36
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 50VarietyRonnie ScheibVarietyRonnie ScheibColorless exposition and a lack of imagination or wit stall Father of Invention at the starting gate.
- 50New York PostLou LumenickNew York PostLou LumenickMake no mistake, Father of Invention is the hilarious Spacey's show all the way.
- 40The Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttThe Hollywood ReporterKirk HoneycuttComedies don't get much more unfunny than Father of Invention, a lame and somewhat preachy comic take on a father trying to get back into his daughter's good graces.
- 40Village VoiceNick PinkertonVillage VoiceNick PinkertonThe rather unappealing character of Axel is indulged with every opportunity for redemption, as Spacey is indulged with every opportunity to showboat.
- 40New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsKevin Spacey works heroically to overcome the flaws in Father of Invention, but Trent Cooper's flaky indie does depressingly little to earn its star's commitment.
- 40Time OutEric HynesTime OutEric HynesSpacey is ever the pro, shilling Axle's absurd redemption and countenancing the likes of Johnny Knoxville and John Stamos as if a third Oscar were in the offing. Yet his female costars fare worse, forming an unfortunate collection of dismal, man-dependent stereotypes, from Belle's perma-pouting idealist to Heather Graham's breast-obsessed, sapphic-by-choice ballbuster.
- 38Slant MagazineNick SchagerSlant MagazineNick SchagerThere's no spark or humor to the film's situations, just the sense of capable actors trying to make the best of a hopeless situation.
- 30The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThe screenplay, by Mr. Cooper and Jonathan D. Krane, is so sketchy that it feels like a hastily executed first draft.