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Liar Liar
Metascore
68 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 19
  3. Negative: 0 out of 19
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  1. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Desson Thomson
    90
    It's a magnificent comic experience.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Darren Bignell
    80
    It's worth hanging on for the spice of the closing credit outtakes, which effectively rounds off a reliably entertaining slice of comic nonsense.
  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Elvis Mitchell
    80
    Two little words: Jim Carrey. That's all it takes to transform Liar Liar from a formulaic Hollywood comedy into an uproarious one-man free-for-all.
  4. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Rita Kempley
    80
    Carrey is not only under control, but funnier than ever.
  5. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Jonathan Rosenbaum
    80
    Carrey's attempted self-immolation in a men's room, which weirdly recalls certain Fred Astaire routines, may be a small classic.
  6. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    I am gradually developing a suspicion, or perhaps it is a fear, that Jim Carrey is growing on me. Am I becoming a fan? In Liar Liar he works tirelessly, inundating us with manic comic energy.
  7. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Stack
    75
    Carrey goes boldly where no funnyman has ventured before, and it's simply amazing to watch him do it.
  8. San Francisco Examiner
    Reviewed by: Barbara Shulgasser
    75
    What's best about this script is the premise: a lawyer who doesn't lie.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    75
    Jim Carrey entertains himself mightily in Liar Liar, and his enthusiasm is infectious.
  10. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Manohla Dargis
    70
    He's (Carrey) an unruly commodity and, as such, compulsively watchable.
  11. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    70
    For Liar Liar is marking time through the duller moments of exposition, wishing the film was as sharp overall as Carrey is himself.
  12. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    70
    Awfully funny at times.
  13. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Russell Smith
    67
    This film is both too formulaic and too much a one-man vehicle to rate as a true masterpiece. But God strike me dead if I'm lying, this is one gut-busting funny movie.
  14. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    63
    Carrey is forced to confine his antics to the needs of Liar Liar's unimaginative screenplay, and the results are mixed.
  15. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    63
    A laugh a minute? Liar Liar Jim Carrey's forced truthfulness means a lot of mildly funny facial gyrations.
  16. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    60
    For those who like Carrey and are waiting for a film they can honestly say they enjoyed through and through, this ain't it.
  17. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: Jeff Giles
    60
    Once Fletcher starts telling the truth against his will, the movie delivers some perfect laughs.
  18. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    50
    Jim Carrey proves that he's the most inspired clown in movies today, but parents should be warned that much of the picture's humor is extremely rude and crude.
  19. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    40
    A sickly soft-swirl confection of low laughs and smarmy sentiment.
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User Reviews

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User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 28 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. Guy!
    10
    Jim Carreys' best work, no matter how many times I see it, it never ceases to make me laugh.
  2. Myles#13
    10
    Jim Carrey is one of the funniest men alive, and this movie displays his talent for all to see! Carrey just goes all out... anyone whose brain is not in a jar will laugh til it hurts watching Liar Liar. COMIC GENIUS!… Full Review »
  3. Spielberg00
    4
    Bottom Line: Jim Carrey disappoints as a lawyer/liar in a comedy that throws out much of its potential. In most of his films, Jim Carrey makes a show of hyperactivity, and in most cases, it’s a good root for comedy. LIAR LIAR is another case. Though it certainly had potential, it was a fairly interesting plot buried in off-color jokes and an over-the-top amount of Carrey’s typical whacko-ness. For a comedy, the storyline is a little heavy. It tells of a lawyer named Fletcher (Jim Carrey) who despite being a lawyer, tends to lie quite frequently. That doesn’t seem to matter much until he breaks a promise he has made to his five-year-old son, Max (Justin Cooper), and forgets to show up at his birthday party. More upset than ever, Max makes a wish before blowing out the candles on his cake, that his father will tell the truth for a whole 24 hours. To his surprise, Fletcher ends up not only telling the truth for the entire next day, but he also ends up blurting out anything that comes to his mind when asked a question. Not only does this lead to a day of truth, but a day of public humiliation. The film that got me into enjoying Jim Carrey’s bizarre but hysterical humor was DUMB AND DUMBER, and I had heard that this film was another one of his better works. When I finally got a chance to watch it, I enjoyed it at first, and there were a few scenes in the beginning that made me want to keep watching, just because they were so funny. By around thirty minutes in, LIAR LIAR became a dull and obnoxious comedy (maybe I should have quotes around that last word), and it just wasn’t funny, no matter how psychotic Carrey got. On top of that, the last fifteen minutes were ridiculously unrealistic and impossible to laugh at.. If there is one word that describes this film: disappointing. There were a few decent quotes in LIAR LIAR that are sure to elicit laughter, but it’s no reason to watch the film, as it is much less time-consuming to simply look them up on IMDb.… Full Review »
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