This is a very glossy, snappy picture that delivers practically nothing to its audience. That nothingness is wrapped rather expertly in a glib and glossy package though. I laughed aloud a few times.

Tired of the usual crap. than this movie is perfect for you!

A very sharp film; very original and keeps you guessing. It was nice to see a movie that didn't feel like yet another remake on a popular theme! Kept us thinking and commenting throughout the film! Highly recommended.

Wow what a movie! This was easily one of the best movies I have seen all year It was very smart and that seems to be lacking in movies nowadays...I

Very witty, and very entertaining.

That rare film treat, a brainy, challenging and funny movie that has the courage to challenge conventional thinking. Nick Naylor becomes the most unlikely likeable character as you actually start understanding (and dare I say appreciating) the role his position fills in terms of the public discourse on cigarette smoking. Eckhart's performance probably won't win him an Oscar but it deserves to be lauded for its straight forward acceptance of who Naylor is. The end result is a unabashed full presentation of the sometimes ludicrous presentations that are passed for intelligent debate. A must see movie.… Expand

Very funny. It's not your average movie, however. Many of the reviews above make the terrible mistake of assuming that they knew beforehand what the movie was supposed to be like. "It wasn't edgy enough" "It was supposed to satire tobacco more." It isn't a scathing or outrageous movie, but why should it be? This movie is about rhetoric, debate, and point of view. Smoking is the setting and an exaggerated liberal stance is the antagonist. That doesn't mean its about those. It's a great movie that is deep enough to get you to think about the way you think, plenty satirical, and it still throws in dozens of unexpected laughs. Highly recommended.… Expand

The playing a Big Tobacco lobbyist, Aaron Eckhart puts his golden news-anchor good looks and smooth conviction to better use than in any pic since his breakthrough film, In the Company of Men. I thought that the movie is amusing and clever but only skin deep. It lacks the acidity and rage of a satire such as Network. But both sides of the political fence will feel royally skewered. All thats lacking is a warning from the Surgeon General This film will make you laugh till it hurts.… Expand

A very funny satire, with less than the typical Hollywood redemption at its center. Great performances all the way around, with special mention to Eckhart and Lowe, who manage to keep it sharp and witty, but nicely underplay the more outrageous aspects of their over the top characters.

Witty and fresh, this movie had me laughing hard. Great for anyone who has any interest in American politics.

Definitely a good watch. For those criticizing the directors portrayal of Nick Naylor, had you gone so actually watch the movie, you'd see "based on the novel by Christopher Buckley." Read the book, the movie doesn't stray far from it, and still manages to be excellent.

If you have not read the book on which this film is based, please do - it's laugh-out-loud funny, just like this delightful film. The humor in the film is subtle and clever; the performances, especially Eckhart's, really bring to light a cast of characters unrivalled in recent movies and equal to some of the best film ensembles in history.

Almost as good as the book, which is saying something.

"Thank You for Smoking" lacks a moment like the one in "Clerks" when Jason Mewes sells a pack of cigarettes to a little girl. Nick Naylor(Aaron Eckhart) doesn't have to be a caricature of evil like Darth Vader, but we should feel some measure of hatred for him. I think the filmmaker might've introduced Nick's son too early in the game. Being a good father redeems Nick in spite of the moral dilemma that is the lobbyist's modus operandi. After his talk with Joey's classmates, he should be in the schoolyard passing out free samples of those candy-flavored cigarettes manufactured by R.J. Reynolds. The tobacco industry isn't especially tactful, so why should a film about them be? "Thank You for Smoking" may not bite hard enough for people who lost loved ones to lung cancer and heart-related diseases. This film would've been perfect for Alexander Payne in his "Citizen Ruth"-mode.… Expand

I laughed for nearly the entire hour and fourty minutes of this film- it was clever, cocky, well-written, sharply edited, and never lagged; it was consistantly humorous and was a real pleasure to watch. Adam Brody and Rob Lowe absolutely owned, and Aaron Eckhardt is very winning and capable. The "endless appeals system" line still cracks me up.

This was enjoyable for the most part, but the most entertaining aspect of the movie is the unusual concept. I got about as much enjoyment from the preview as I did from the movie. The acting, direction, and script are all mediocre. What's sad is that the source material has so much more potential. But I guarantee that a lot of less critical people will love this film.

It was so refreshing to hear such sharp, intelligent satire delivered superbly by Eckhart, Bright, Bello, and Keochner and supported seamlessly by Lowe, Duvall, Macy and Holmes. I'm going to see this again so I can catch the other half of the laughs I MISSED while laughing so hard.

