Jennings and Goldsmith's kid-fueled '80s film proves as inspiring as it is inspired.
Comment
06/12/08
Son of Rambow (2008)
75 %
Reviews Counted: 101 Fresh: 76 Rotten:25 Average Rating: 6.9/10
Consensus:
Undeniable heart and charming young leads save the film's nostalgic storyline from suffering at the hands predictability.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Theatrical Release: May 2, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $1,612,881
Synopsis: Writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith, who as Hammer & Tongs have made music videos for such groups as Fatboy Slim, Supergrass, Blur, and REM, follow up their 2005 film, THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, with the charming indie SON OF RAMBOW, a love letter to the... [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Will Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruck, Charlie Thrift, Jessica Stevenson
Reviews
The boys' video project is modern enough to stand in contrast to the brick and tweed of the locale, but rather than glossing over that uncomfortable fit, Jennings highlights it with a one-man Flock Of Seagulls.
06/09/08
An almost unbearably tedious kidpic about two fatherless boy opposites using Rambo as a role model.
06/08/08
If you, too, are a son of Rambow, or are from the era of The Lone Ranger or even the Power Rangers, this movie calls to you.
06/05/08
SON OF RAMBOW is full of ideas and imagination, but I think Jennings buries himself with all of his ambition.
06/04/08
Jennings has crafted a work that beautifully -- and humorously -- evokes childhood and the impact of movies on children.
06/03/08
A number of young boys attended the screening I went to, and none of them seemed to be quite sure when they were supposed to laugh.
06/03/08
Jennings is clearly having a wonderful time recreating the fantasies of his youth, but sometimes his perspective get a little too inbred, and the picture suffers for it.
05/30/08
Top Critic
Wistful and a little wonky, playfully recreating a fanciful early '80s UK summer, Son of Rambow definitely feels like someone's personal experiences reinterpreted for public consumption.
05/30/08
The word is that even Sly Stallone gave this film a blessing, marking one of the few times that the guy involved with the likes of Judge Dredd and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot has displayed a modicum of good taste.
05/28/08
It would be dishonest of me to say that it's more than an endearing, well-acted trifle with lovely intentions.
05/23/08
What could have been an insightful look at how film and television mold our personalities is instead just another film about childhood friendship -- sweet, huggable and toothless.
05/23/08
The young performers, especially Milner and Poulter, are engaging without being cloying.
05/23/08
A funny, worthy film that -- unlike Sylvester Stallone's one-man army -- loses focus before it completes its mission.
05/23/08
It serves as both a coming of age film and a love letter to the power of movies.
05/23/08
Inspiration comes in all forms and writer/director Garth Jennings gets that idea across with equal parts cliché and whimsy.
05/22/08
It's subversively eccentric and poignant but lacks the punch that fully fleshed-out characters and a more cohesive story could deliver.
05/20/08
Son of Rambow conveys the passion and imagination of these kids... But what the film also does is to place their fantasies in a very real context.
05/19/08
Related Forums
(2008 USA release/Rated PG-13)-"SON OF RAMBOW: A Home Movie" is still stateside???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 5/27
by: REEL_REVIEWER 5/27
(2008 USA release/Rated PG-13)-"SON OF RAMBOW: A Home Movie" is still stateside???
by: REEL_REVIEWER 5/27
by: REEL_REVIEWER 5/27
Pictures
Videos
Trailer
Watch Now >>
Watch Now >>
News
Critics Consensus: Iron Man Is Heroic, Made of Honor Isn't
posted by Tim Ryan May 01, 2008
This week at the movies, we've got metal-plated superheroes (Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth...
posted by Tim Ryan May 01, 2008
This week at the movies, we've got metal-plated superheroes (Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth...
UK Box Office Breakdown: Craig's Fool Has Disasterous Opening
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 23, 2008
Daniel Craig's new film - Flashbacks of a Fool - suffers a disastrous opening weekend, coming in at only 11th in the...
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 23, 2008
Daniel Craig's new film - Flashbacks of a Fool - suffers a disastrous opening weekend, coming in at only 11th in the...
UK Box Office Breakdown: Sony's 21 Gamble pays off
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 16, 2008
Gambling drama 21 cleans up at the UK box office this week, taking both the number one spot and twice-as-much cash as...
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 16, 2008
Gambling drama 21 cleans up at the UK box office this week, taking both the number one spot and twice-as-much cash as...
UK Box Office Breakdown: Son of Rambow Highest New Entry
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 09, 2008
In a piece of news almost as heartwarming as the film itself, Son of Rambow came in at second place in the UK box office this...
posted by Orlando Parfitt April 09, 2008
In a piece of news almost as heartwarming as the film itself, Son of Rambow came in at second place in the UK box office this...
IGN RSS Feeds