76
Metascore
39 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The PlaylistJason BaileyThe PlaylistJason BaileyIn playing a man who was so clearly among his comic ancestors and influences, we see, for the first time in a long time, Murphy’s sheer joy of performance, the thing that made his early work in films like “48 HRS.” and “Beverly Hills Cop” so electrifying.
- 83ConsequenceSarah KurchakConsequenceSarah KurchakA celebration of Rudy Ray Moore, the creative process, and black creativity, Dolemite Is My Name is an absolute joy to watch.
- 80VarietyOwen GleibermanVarietyOwen GleibermanA total motherf—kin’ blast. ... You might have to go all the way back to the ’80s to find a Murphy performance driven by this much pleasurable funky verve.
- 75The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzEssential to the film’s success is Murphy, clearly having his best time in a long time as Moore, who adopted a flashy pimp-esque persona that would eventually take the blaxploitation landscape by storm.
- 70Screen DailyTim GriersonScreen DailyTim GriersonAn enjoyable star vehicle that provides the beloved comic with one of his most substantial roles.
- 70IGNIGNIn spite of the adult material, it’s a genuinely affecting underdog story, and a rallying cry to anyone who has ever dreamed big. Most of all, Dolemite is a heartfelt tribute to a genuine auteur who spent his life spreading laughter and joy, and who made movie magic by always staying true to himself.
- 67IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichUnfolding like a slaphappy cross between “Baadasssss!” and “Bowfinger,” “Dolemite Is My Name” may not be quite as spirited or hilarious as any of its most obvious reference points, but its big-hearted buoyancy keeps it afloat, and the movie doesn’t slow down long enough for you to really care that it’s following a timeless formula.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeOdd, then, that [Brewer and Murphy's] Dolemite Is My Name is such a conventional-feeling biopic, one with its share of laughs and surprising anecdotes but little of the enduring strangeness that kept the 1975 Dolemite rattling around in our cultural memory
- 60Vanity FairK. Austin CollinsVanity FairK. Austin CollinsIt feels at times like a Tracy Jordan spoof of a movie, and not always for the better. But that doesn’t stop Dolemite from being funny, or from giving Murphy room to do the things he likes to do.
- 58The Film StageEthan VestbyThe Film StageEthan VestbyDolemite Is My Name sadly coasts on a reliable biopic structure and handsome production values.