41
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80L.A. WeeklyL.A. WeeklyPlayfully quirky film takes equal-time potshots at its many easy targets -- fundamentalism, intolerance, ethnic stereotypes.
- 78Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesAustin ChronicleKimberley JonesIt's a shame if the controversy surrounding Bubble Boy distracts people from what a smart, subversive, and genuinely good-hearted film it is.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannThis movie has a sweetness at its core.
- 60The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottWhen it clicks, the picture should shock you into laughter -- enough to make you wish it were better and applaud its efforts anyway.
- 58Portland OregonianDiana Abu-JaberPortland OregonianDiana Abu-JaberThis is a semi-mean-spirited movie; had it remained that way, it could have redeemed itself.
- 50Boston GlobeJay CarrBoston GlobeJay CarrThere's always been room for rudeness in humor. In fact, it can be invigorating. But Bubble Boy goes through the motions of being outrageous when all it's really got is a rage to conform to formula.
- 38New York PostJonathan ForemanNew York PostJonathan ForemanFitfully funny at best, it's a sophomoric, facetious road comedy.
- 30Village VoiceNick RutiglianoVillage VoiceNick RutiglianoThe coke-fried gibbons behind Bubble Boy came to a trailblazing conclusion: The ideal filmic oddity is white, male, and -- a mother's deception notwithstanding -- perfectly healthy.
- 30TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghHard though this antic farce tries to be outrageous, its satirical jabs at American culture are obvious and juvenile, as is the use of Jimmy's plastic bubble as a goofy metaphor for fear of life.
- 30Chicago ReaderLisa AlspectorChicago ReaderLisa AlspectorThis Farrelly brothers "hommage" replicates the mechanics of their work without echoing its spirit or complex tone, and many of the deliberate offenses fail to transcend mere exploitation.