Metascore

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 35 Critics What's this?

User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 113 Ratings

  • Starring: Ben Stiller, Billy Crudup, Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn
  • Summary: Four everyday suburban guys come together as an excuse to escape their humdrum lives one night a week. But when they accidentally discover that their town has become overrun with aliens posing as ordinary suburbanites, they have no choice but to save their neighborhood -- and the world -- from total extermination. (20th Century Fox) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 35
  2. Negative: 10 out of 35
  1. Reviewed by: Betsy Sharkey
    Jul 26, 2012
    60
    Some of the phallic jokes work, others are really lame. Fortunately there are many other funny bits that have nothing to do with body parts that keep the laughs coming.
  2. Reviewed by: Ellen E. Jones
    Aug 25, 2012
    60
    If you can ignore the disturbing parallels with recent events, this middle-aged, Middle-American "Attack The Block" raises a laugh.
  3. Reviewed by: James Rocchi
    Jul 26, 2012
    60
    As broad as a barn yet as thin as paper, The Watch is a summertime action-comedy that works almost in spite of its overcrowded cast and loose, pulpy spitball of a plot.
  4. Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    Jul 27, 2012
    38
    Then there's the movie itself, which should be crazy, stupid fun but settles for just stupid.

See all 35 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 42
  2. Negative: 12 out of 42
  1. I never thought I'd see the day Ben Stiller would actually star in a movie worth watching. The Watch was more than worth watching, it's hilarious and cleverly written. Yes, it has immature jokes and yes the musical score is just downright bad but that's the thing; it manages to be bad in a good way, it gets everything right and it just makes for this relaxed science-fiction comedy that doesn't go too deep, doesn't leave any unanswered questions and wraps up the story in a great way with explosions to boot. Of course, as soon as I discovered a cameo appearance by R. Lee Ermey (FMJ) and a lead role by Richard Ayoade (I.T crowd) I knew this movie had to be good. The other characters were great too, Jonah Hill (as Franklin) and Vince Vaughn made for a great team. And for once the lead female role isn't overly dramatic, Rosemarie DeWitt (as Abby) puts in a great performance despite not getting as much screen-time as the guys. I'm not sure why this movie is as underrated as it is, I thought it was a great departure from all the overly serious science-fiction movies that have come out lately. This one had everything most of those movies are missing; a plot, people we can identify with and character development and best of all: a pacing that makes it feel like time flew by. To think that I was considering not watching it when I noticed Ben Stiller's head on the box! Expand
  2. 8
    I really enjoyed this movie, I laughed heaps, as did everyone else in the theater. I can understand why people would not like this film as Neighborhood watch fighting skin-stealing aliens is a pretty damn stupid movie concept. It depends on your expectations when you watch the film, I knew it had bad reviews, and that it was about a Neighborhood watch, but that was all I knew about the film so it really wasn't what I was expecting at all. Sometimes stupid movies are just really fun, it really depends on your mood when you watch it, and who you watch it with, which I find is the same with like 'Family Guy' among other things. Expand
  3. The Watch may have an inconsistent tone and some jokes may fall flat, but the film at least has interesting characters, with some nice dumb fun along the way. Expand
  4. The whole movie felt recycled and was unsure of what tone it wanted to take. I never once actually laughed, but instead forced a snicker and maybe once giggled. What makes it worse is the fact that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldsberg (Superbad and Pineapple Express) wrote it, and Stiller, Vaughn and Hill are Hollywood's top comedians. The film was just not funny at all and I'm a little worried that Hollywood has run out of original ideas. Expand

See all 42 User Reviews

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