51
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Chicago ReaderChicago ReaderMott Hupfel II's noirish photography, Pete Beaudreau's smooth editing, and McAbee's wry script are all wonderful, and Dawn Weisberg's costumes are especially killing.
- 70TV Guide MagazineFrank LoveceTV Guide MagazineFrank LoveceThe characters may be one-dimensional ciphers with nothing much to say, but boy, do they not say it with style.
- 63New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickA micro-budget black-and-white musical set in outer space, The American Astronaut is obviously not for all tastes -- but it's quite unlike anything else out there at the moment.
- 63Boston GlobeBoston GlobeDoesn't really have a climax that works, making you wonder whether all the nutso plot machinations were worth following. Maybe, maybe not. But there were a number of skewed bits that popped out and put a chuckle into this journey.
- 50Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonRarely funny and straining to reach feature length, The American Astronaut achieves sweetness via its straight-faced take on utter gobbledygook.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannMuch of Astronaut comes off as tedious and self-amused, but the musical vignettes are fun.
- 40VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyUnfortunately that blast-off heralds an orbit to nowhere, with initial delight fading as pic runs out of ideas all too soon, never building a sense of momentum or narrative thrust.
- 38New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanThe best part of this proudly absurd experience is the music.
- 30New Times (L.A.)Gregory WeinkaufNew Times (L.A.)Gregory WeinkaufThe fleeting moments of dry wit are too sparse to hold the movie together, so instead McAbee takes the kitchen-sink approach, hitting us with whatever he's got.
- 30Los Angeles TimesJohn AndersonLos Angeles TimesJohn AndersonHas been described as a "midnight-style musical." And perhaps it should be seen that way, with a crowd of kindred knuckleheads and some moshing in the aisles.