hoot, this latest in a barrage of family movies largely succeeds at keeping the kiddies entertained and their parents from nodding off.
  2. 60
    Hoot is flatly directed by talk-show-host-turned-sitcom-director Wil Shriner, but the young actors are spirited and appealing, and the movie's low-key anti-establishment posture is vastly preferable to the knee-jerk fulminations of a Michael Moore.
  3. Shriner's direction has an Afterschool Special blandness, but those mechanical owls are quite realistic. While the film was in production Hiaasen said that he had "nightmare visions of the gopher in 'Caddyshack.' " He needn't have worried.
  4. 38
    Hoot has its heart in the right place, but I have been unable to locate its brain.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 12
  2. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. AshleyeE.
    10
    Read the book, it is great.
  2. Having never read the book, I still found this movie enjoyable. Sure, not everything is good (Luke Wilson's portrayal as a hapless cop seems out of place in the movie, and some acting is suspect), but nonetheless, Hoot is a touching, warm-hearted film that everyone should enjoy. Expand
  3. JayM
    7
    For a kid's movie, this was terrific. My 6 1/2 and 9 year olds loved it, got caught up in the adventure, and now want to be environmentalists. The message about standing up for what you believe in is well done -- even if the villians are too simplistic. Expand
  4. PaulK.
    4
    This reminded me of those afterschool specials I use to watch on TV in the early 80's. It has a great message and Logan Lerman is convincing as the main character, but the dialogue and acting ability of the rest of the cast is uneven. Similarly, Luke Wilson was sorely miscast as the bumbling good cop. I'm guessing the children's novel is way better than this adaptation. Expand

See all 12 User Reviews

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