The Cable Guy 1996

Critics score:
54 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Janet Maslin, New York Times: Though this should have been an opportunity for Mr. Carrey to expand upon his runaway success and solidify long-term stardom, The Cable Guy instead offers the shocking sight of a volatile comic talent in free fall. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: A misguided attempt to extend [Carrey's] range by having him play someone who is demented and dangerous. Read more

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader: It's a fairly interesting effort -- much more ambitious than most Carrey vehicles. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Basically, it's not a whole lot of fun. There's no one to identify with -- Carrey's Cable Guy is a stalker, and Matthew Broderick's Steven is bland to the point of near-invisibility. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: As it is, themovie goes in one direction and the cable guy goes in another, and by the end we aren't really looking forward to seeing Jim Carrey reappear on the screen. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Stiller doesn't know where he wants the movie to go, and Broderick has nothing to do but look incredulous as Carrey wreaks havoc on his personal life. Read more

Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle: Much of it plays like a personal boob tube with Carrey trapped inside, determined to act his way out in a freak show of mugging. He's a disturbing mixture of psychopath and lonely soul. Here, as always, a little Carrey goes a long way. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: Aiming, perhaps, for a neat double helix of black humor and prankishness, they've ended up with a pretty ugly granny knot. Read more

Time Out: Stiller's film ranks as an honourable failure. Read more

Leonard Klady, Variety: While some of its antic set pieces are genuinely funny, this fuzzy-focus outing is hopelessly disconnected and ultimately unsatisfying. Read more