52
Metascore
33 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliHas enough charm and whimsy to capture the attention and imagination of children and parents alike, and arguably represents one of the best live-action family films to enter theaters this year.
- 70The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsWriter-director Tim McCanlies works in broad, kid-friendly strokes, and he's not afraid to lay on the sentiment, but his cast makes sure it's well-earned.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenAwash in nostalgia, "Lions" combines a gentle coming-of-age story with swashbuckling fantasy. While it lacks a necessary tension in its establishing scenes and might be too soft for those who prefer grittier fare.
- 60VarietyVarietyMay score higher with parents than the kids they bring in tow. Writer-director Tim McCanlies' ("Dancer, Texas Pop. 81") feel-good celebration of youth and old age enriching each other is carefully leavened with humor.
- 58Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyWith no baseline ''truth'' to be found among the cartoony characters and cheesy twists, the whole production feels like a Texas-size load of secondhand lyin'.
- 40Village VoiceEd ParkVillage VoiceEd ParkThe self-consciousness is unintentionally touching, but it wet-blankets the film into a thirdhand lark.
- 40New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerThe only saving grace is that Caine and Duvall don’t overdo the southern-coot stuff.
- 40L.A. WeeklyScott FoundasL.A. WeeklyScott FoundasDespite the considerable imagination that has gone into realizing period scenes on a modest budget, all the episodes (past and present) feel hurried and clipped, like they've been passed through too many impatient editing-room hands, and the picture never fully absorbs you.
- 38Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneWith such a bang-up cast, this setup could at least elicit some tears, but in its 107 minutes, nary a one welled up in my eyes.
- 30Dallas ObserverRobert WilonskyDallas ObserverRobert WilonskyCornier than the cornfields spread out in front of the dilapidated rural Texas manse inhabited by Robert Duvall and Michael Caine, playing grumpy old brothers with mismatched accents.