- J. Hoberman, Village Voice: “A painful movie to endure.”
- Alonso Duralde, MSNBC: “Whatever your preconceived notions, W. manages to be both exactly what you thought it would be and something else entirely.”
- Stephanie Zacharek, Salon: “I know it’s probably taking the artistic high road to view George W. Bush compassionately. But I’m just not ready for it right now.”
- Richard Corliss, Time: “The result is that rare Oliver Stone film that is not exhilarating, or enraging, but boring.”
- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: “One might feel sorry for George W. at the end of this film, were it not for his legacy of a fraudulent war and a collapsed economy.”
- Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: “Dreyfuss perfectly captures “Vice’s” lumpen Mephistophelian stillness.”
- Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: “The moments Stone and Weiser select to sketch Bush’s character are more of a jumble than a natural progression.”
- Christy Lemire, Associated Press: “Brolin’s so good, he almost makes us feel sorry for Bush. Almost.”
- David Ansen, Newsweek: “It’s not boring, and Brolin is often remarkable.”
- Josh Rosenblatt, Austin Chronicle: “This rehashing of current events doesn’t just come off familiar but completely unnecessary.”
- Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer: “You’ll be disappointed if you expect famed leftist Oliver Stone to apply a coup de grace to this man.”
Bingo.
