Josie and the Pussycats
Universal Studios | Release Date: April 11, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
11
Negative:
6
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
VarietyJoe Leydon
Sensationally exuberant, imaginatively crafted and intoxicatingly clever. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
A comic-book rock band starring in a film that actually makes a point? Now that's something worth singing about.
75
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Mindless glitz-o-ramas don't get any snazzier.
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The action is as perky as the main characters. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
A surprisingly smart satire around the bubble-gum band that first found life in the pages of the Archie comic book series. Read full review
70
Village VoiceJane Dark
The excellently irrelevant music is played by excellently irrelevant real-life rockers. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineFrank Lovece
That rare film aimed at teenage girls that's still enjoyable for grownup viewers. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The movie's got bounce. Spanked along by a soundtrack that has a surprising punky bite for something aimed at 13-year-olds. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's a silly, goofball romp, sure, but this newfangled Josie rocks far harder than her predecessor. Read full review
65
Mr. ShowbizKevin Maynard
Dippy, funny, and fast-paced enough to be a guilty pleasure. Read full review
63
New York PostLou Lumenick
More fun than you'd expect from an adaptation of a '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon that was in turn derived from a comic book.
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Follows its heroines' rise and wising-up with a giddy, "Hard Day's Night" enthusiasm.
60
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Harmless girlie trifle. Or at least it means to be. Read full review
60
SlateDavid Edelstein
Even if you find the satire in Josie and the Pussycats self-serving, you might still love the movie, buy the soundtrack, and surrender to the hype. That's what happened to me. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Light and frothy though all this is, there is an off-putting element to "Josie," and it's what must be the film's world record number of product placements. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
It’s a big, frothy, high-tech, cutesy-poo musical comedy. Read full review
50
SalonStephanie Zacharek
Would be more fun if it were either more shameless or more principled in the bad-girl way, taking a stance on the value of artistry and attitude over commerce. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleWesley Morris
What should have been 90 zippy minutes of jingling, giggling, winking fakery adds up to only about 20 minutes of fun. Read full review
50
Miami HeraldSara Wildberger
A fair weekend distraction for 10-year-old girls.
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
One long camp joke, with vamped scenes strung together. Read full review
50
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
A new millennium version of "A Hard Day's Night" without any wit to balance the silliness. Read full review
40
Film.comSean Means
Fails as a movie, it works OK as a long-form video. Read full review
40
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Cumming manages to keep the film's pandering in check with every wicked raised eyebrow. Read full review
38
USA TodaySusan Wloszczyna
The concept is so hypocritical, it's like Britney Spears calling Christina Aguilera underdressed and overexposed. Read full review
12
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Josie and the Pussycats are not dumber than the Spice Girls, but they're as dumb as the Spice Girls, which is dumb enough. Read full review
10
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Few people other than future airline passengers should be subjected to such misery. Read full review
10
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
The insultingly trendy post-postmodern tale rationalizes its own product placement by using overkill. Read full review
10
New Times (L.A.)Robert Wilonsky
An antiadvertisement for itself. Read full review
10
Washington PostRita Kempley
The fat cats of Hollywood have coughed up a hairball. Read full review
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