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Shooting Fish
Fox Searchlight Pictures
MPAA RATING: PG for thematic elements, suggestive humor and language
Starring
Dan Futterman,
Stuart Townsend,
Kate Beckinsale,
Rowena Cooper,
Scott Charles,
Antonia Corrigan,
Myles Anderson,
and
Jane Lapotaire
Smooth-talking American Dylan (Futterman) and his English friend Jez (Townsend), with the help of bright young typist Georgie (Becknisale) fleece as many wealthy people as it takes to buy themselves the stately home of their dreams. They run a scam involving selling bogus voice-activated computer hardware to company executives.
| GENRE(S): |
Comedy
|
Romance
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Stefan Schwartz
Richard Holmes
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Stefan Schwartz
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: February 2, 1999
Video: February 2, 1999
Theatrical: May 1, 1998
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
109 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
UK |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
70
Variety
Derek Elley
Though the script never makes a convincing case for the lads as '90s Robin Hoods, it's restlessly inventive, with a pleasant, rather than rib-cracking, humor and likable touch of naivete.
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Liam Lacey
At its best the movie is still innocent enough to slide past your guard, and inventive and lively enough to make the average Hollywood comedy seem to be on heavy tranquilizers.
60
The New Yorker
Bruce Diones
The film is paced like a breezy sixties romp and there are some good gags, but the plot's a bit creaky and lacks the clever zing of a good scam.
60
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Joshua Klein
As a cute diversion, it's a pleasant, painless, wonderfully forgettable surprise.
60
Los Angeles Times
Kevin Thomas
Not as inspired or amusing as it might be, leans heavily on the considerable charm of its three young and attractive principals. Their charisma and the film's larky spirit, English locales and elaborate cons might be just enough to divert easily satisfied date-night audiences.
60
Film Threat
Tom Meek
The leads are all likable, albeit two-dimensional, and the rompish surreal texture of the film, makes it stylishly hip and humorous, almost like an episode of "The Monkees."
58
Entertainment Weekly
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Wafer-thin, content-light, structure-wobbly, and whimsy-heavy.
50
LA Weekly
Paul Malcolm
Shooting Fish wants to hang with the hip crowd--witness the vibrant colors, the flashy camera work and the stream of catchy pop songs--but its heart just isn't wild enough.
50
ReelViews
James Berardinelli
The film is preposterous to the point of distraction, where the necessary level of suspension of disbelief exceeds the capacity of a normal, thinking person.
50
The New York Times
Stephen Holden
This aggressively whimsical fairy tale about a pair of grown-up orphans who rob from the rich to give to the poor (themselves!) and end up living happily ever after darts forward so quickly that several major plot turns are dispensed with in 10 or 15 seconds of babble.
40
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
A predictable affair that nonetheless ingratiates itself into your good fortunes by sheer virtue of its amiable nuttiness. It's mindless fun while it lasts.
40
Chicago Reader
Lisa Alspector
Leaking platitudes and cutesy ambience, this comedy folds a smarmy, social-issue subplot into a Saturday-morning-kids'-show sensibility; it's full of geeky gadgetry, and must've been a lot more fun to make than it is to watch.
30
TV Guide
Ken Fox
Cloying, immature and relentlessly cute, this grating British comedy about two London con men is every bit as shameless as its heroes.
25
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle
Aspires to the breezy esprit of a Richard Lester comedy from the '60s, but it's a deadly, leaden affair.
 The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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