Wet Hot American Summer

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The movie is so hilariously sly about something so fetishistically trivial that at times it appears to take in an entire culture through a lens made of cheese.

Newsweek David Ansen

This shamefully underpromoted, gloriously silly romp made me laugh harder than any other movie this summer. Make that this year.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

It's not a sex movie but a parody, and the loose feel is part of its genius.

Variety Dennis Harvey

Nearly half over before it finds a consistent groove, let alone a decent hit-to-miss joke ratio.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

The film keeps being yanked back from nothingness by this or that clever sendup, delivered by a small army of invigorated performers who seem to push off from one another's energy levels.

Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson

A mess, bouncing nonsensically from one style of farce to another, leaving large vacuums and dead spots — which may themselves, of course, be deliberate.

Los Angeles Times Gene Seymour

It's nice, once in a while, to come upon a movie that knows it's nothing special, proves it and doesn't care so long as its target audience feels good enough to have a refreshing beverage or two afterward.

LA Weekly Manohla Dargis

Like, you know, genius. But, like, you know, why?

The New York Times Dana Stevens

In essence, it's a ragged collection of bits and sketches cobbled into about a dozen plots, most of which call upon the cast to do a lot of tongue and neck-spraining French kissing.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

It comes out less like a spoof than a smart-aleck remake of "Meatballs," minus the energy of Bill Murray.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Lulls aside, Wain and Showalter deserve camp kudos for getting the details right.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Mostly it fails to score. Maybe that's why no one has attempted summer-camp comedy since the third "Meatballs" sequel a decade ago.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

Harmless enough, and its team of actors so frisky and enthusiastic that it manages to deliver a modicum of laughs despite itself.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

The frantic proceedings are more likely to have you wishing this summer would just come to an end.

Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones

Big, dumb, and fun.

Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder

This low-budget comedy will most likely try the patience of a paying audience with its uneven pacing, wavering tone and poor production quality.

USA Today Claudia Plig

The writing here is rarely funny, and often trite and predictable. A couple of scenes are downright disturbing:

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Most of the scenes fall flatter than a lead soufflé, and the film's sight gags -- Andy dumping campers' bodies by the roadside, Gene humping the refrigerator -- are outrageous without actually being funny.

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

The film exists in a humid meta-movie ether all its own.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

I want to escape, Oh, Muddah Faddah -- Life's too short for cinematic torture.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

A thoroughly inept piece of moviemaking. You're more likely to find a ham sandwich at a Passover seder than to find a laugh in this picture.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Stumbles right out of the gate and never regains its footing. It's sad to see a gifted comedian like Janeane Garofalo trying, but failing, to anchor this mediocre affair.

New Times (L.A.) Gregory Weinkauf

Doesn't swing, doesn't score, can't make it to first base, never even drags its sorry ass out of the dugout.

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

This is supposed to be funny? It was so depressing I almost started to cry.