This film is the funniest movie I have seen in years -- maybe ever. It's also thought provoking and tender and just about perfect. I loved it!

It sure doesn't hurt to have your multi-millionaire director/father behind when you direct your own first film. Jason Reitman (son of Ivan Reitman) has concocted this weak, unfunny farce/semi-satire about a tobacco industry lobbyist. One would expect from liberal Hollywood types to depict a tobacco industry lobbyist as a churlish, mean-spirited ogre of sorts. But Reitman goes to the other extreme--his man becomes much too sympathetic. And that also goes for the two other "merchants of death" pals (alcohol and gun lobbyists) that our "Hero" ('Nick Naylor) hangs out with in various dinner conversation scenes throughout the movie. Once you see the first of these dinner scenes, you've seen them all. They're very static and all three of our lobbyists (can you imagine this?) have hearts of gold (ugh!). The point is that lobbyists in real life have got to be a lot more complex and tougher than the light-weights shown here. The movie in fact is full of light weight characters. The boss at the "Academy of Tobacco Studies" curses a lot but he's lovable as is Robert Duvall's mentor, a 'been-around-the-block' curmudgeon. The movie starts very slowly and nothing gets going with the plot for about 30 minutes. The first major plot development (the first act) involves Naylor getting an appointment with a Hollywood super agent played by Rob Lowe. Naylor wants the agent to broker a deal with big name Hollywood actors to boost the tobacco's industry's image by having them smoke cigarettes again in the movies like they did in days of old. The idea is too ludicrous to be even satirical. Even so, given the initial set-up, I was expecting the story to involve some machinations in Hollywood but that plot line suddenly dries up. The next plot development is even more ludicrous: unknown anti-smoking activists kidnap Naylor, tie him up, place nicotine patches all over his body and leave him naked in the arms of Abraham Lincoln's statue at the Lincoln Memorial. Naylor's body becomes so toxic that the doctor at the hospital tells him he won't ever be able to smoke again. The mild satire of Rob Lowe's slick Hollywood super-agent, gives way to very low Three Stooges Farce in the 'second act.' The Third act involves Naylor's seduction by a Washington gossip reporter played by Katie Holmes. Inexplicably, Naylor reveals the secrets of his personal and professional life to the reporter who immediately skewers him in a gossip column. Naylor, who supposedly is a slick wheeler-dealer, suddenly is surprised by this supposed 'betrayal of confidence.' Could never happen! Another thing that really amazed me was the fact that Naylor is never shown smoking a cigarette throughout the movie. What a copout! Reitman wants it both ways: he's afraid of offending the anti-smoking crowd (so he shows no one smoking throughout the film) but depicts Naylor as a hero because he champions the view of 'freedom of choice.' The only real wit in the film occurs in the scenes between Naylor and his son who speaks like an adult and manages to get his comuppance on both the father and mother at times. Overall, this film trivializes the dangers of smoking by creating a sympathetic, stick figure tobacco lobbyist with a heart of gold.… Expand

I can't get over this movie. I wish I could give it a 9.5 - I can't give a 10 because I couldn't believe it was ending when it did - I could have watched it for at least 2 more hours. It's worth it to see just for the performance of Cameron Bright as the young son. It's so weird how you end up rooting for him to learn spin from his dad.

The fact that the man who wrote this movie, Christoher Buckley is Bill Buckley's son, made the movie very amusing to me on a whole other level because he was essentially showing what it was like to be the son of a man who made his living by talking, and by presenting very unpopular views.

Satire successfully takes a walk-a-mile-in-my-shoes twist.

I love this movie... I have been smoking for a year now and I needed to stop badly... Thanks to this movie I quit completely. This movie is great, funny, and has a very clever plot line. 10 STARS!!!!

Cute, surface "satire." Some funny bits, but much less here than meets the eye. Too bad, considering the ripe opportunities today. (The last 3 sentences of Maurice F.'s review are lifted directly from Peter Travers' Rolling Stone review. )

really enjoyed this smart, breezy satire [more relevant than 'stripes', his father's film, less cutting than 'wag the dog']. it's nothing that really sticks to your ribs but I found myself laughing through 70% of the film, something I can't say for most of the comedies I see these days.

Very smart film -- smart like The Onion is smart. The film is libertarian in its view, with excellent inside Hollywood winks. Highly recommended. How the producer David Sacks found this gem of a script is beyond me, but it is great work.

Very witty satire that engages the audience the entire way through. Looks to be one of the better comedies of the year.

