Kicking & Screaming

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Ferrell's ideally suited to man-boy characters, and that's what Phil Weston is in "Kicking."

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Some scenes are just silly, others are dead-on uproarious. Ditka, a real-life football legend, is a real find as our hero's assistant.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

An entertaining family movie, and may serve a useful purpose if it inspires kids to overthrow their coaches and take over their own sports.

Newsweek David Ansen

It's all kept light and funny, but underlying the broad sight gags is a movie that actually has something to say about competition, fathers and sons, machismo and caffeine.

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

Laughs-wise, it lacks the raucous edge of an "Old School" or "Anchorman" or the retro charm of an "Elf," but there's still plenty of Will-power to fuel this likable underdog trifle. It certainly is more enjoyable than a lot of what passes for family entertainment these days.

Variety Scott Foundas

An immensely likable, funny comedy that finds a novel approach to that familiar combo of kids and sports.

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

This might be the most predictable movie of the year, but at least it delivers everything you expect it to.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Kicking & Screaming may be a prefab cartoon out of the "Bad News Bears" cookie cutter, but Ferrell doesn't just save this junk -- he rules it.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

For soccer aficionados, Kicking & Screaming boasts some fairly cool play, courtesy of Alessandro Ruggiero and Francesco Liotti, two kids who play "the Italians."

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

It's Ferrell who is the vehicle, a mow-you-down comic engine, and everyone else is just along for the ride in this marginally effective, starkly unoriginal family comedy.

New York Post Kyle Smith

R0bert Duvall as a pee wee soccer coach? Great idea, but Kicking and Screaming should have had him roar, "I love the smell of juice boxes in the morning."

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

There aren't any big laughs, but there's a steady supply of small ones, and with his overgrown-kid persona Ferrell seems more comfortable in a family comedy than, say, Eddie Murphy.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

A sweet, inoffensive, achingly laughless comedy.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Leah McLaren

Luckily for the viewer, Ferrell is an irresistible presence. His occasional moments of unwarranted weirdness are the only thing that makes this otherwise pedestrian movie bearable (let alone interesting) to watch.

Boston Globe Ty Burr

It would have been nice if someone had included a script, too.

Premiere Kevin Allison

Relatively harmless fun, although it does make you wish Ferrell would do more risky, rule-bending work like "Anchorman." Enough with the generic star vehicles man, write thee a screenplay again!

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

It's not brilliant by any means, but bright enough to light up an overly familiar feel-good story.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

At best, this film is half-inflated.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

A threadbare comedy glomming onto the ample talent of its star, Will Ferrell.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

It never quite takes off.

Village Voice Matt Singer

Even the intermittent laughs undermine Kicking and its winning-isn't-everything message.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

My own little critic-in-training laughed her head off. Lacks taste, must try harder.

Empire Dan Jolin

This year's Dodgeball? Not a chance. Ferrell admirably tackles the so-so material, but it soon defeats him.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Even a soccer-savvy audience has better things to do - like instilling unsportsmanlike behavior in their kids or sabotaging rival teams.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The heart of the problem may be that real life youth-sports insanity has far exceeded the bounds of family-friendly comedy.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

This is little more than a big-budget sitcom, with a guest appearance by Mike Ditka, who plays an unfunny version of himself as Phil's assistant coach.

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Even understanding the audience for which Kicking & Screaming is aiming, it's hard not to notice the flaws.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Roughly as entertaining as watching your neighbor's kid's soccer game, not because you want to, but because you have to.

USA Today Claudia Puig

A good script is the most essential ingredient for a good movie. Hiring a comedian isn't enough.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Crushingly inept family comedy.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Too bad the director ties everyone's laces together and they all go down in a jumble.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Not only not funny, it's unfunny. It kills humor. Sit in a room by yourself, look at a blank screen for 90 minutes, and you'll have more of a chance of laughing at your own thoughts than you will at this movie.

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

If its made-for-TV sensibility explains its chaotically blobby shooting style, it doesn't clarify a plot so painfully padded that it looks for laughs in strange digressive asides regarding bratwurst and coffee.