Joe Dirt

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Spade, who almost invariably plays smug or smarmy characters, proves he really can act.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Little more than a series of sketches, tied together by Joe's on-air interrogation by a nasty shock jock played by Dennis Miller.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

This underdog comedy and its title character have considerable charm.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Ends up blowing its own joke. Instead of making Joe blissfully arrogant in his Southern rock dude myopia, it turns him into a shuffling masochistic loser.

Los Angeles Times Jan Stuart

If you are in touch with your inner 14-year-old child, you could do worse.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

This sentimental comedy is generally sweet natured.

Mr. Showbiz Cody Clark

A full-throated shout-out to the lowest common denominator.

Film.com Robert Horton

It's only when you see the movie that you discover how completely the film misses opportunities to develop these ideas into anything like movie comedy.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Joe Dirt is so obviously a construction that it is impossible to find anything human about him; he is a concept, not a person.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Just a big chunk of waste flushed from a Hollywood studio.

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

Rich with comic potential that goes unfulfilled, time after stupefying time.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

What makes it so disappointing is that the movie is just another sub-Farrelly-brothers collection of miscellaneous gags.

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

For all its promise of lively trailer-park humor, Joe Dirt digs, then lies in its own grave, killed by blah characters, lame jokes and cliches you can see coming a mile away.

Boston Globe Joanna Weiss

We have to endure 93 minutes of this torture, with only a few high points.

USA Today Mike Clark

Structured loosely enough to work in all the excrement and incest jokes necessary to seem hip these days.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

Knows its audience and doesn't stint on the flatulence jokes, poop jokes, leg-humping dogs and moments of homo-panic.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Relentlessly softheaded and softhearted.

Baltimore Sun Athima Chansanchai

Even with help from a pathetic Kid Rock and a boost from always-on Christopher Walken, Spade can't pull this off.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

In one scene, raw sewage is dumped on Joe. See Joe Dirt and you'll know how that feels.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

All failed concept and misfired comedy.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

We should be asking ourselves why so noble a nation would produce swill like Joe Dirt.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Redefines the notion of a feature film another notch downward.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Takes a prominent place along with "Tomcats," "Say It Isn't So," "Saving Silverman" and "Get Over It" on the list of reasons why raucous teen farce is headed six feet under.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

There's an oddball quality to the ensemble that might even be lovable if the movie weren't so glib and perfunctory.

New Times (L.A.) Robert Wilonsky

Sandler and Spade continue their avid quest to dumb down America.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Talk about waste products; think of the time, effort and money that went into this movie.