Truy defining the meaning of "enough is enough" this film sets out to compel you, in a very humorous way, into making your own decisions in life and to do away with the "childproof lighter" syndrome. Well written wit and a heavy hitting cast make this movie a "must see".

very funny and even somewhat meanful in a tongue and cheek way.

Finally--a delicious comedy for thinking adults. Crisp and witty script, great casting and acting. Even the look of washed-out 50s Technicolor is perfect. Reitman is right on.

Eh....As mediocre as potentially great films get. Good acting, good directing, but the story just didn't feel like it went anywhere. I don't know what else to say about it, pure mediocrity.

Solidly funny movie. Great satire. All performances were solid and on the mark. Not a bad job in the film. Nice twist at the end. Last movie Katie Holmes made before becoming TomKat. People say she is throwing away her career. From her OK performance, it would seem that she didn't have much to throw. Nice eye candy, and that was about it. Would rec seeing it, would consider TIVO'ing it.

Everyone should be educated about the 'anything to sell a product to the unsuspecting or duped consumer' strategy that most big coorporations employ. Usually it is portrayed in documentary fashion. It was refreshing to see this theme actually set to a story with a plot and actors. The story was good and so were the actors. Definitely worth watching. This movie handled a depressing theme without bringing me down.… Expand

funny how i thought of exactly the same score as metacrtic of 71 for this movie. its a well made debut for director jason reitman, though there are very few belly laughs and never really achieve status as a great piece of satire. its everything you already know, compiled with a likable cast and smooth pacing. i was annoyed by some symptoms common with young first time directors, but thats part of the game. in the end, i don't think its satifying enough to require your movie money. wait and rent the for the dvd instead.… Expand

Right or wrong, you can't argue with the tact and execution of this movie.

My wife (ex-smoker going on 10 months) took me to see this, and it promised a whole lot in the first drags, but then it was nothing but filter. The protagonist has no real journey, and the style gets stale soon after. The warning label on this one should read: Real satire should be dangerous to your health, and this one ain't.

Wasn't sure whether to see this film, because although it got a high MetaCritic score, I typically don't like biting satire in movies. However, I liked "Thank You For Smoking" exactly because it was NOT so biting! Had it's funny moments, but wasn't overbearing or condescending, like "Wag the Dog" for example, which is what I was expecting this film to be, and it thankfully was not. I was glad I saw it, and it's definitely worth a look.… Expand

The worst thing I can say about this is that it is way too short. I wanted it to go on much longer. But I guess movies are like theater "leave 'em wanting more". It is about an nour and 40 minutes and since so many of the characters (and they are characters) talk real fast it seems even faster. I wish there were more smart literate comedies like this.

Smart and entertaining. A brilliant cast!

smart, funny and incredibly well written!

Thought it was going to be funny going into the movie, but it was a lot more interesting than thought it would be whilst still keeping humour

With a terrific opening credit sequence to the tune "smoke, smoke, smoke that cigarette" and a cast that includes Robert Duval, William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons and Aaron Eckhart as a 8x10 glossy lobbyist who can sell anything and Sam Elliott in a priceless performance as the over the hill Marlboro Man, Thank You For Smoking takes on big tobacco and politics with smart writing and sharp dialouge that sets up numerous possibilities that could go for the satirical jugular but hold back just enough as not to be libelous, playing it safe with a father/son sub-story that keeps the claws drawn back without drawing any real blood. All in all, a very impressive debut from Jason Reitman who shows off his directing genes from his father Ivan. Like Sophia Coppolla, you'll want to keep an eye on this young directors career.… Expand

LOL comedy of the month. The showdown between Nick Naylor and Sen. Finisterre was outstanding. Hail to the smokers!

This movie is excellent and unapologetic which it rightfully should be. It asks the question: If a person purchases a dried crushed plant rolled up in paper, lights it and inhales, then feels bad sometime afterwards, who is at fault? The answer seems obvious but our society has responded incorrectly for many many years. What do you think? Watching this movie helps to clarify for those unsure of the answer.… Expand

I saw this movie by chance the other night so I hadn't heard anything about it prior. I loved this film, I consider it one of the best comedies I've seen in ages. Brilliant cast and very clever.

