Big Game 2015

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: "Big Game" is goofy fun, whether Jackson is rolling down a hill in a freezer, the kid is trying to stop a bazooka with an arrow, or we're witnessing other stunts that are just too preposterous to describe. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: The audience is treated to jaw-dropping action sequences, enhanced by awesome special effects and staggering cinematography. Read more

Dennis Harvey, Variety: Taken in a lighthearted spirit, it's all good fun, with well-handled if increasingly improbable action. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: If nothing else, Finnish writer-director Jalmari Helander has a knack for cooking up premises so absurd that they can't help but intrigue. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: Off-kilter as Helander's sensibility continues to be, he's got a passion for popcorn-movie energy that can be contagious - especially when he's not trashing Santa. Read more

Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com: While [director] Helander probably didn't want to make things too campy or tongue-in-cheek, a little of this attitude might have distracted viewers from the rent-a-villains and generic action. Read more

Kevin P. Sullivan, Entertainment Weekly: As a throwback, Big Game understands the thrills of retro action but never earns its big moments. Read more

John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: Often hilarious and even a tiny bit moving. Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: Gleefully dumb but eager to entertain, this is cheeseball stuff baked with deliciously outsized performances and low comedy and photographed across mighty beautiful landscapes. Read more

Andrew Lapin, NPR: It seems only fair now to let kids from every other country line up to escort Samuel L. Jackson to safety. What kinds of misadventures could he get up to in Uruguay, or Mauritania? Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: This is like fan fiction from someone who only has one genre in their Netflix queue. Read more

Andy Webster, New York Times: Mr. Jackson has never seemed so unblustery; his scenes with the younger actor have ease and humor. The authority is there but also the soul you'd want from the leader of the free world. Read more

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: "Big Game" never once feels credible, and that's why it's so entertaining. Almost nothing that takes place in this movie could occur in the real world, and there's something comforting about that. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: I was highly prepared to tell you that "Big Game" was cynical garbage and that nobody involved gave a damn - but the thing is, that simply isn't true. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The story penned by Helander with Petri Jokiranta goes heavy on the hokum, not to mention the CGI fireworks, but a dialled-down Jackson and a fired-up Tommila make for an entertaining pair. Read more

Tom Huddleston, Time Out: Yes, Jackson does get to call someone 'motherfucker' right before shooting them. Read more

Pete Vonder Haar, Village Voice: Predictably ridiculous. Read more