Lee, in his least commercial film, shoots for controversy but loses focus.
Comment
06/08/09
Bamboozled (2000)
47
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:95
Fresh:45
Rotten:50
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Bamboozled is too heavy-handed in its satire and comes across as more messy and overwrought than biting.
Runtime: 2 hrs 18 mins
Genre: Television
US Box Office: $1,883,628
Synopsis: Spike Lee turns up the controversy notch once again with BAMBOOZLED, a sizzling satire on race and racism within the modern media world. Harvard-educated writer Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans), the... [More]
Starring: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Michael Rapaport, Tommy Davidson
Director: Spike Lee
Reviews for Bamboozled
Click to read the article
03/10/09
This is basically sloppy, all-over-the-map filmmaking with few hints of self-criticism and few genuine laughs.
09/23/08
Spike Lee’s shotgun attack on the treatment of blacks in television and the blurring of image and identity is a brilliant rant that digresses into repetitive sermonizing.
08/07/08
A particularly painful mess, because it begins so well and has such promise.
07/23/07
If Mr. Lee meant to bring back blackface entertainment as a metaphor for the current black performers he finds obnoxious, he has miscalculated.
04/27/07
...where most of us in his audience will lean forward to hear a whisper, we turn away from a shout. Oh, how Bamboozled shouts.
04/06/06
Lee's satire on American TV is an intriguing failure.
01/26/06
The director's new masterpiece is a summation of nearly everything he has learned as a filmmaker, and about black culture, but he doesn't feel the need to beat the audience over the head for each lesson he's trying to impart.
12/06/05
Lee's basing the movie in satire was a smart move because in it he can push the envelope harder than drama or straight comedy would have allowed.
01/21/04
He hammers his point home until the viewer is emotionally beaten into submission and manipulated into a consenting stance.
05/14/03
Spike Lee has made one of the few films in the year 2000 that is actually about something, and for that he deserves great credit.
01/10/03
Extremely heavy-handed satire from director Spike Lee -- disturbing and thought-provoking but ultimately lacking a sense of focus.
10/30/02
A passionate movie bursting with ideas, but it's also a huge mess.
10/11/02
Spike Lee's back, with a vengeance.
09/10/02
Empty-headed and unspeakably undisciplined… [the] question bears asking: Has Spike Lee -- the living, breathing antithesis of subtlety -- gone completely insane?
08/30/02
It is an inspired but difficult film that poses many questions and takes almost everyone to task, yet offers few suggestions as to what is to be done with this infamous legacy.
06/05/02
At his best, Spike Lee is too brave to be subtle.
03/19/02
By relaxing and opening up his approach just a little he could have said much more.
12/10/01
Beyond the strong acting, there’s a lack of focus about the Delacroix character.
07/19/01
Latest News for Bamboozled
March 23, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Inside Man" is Certified Fresh, Second Best-Reviewed Wide Release Of
Tension: it's the key to many a film, and this week's wide releases bring three variants on that theme. We've got a hostage situation ("Inside Man"), class conflict... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Oscar nomination for Rockwell? 
Join Moon director Duncan Jones' quest to get Sam a nod.
Werewolves Prowl the Movies
TIME tells us the tales behind 13 of Hollywood's most famous wolfmen.
The Return of Pee-wee
The 57-year-old is headed back to the Playhouse. Details catches up with the iconic star.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen and more on DVD
The year's biggest film is here and we're giving away big Transformers prize packs -- including both movies and the animated series.
IGN RSS Feeds