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So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 60 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
15 Iffy for 15+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly |

    The title refers to cheap fireworks that fizz before they flame out quietly, and that's what three Southwestern slackers do in this amiable heist movie-cum-road flick. Read full review

  • 80
    Dallas Observer | Andy Klein

    Its tone has elements of Jim Jarmusch and the Coen brothers but without Jarmusch's self-conscious artiness or the Coens' hip snottiness. Read full review

  • 80
    Variety | David Rooney

    Full of surprising warmth and charm, unexpected plot turns and droll characters that bounce off each other in refreshing ways. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    Rocket flies with comic-kaze crooks. [21 February 1996, p. D6] Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    A hilarious, inventive and goofy breath of fresh air. Read full review

  • 60
    Washington Post | Rita Kempley

    Gets by on quirky charm and slacker chic-but just barely. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times | Elvis Mitchell

    A mildly facetious tone limits Anderson's film to the lightweight, but the collective enthusiasm behind this debut effort still comes through. What's best about Bottle Rocket is not the laid-back pranks that inflate its story to feature length but the offbeat elan with which that story is told. Read full review

  • 50
    Austin Chronicle | Marjorie Baumgarten

    Bottle Rocket's minimalist pop has a refreshing flavor but insufficient bubbles for a long, cool drink. Maybe someone ought to think about culling this thing down into a sustainable short film. Read full review

  • 50
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Entertaining if you understand exactly what it is: if you see it as a film made by friends out of the materials presented by their lives and with the freedom to not push too hard. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    The film itself is wretched. A grueling, numbing black hole. Read full review

View more reviews for Bottle Rocket on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 15+ The first Anderson/Wilson offbeat, talky comedy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this indie dramedy follows three best friends who become bumbling small-time crooks in hopes of getting in on a real heist. There is a lot of R-rated language plus one love scene (no nudity is visible, however). The overall theme of seeking excitement from planning and executing a robbery may not be suitable for younger children, but there's a great deal of humor to offset the "life of crime" elements.
  • Families can talk about risk-taking and peer pressure. Did Anthony seem like he really wanted to go along with Dignan, or was he just humoring him? Kids: Was Dignan using Bob for his money? What would you do if friends asked you to do something illegal?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Three friends seek out the excitement of a life of petty heists.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: The cops beat up a suspect; Dignan gets into a brawl at a bar and ends up with a bloody gash on his face; Dignan gives Anthony a bloody nose; Bob's brother beats him off camera, and he subsequently wears a bandage around his ear.
  • sex false3 Sex: Anthony and Inez kiss on a few occasions and make love once (no nudity). A woman flirts with Anthony.
  • language false3 Language: R-rated language: "f--k," "s--t," "asshole," "c---sucker," etc.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: The guys drink at a bar; partygoers drink cocktails and smoke cigars/cigarettes.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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