One of the funniest movies in years, Thank You For Smoking makes its points and pricks everyone with them. Almost every role is immaculately casted, especially the leads, with the actors providing the right doses of sympathy, frustration and venom along the offensively hilarious plot. The tobacco industry's lies and doubletalk are only the premise from which larger-than-life characters rise to entertain through surprising exercises in lack of compassion, egomania and the occasional exhibition of real human weakness. Best, Thank You For Smoking doesn't hate anyone involved in its subject matter. Like Kevin Smith's Dogma, it is humanistic enough to entertain, even at the expense of its themes - and this ultimately gregarious notion makes a more profound statement about the treatment of tobacco in modern society than scathing films like Crash do about bigotry.… Expand

I'm amazed by all the reviews calling this movie funny, witty, and bitingly satirical. It's incredibly bland and obvious throughout, as are its characters. Nothing subversive or original here. Almost no laughs, not many quiet funny moments, and generally boring as heck. This is 1/100 the satire of a real masterpiece like the South Park movie.

From 1575 to the present, there have always been those who have opposed the use of tobacco from Mexico to the Ottoman Empire to Bavaria, Kursachsen, and certain parts of Austria in the late 1600s. Some form of Government in some part of the world has always tried to ban or outlaw the use of tobacco. In the 1500s the Catholic Pope Urban VII in particular threatened to excommunicate anyone who "took tobacco in the porchway of or inside a church, whether it be by chewing it, smoking it with a pipe or sniffing it in powdered form through the nose". The Ottoman sultan Murad IV prohibited smoking in his empire in 1633 smoking was also banned in Berlin in 1723, in Königsberg in 1742, and in Stettin in 1744. These bans were repealed in the revolutions of 1848. The first building in the world to have a smoke-free policy was the Old Government Building in Wellington, New Zealand in 1876 this was due to the fact that the building is the second largest wooden building ever constructed and it was out of concern that smoking may cause a fire. From then to now there are groups that fight to have cigarettes removed from gas stations, supermarkets etc. Then there are those who promote Big Tobacco and there products. They lobby s to speak on behalf of some of the worlds most powerful tobacco industries men like Nick Naylor(Aaron Eckhart) the protagonist of Jason Reitman's feature film debut "Thank you for Smoking" where as some people, in Eckhart's biting narration states, "Michael Jordan plays ball, Charles Manson kills people I talk" and indeed he does. "Thank you for not Smoking is not only a dark and searing satire on the anti-smoking issue it is also an intelligent and thought provoking film that asks you to ask yourself and ask others the ideas surrounding the big tobacco business and there so called merchants of death. However, ask yourself this, is it truly right to take away a persons right to smoke? Jason Reitman's feature film debut "Thank you for Smoking" is a cynical, searing, hilarious, and thought provoking look into the world of politics and the men and women who occupy the seats on both sides of the table, so to speak. Reitman(Son of veteran director Ivan Reitman) adapted screenplay from Christopher Buckley's 1994 satirical novel of the same name is a film that is as intelligent as it is biting this film is a deeply funny look at how one man(Aaron Eckhart) seeks to promote cigarettes. Reitman shows he has a real true talent for writing and directing, something his father Ivan lacks. Reitman is an intelligent director and an even more intelligent writer he knows how to flesh out each and every character at there duly appointed time he knows how to write smart, engaging, thought provoking dialogue and cheerfully offensive dialogue that makes you laugh as well as think. Satire is a tricky territory and Reitman is a genius when it comes to this tricky territory he knows how to play out the ideals on the anti-smoking issue to its full extent while still maintaining a strong sense of humor and political reason all the while the audiences is sitting there thinking and laughing . As it should be "Thank you for Smoking" targets two specific audiences the political opinionated and everyone else those who have strong political opinions(much like me) will either love this film, hate this film, or just downright despises it(I know some politicians who would really dislike this film). For those who are not politically opinionated will love this film in its entirety with its Delightfully unscrupulous characters, witty and intelligent dialogue and abundance of laughs this is the right ticket for anyone who likes to see people make fun of other people make fun of the people who run the country. I love this film, I love everything about this film I love the characters, the cynical sense of humor and the gloriously unscrupulous cynicism that this film unleashes on the anti- smoking issue. "Thank you for Smoking" is one of the best political satires I have seen since Stanley Kubrickâ… Expand

Very smart movie, very well written, with great acting and superb humour (the type only a few can enjoy). Really sucks you into the whole world. Definitely worth a watch!

Film satire at its best. Jason Reitman's debut is even better than the hilarious 'Juno' and 'Up In The Air'. An Oscar for the best adapted screnplay would've definitely been appropriate. Great cast till the supporting actors and a score that accompanies the film in an very exhilarant way. 'Thank You For Smoking' is a great film about business and life starring an really cool Aaron Eckhart as the main actor. Definitely worth to see if you liked films like 'Up In The Air'!… Expand