36
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubSan Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubClumsily directed yet entertainingly written by Oakland native Nnegest Likké, Phat Girlz is like "Rocky" with cellulite. Or maybe "Pretty Woman" without all the bony butts. It has a lot of heart and soul, but it's almost never mean-spirited.
- 75Boston GlobeWesley MorrisBoston GlobeWesley MorrisThis is a disarming and, in its own way, delightful vehicle for its star and executive producer, the comedian and actress Mo'Nique. Who could hate this movie?
- 63New York Daily NewsRobert DominguezNew York Daily NewsRobert DominguezThe plus-size personality of comic actress Mo'Nique fills the screen in Phat Girlz, a sweet, if thinly plotted tale.
- 50Los Angeles TimesJohn AndersonLos Angeles TimesJohn AndersonLikké should be applauded for tackling a subject that's bristling with sociopolitical thorns and that raises some provocative questions, particularly about what we find attractive in other people and why.
- Barely written and stiffly directed.
- 40VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonMo'Nique, a vet standup and sitcom performer whose sassy, brassy shtick isn't nearly enough to support material this insubstantial.
- 38The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie PunterThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jennie PunterIf it weren't for Mo'Nique's fresh, appealing screen presence, Phat Girlz would fall flat.
- 30Film ThreatPete Vonder HaarFilm ThreatPete Vonder HaarLackluster dialogue, ludicrously unbelievable storyline, and the fact that the entire film looks and sounds like it was shot on a camcorder mean nobody outside of the studio’s target demographic is likely to check this out.
- 25TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghEven Mo'Nique's outsize presence isn't enough to make ancient gags about stuck-up popular girls or about voluptuous vultures clearing a whole buffet table in one fell swoop funny.
- 25New York PostNew York PostThe film is amateurishly directed and sluggishly paced with an anorexic plot. Even the photography, sound and costumes are substandard.