Kickin It Old Skool
Metascore
18 out of 100

Overwhelming dislike - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 14
  3. Negative: 11 out of 14
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  1. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    50
    Some of the humor is pretty raunchy (there are quite a few sex-related scenes and jokes) and tasteless. Adults old enough to appreciate the choice electro-boogaloo soundtrack and get the "Mr. Roboto" jokes will doubtless find the rest of it painfully dumb.
  2. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    42
    For a film that has nothing to offer but lazy '80s nostalgia, Kickin' It Old Skool doesn't even bother to get the details right.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    40
    A romantic subplot is formulaic, and, most disappointing, the break-dance sequences don't sizzle, though the film's director, Harvey Glazer, is known for his music videos. Keep an eye out, however, for some nutty cameos.
  4. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    38
    Probably as tolerable as it can be for a comedy with no obvious creative aim. You can imagine the crew cracking up on some outtake reel, which honestly is what this movie feels like.
  5. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    30
    An inauspicious feature debut for director Harv Glazer and all three scenarists, the "Big"-meets-breakdancing comedy will be kickin' it to ancillary by swimsuit season.
  6. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    25
    A very stupid movie, with many more failed jokes than successful ones. Worse yet, much of the comedy is kind of mean.
  7. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    25
    The ineptitude of the movie's drama is matched only by the failure of its humor.
  8. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    20
    Fails to live up to even the feeble potential of its premise.
  9. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    20
    About eight minutes of this comedy is devoted to some terrific breakdancing; the rest consists of wall-to-wall product placement and politically incorrect bad-taste comedy.
  10. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    12
    As appealing as acid-washed jeans, Kickin' It Old Skool exists solely to provide employment for aggressively abrasive comic actor Jamie Kennedy.
  11. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    10
    This ostensible comedy may be a new depths-of-hell low in the Emmanuel Lewis filmography, but for star Jamie Kennedy it’s par for the coarse.
  12. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mark Olsen
    10
    A witless, mind-numbingly inert comedy.
  13. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    0
    A pathetically unfunny comedy that should have been shipped straight to video, if not recycled as guitar picks.
  14. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Josh Rosenblatt
    0
    Kennedy’s humor comes from the broad, brainless, lowest-common-denominator school (in other words, he was born to play a grown man with the intelligence of an boy).

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
3.3 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 11 out of 13
  1. Aegrus
    0
    Truly awful. The "humor" was actually so painfully bad that it made me close my eyes and inwardly groan at a few points. Avoid at all costs. The worst supposed "comedy" that I have ever seen. Even Norbit, the trainwreck that that was, better than this.… Full Review »
  2. ChristopherW.
    0
    Absolute unabashed crap! That's it!
  3. Ryan
    9
    I thought it was funny, and had some great break dancing.
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