55
Metascore
41 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonChicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonThe movie is a delight in many ways: an unabashed romantic comedy and Capraesque fable that takes Spielberg into realms he's rarely traveled before.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttIn a summer of remakes, sequels and movies swollen with effects, The Terminal stands out as a strikingly original comedy.
- 80VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasThis buoyant, optimistic fable seems to share in the late Ronald Reagan's optimism for America. It does so with the help of a gifted comic ensemble led by Tom Hanks.
- 80Dallas ObserverBill GalloDallas ObserverBill GalloThanks to Spielberg's vivid storytelling and Hanks' matchless gift for bringing the common man to life, this is a relentlessly charming movie.
- 75ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliTo be savored for its unhurried approach and simple fish-out-of-water story that favors individual character-driven moments over dramatic plot developments.
- 70New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerNew York Magazine (Vulture)Peter RainerIt’s an odd fable: Viktor is the mysterious visitor who shows us what the American Dream is all about--in the movie’s terms, compassion for others--without ever wanting to become an American himself. He's a spiritual twin to E.T., who also had trouble phoning home.
- 70The A.V. ClubKeith PhippsThe A.V. ClubKeith PhippsIn the latest of a long string of memorable performances, Hanks balances wide-eyed confusion with innate shrewdness, finding a character who's both unfailingly sweet and nobody's fool.
- 50TimeRichard CorlissTimeRichard CorlissThe Terminal is Spielberg's shortest feature since the first "Jurassic Park," yet it drags, plods, piling one lifeless situation atop another. For all the effort and good intentions, the movie is in-terminal-ble.
- 50Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversIn his sappiest film since 1989's "Always," director Steven Spielberg has come down with a case of the cutes that the whole cast catches.
- 40Village VoiceJ. HobermanVillage VoiceJ. HobermanMaking Viktor a Middle Eastern, a South Asian, or even a Bosnian tourist would have given this trite exercise an edge--and a measure of human pathos.