The Family 2013

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: A black comedy that doesn't begin to jell but has a sweetheart of a cast and the odd diverting moment. Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: Not known for subtlety, Besson gets the expected laughs, and then some. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: It doesn't even try for basic credibility. But buoyed by hot performances, it sustains a zapping electrical energy. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Remember when Robert De Niro was an interesting actor? These days his talent, like his character in "The Family," is in the witness protection program, never to be seen again. Read more

Andrew Barker, Variety: Curiously airless, weightless and tonally uncertain, Luc Besson's mafia comedy falls flat. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: Besson opts for simple black comedy; laughs and occasional shocks come courtesy of the characters' violent behavior, which is usually relayed through joking, elliptical editing. Read more

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: "The Family" does have its entertaining moments. But anyone who thinks it's a real knee-slapper needs therapy. Stat. Read more

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press: [An] oddly paced, overly violent, sometimes amusing but sometimes jarringly unfunny movie. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: The film isn't worthy of De Niro's stature, in the gangster sub-genre or otherwise. Read more

Matt Patches, Film.com: A love letter to Scorsese constructed with all the grace of Mr. Bean. Read more

Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: The thing that saves the movie time and again is Besson's uncanny ability to shift tone, sometimes even within a single sequence, from light comedy to serious action, to genuine emotion and even romance. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The movie is a cartoon, but the stakes are surprisingly real. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: This unexciting, unfunny would-be action satire is filled with Italian-American stereotypes, decades-old TV-style Mafia cliches, bits of business that never amount to anything and actors so much better than the hoary, one-joke material. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: An all-star cast fails to rise above bloody japes and heavy-handed humor in this tale of a renegade Mob family hiding in a small French town. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: The Family is a film at once strange and intriguing. It can't seem to settle on a tone. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Besson's history is one of making crowd-pleasing entertainment and The Family is no different. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: The Family is a comic souffle that never rises. Read more

Kristin Tillotson, Minneapolis Star Tribune: If cultural treason were a capital offense, "The Family" director Luc Besson would be on death row. Read more

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times: This is a deliberately off-kilter, cheerfully violent, hit-and-miss effort with just enough moments of inspiration to warrant a recommendation. Read more

Christopher Orr, The Atlantic: A movie with a PG brain and a NC-17 body count, unsuitable for audiences of any age. Read more

Adam Nayman, Globe and Mail: The casting of Robert De Niro as an ex-Mafioso hiding in witness protection is witty in only the silliest, most superficial way. It's a joke with its own tinny, built-in laugh track. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: While Besson knows his way around an action film, he's not as adept at comedy. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: No one's ever going to accuse Besson of having a light comic touch, but the mayhem in this minor mob comedy, more often than not, brings the laughs. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The Family is a fish-out-of-water/buddy comedy/Mob flick. But most of all, it's a missed opportunity. Read more

Sherrie Li, Village Voice: There are some great moments sprinkled throughout. But overall, these elements never seem to come together in the same harmonious way that this family does with each other. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: The Blakes think they're vigilantes, but in most other movies they'd be the bad guys. Read more