Joyful Noise 2012

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: The critic in me can authoritatively declare that the film is crap. The fan in me sent his shirt to the dry cleaners for tear removal. Read more

Christy Lemire, Associated Press: If some incarnation of "Glee" were to be developed for the Christian Broadcasting Network, it would probably look a lot like "Joyful Noise." Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: [It] bears almost all the liabilities one gets from current studio product, including bloating. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: A lower echelon of musical comedy hell (or heaven, if you love the hoariest musical comedy cliches). Read more

Keith Uhlich, Time Out: More stupid movies should leave you with such a blissfully stupid smile. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: You'll find yourself rolling your eyes, but you'll have more fun if you try to roll them in time with the rollicking numbers. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: Suspense plays second fiddle to the music, which is a good thing, since the music is pretty great, though also to the two leading ladies' store of folk wisdom. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: If it weren't for those musical numbers, Joyful Noise would be a slog. More singing and less talking would have made it better still. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: "Joyful Noise" is cheerful testament to the theory that if you cast your movie right, nothing else much matters. Read more

Tasha Robinson, AV Club: It's a film about triumph, but only for people who can accept every joyous or fierce moment as triumphant, regardless of how poorly it follows from the moment before it. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: The cornpone wisdom overflows from the screen during "Joyful Noise," like maple syrup on your grandmama's flapjacks. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A pew-pounding musical drama starring Queen Latifah, Keke Palmer, and the skeletal remains of Dolly Parton. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: The movie's all right, if you can take its rampant artificiality - and I'm not even talking about Parton's face yet. Read more

Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News: Joyful Noise works best when the screen is filled with music, or when stars Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah are slinging spirited one-liners at each other. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Much worse things could happen to a movie than to have these two full-figured gals hold forth. Parton's willing and able to despense the Southernisms. Latifah's fierce when she needs to be. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: It wants to be a charming, down-home good time, but it struggles to hit the right notes. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The movie's musical numbers are catchy and rollicking and, in their bright sunshiny way, rather soulful. Read more

Eric D. Snider, Film.com: Has the good fortune of being acted with enthusiasm by a very appealing cast, or else it would be completely unbearable instead of just mundane. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Everyone on view is so fundamentally decent and goody-goody that no real tension or unresolvable conflicts ever surface. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Joyful Noise is too tone-deaf to put its few blessings to good use. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: Whenever the characters open their mouths to sing, "Joyful Noise" rocks and swings with spirit to spare. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: My, is there corn. But you'd have to be holding on very tightly to a bad mood to walk away from this meal with a frown. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Queen Latifah radiates such effortless charisma that she can elevate the lousiest film. Unfortunately, that effort seems to have become her norm. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Latifah, a formidable actress who's almost always better than her movies, easily dominates this... Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: Don't expect high art, and you will leave Joyful Noise smiling to the beat. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: Though one wishes Graff's eye were as developed as his keen ear, he elicits rafter-raising musical performances from Latifah, Palmer, and Jordan that are irresistible fun. Read more

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: This movie is a cloying, over-the-top, cheesy sing-a-long that makes "Glee" seem subtle. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The strange thing is that it makes no particular effort to please its target audience, which would seem to be lovers of gospel choirs. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Lots of talented young singers decorate the scenery, notably Jeremy Jordan who has vocal and acting chops that shine even in this bucket of Glee Goes Gospel cornpone. Read more

Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: "Joyful Noise" follows the book for sprightly musicals and small-town quirk. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Joyful Noise" is a sort of Wal-Mart movie, not exactly trendsetting but a decent enough offering for the heartland. Read more

Kevin C. Johnson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Nothing more than uninspired mushiness. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: An unholy mess. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: On paper, the idea of a movie that appeals to fans of both Glee and Tyler Perry seems like a shrewd one, but Joyful Noise will unlikely satisfy either camp. Read more

Guy Lodge, Time Out: [A] mostly sweet-natured rehash of 'Sister Act 2' by way of 'Glee'... Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Joyful Noise subscribes to the Tyler Perry school of filmmaking - broad laughs beget life lessons and wisdom about the power of family and the joys of doing the right thing. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Despite the sheer volume of music on offer, very little of it feels authentic -- or especially inspiring. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: A holy hot mess of the sacred and the inane. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Despite some mawkish dialogue, there's something to be said for leaving the theater with a smile. Can I get an amen? Read more

Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader: It's hard to enjoy the movie's charms when writer-director Todd Graff keeps trying to shove them down your throat. Read more