The Trip to Italy 2014

Wesley Morris, Grantland: It's that melancholy within each man that saves the film from disposability. Read more

Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: Underneath the achingly beautiful surface, a sense of opportunities lost and roads not taken often lurks. Read more

Kyle Smith, New York Post: As the film moseyed on I wished director Michael Winterbottom would sharpen his focus a bit and get to the point, any point. Read more

Matthew Kassel, New York Observer: The result is delectable, in spite of Mr. Coogan's self-conscious misgivings-meta-commentary on the film itself, one imagines-about repeating the trip. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: "The Trip to Italy" may not quite measure up to "The Godfather, Part II," the platinum standard for movie sequels, but it's very funny, and slightly serious, all the same. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: If you laughed at Coogan and Brydon's (sometimes astonishing) mimicry in "The Trip," you'll smile again. If not, you probably won't go out of your way to find the sequel. Read more

Scott Foundas, Variety: Coogan, Brydon and Winterbottom journey to the Mediterranean in this warmly enjoyable continuation of their improvised cultural and culinary adventures. Read more

Mike D'Angelo, AV Club: Should they go on to explore the dining options of other nations, they'd be well advised to expand their comic horizons a little bit and leave the phony efforts at drama behind. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Ever been on a trip with absurdly witty people who constantly one-up each other, to the point that it's either hilarious or exhausting? Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: If "The Trip to Italy" begins shakily, it ends with expansive bliss ... Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The movie soon grows tedious; Coogan's irritation with his traveling partner has diminished significantly, and the laughs along with it. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: If Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon were even 7 percent less amusing, "The Trip to Italy" would have no reason to exist, even with its casually gorgeous scenery and shattering close-ups of seafood pasta fresh out of the kitchen. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: This is a sequel that, for a change, was worth making. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: Where comedy provides the tonic in so many films, it's the hint of reality that pushes in at the edges and changes the pace here. These guys are funny. But they know their longer trip will continue once the last plate of pasta is empty. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: If it's your cup of tea, you're likely to spill it from laughing so hard. Somebody send these two on another holiday. Read more

Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly: At its heart, The Trip to Italy is more than just a travelogue about food. It's about friendship and the appetite for experience we all share. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: Plenty enjoyable for fans of the first one, but by the end, it also has the consistency of reheated comfort food. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: You come for the conversation, and in that, "The Trip to Italy" rarely disappoints. Read more

David Denby, New Yorker: This hedonistic japery is shot through with middle-aged melancholy and the fear of death. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: The celebrity mimicry and the shouted jokes still can't conceal how stale around the edges the concept is getting. Read more

John Powers, NPR: What I find appealing about these films is their sloping, improvisational air, their quality of catching a moment of life on the wing, as when Brydon startles Coogan with a joke so good he can't stop himself from laughing. Read more

Bob Mondello, NPR: I'd follow these guys "'round the horn" in a second. Maybe that's where they'll head next time. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Coogan and Brydon make terrific companions for us partially because, at least as they appear onscreen, they're so amusingly incompatible themselves. Read more

Manohla Dargis, New York Times: Ah, to be famous or just funny enough for someone to pay for your freewheeling jaunt along the Amalfi Coast! Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: The sumptuous views of gorgeous locations and savory foods combine with the improvised dialogue and behavior to give these movies a sensuous sort of spontaneity. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: The Trip to Italy doesn't feel entirely new, but there's comfort in familiarity, too. Read more

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com: Neither of the "Trip" movies is just random comedy bits; although partly improvised and deliberately episodic, they are actually carefully constructed narrative films with actors and characters. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: As we watch, the thought keeps returning, over and over: Why watch these people? What's the point? Film anybody's trip to Italy, and it would be more interesting than this, or at least equally boring. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: British comedians and dueling partners Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back in this witty and incisive follow-up to "The Trip." Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: With Winterbottom's first-ever sequel, his "Trip" films now rival Linklater's "Before" series in charting how a twosome evolves over time. Plus, they're bloody hilarious. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: Yes, these friends play rough and you wouldn't want to compete at their table, but through Winterbottom's funny and slyly serious film, you can experience their creativity from a seat nearby. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: The funniest bits are when the mimicry and the insults converge. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: Even if getting older can be a drag, at least the meals get much, much better. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: We know the recipe now-Winterbottom never departs from it, giving this installment slightly less kick-but the guys have curious appetites they barely understand. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The pair bicker cheekily and needle each other in clever, amusing ways. At their best, they have almost a syncopated rhythm to their comical sparring. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice: Now we know just what to expect from Coogan and Brydon, although as long as you're willing to settle in for the ride, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: As befits its settings, The Trip to Italy aims higher than its predecessor-maybe too high-and isn't as fresh. I enjoyed it, though. Read more

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: "The Trip to Italy" is like most vacations: a few bumps here and there, but over all too quickly. Read more