DEBS 2005

Critics score:
38 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: Robinson never lets her feature film debut -- expanded from a festival short after drawing raves at Sundance 2003 -- stray too far from its satiric base. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: Is it a satire of stupid movies? Is it just a stupid movie? Read more

AV Club: Read more

Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times: Unexpectedly fresh, thanks mostly to the sweetly exuberant love story at its center. Read more

Houston Chronicle: Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: The movie has no wit, no charm, no cleverness, no traction. Simply put, it is no fun. Read more

Ernest Hardy, L.A. Weekly: A former short film stretched beyond the interest of its wanly amusing riffs, it settles for easy, familiar jokes and slack storyline tension. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: Even if it doesn't add up to a whole lot, the movie is content to tickle you gently more than jab you in the ribs. These days, that's saying a lot. Alas. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Those who are hoodwinked into leaving home for such deliberate mediocrity may get a sense that the movie's biggest joke is at their expense. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Cute, campy and as proudly insubstantial as its heroines' micro-miniskirts. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: A heat-free pseudo-lesbian spoof of Charlie's Angels by way of Heathers. Read more

Rex Reed, New York Observer: D.E.B.S. stands for 'Discipline, Energy, Beauty, Strength' -- none of which is remotely detectable in a single frame. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The character traits of the D.E.B.S. are only slightly more useful than the color-coded uniforms of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Read more

Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle: A prime example of a dispiriting trend: movies whose primary point of reference is other movies. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: The most endearing aspect of D.E.B.S., a sweet-spirited spoof, is that the lesbian romance is played for real, with no nudge-nudge wink-wink irony. Read more

Susan Walker, Toronto Star: Only the world of X-rated movies overlooks such flimsiness of plot, absence of acting talent, cheap special effects, banal dialogue and scantily clad young women. Read more

Time Out: Read more

Anna Smith, Time Out: Read more

Time Out: Read more

USA Today: Plays less like a send-up of Charlie's Angels than one of the endless D-list satires that clogged theaters 40 years ago near the end of the 007-inspired spy cycle. Read more

David Rooney, Variety: A disarmingly silly confection. Read more

Laura Sinagra, Village Voice: 'Did you go to Dalton?' If you did, and played Buffy beer shots at your safety school, this one's for you. Read more

Stephen Hunter, Washington Post: It's so spoofy it's difficult to call 'good' or even 'bad'; just say it's smooth. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: A hideously unfunny spy spoof. Read more