--- title: "Bee Movie: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/bee-movie/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/bee-movie" critics_score: 56 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Bee Movie (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 56 from 12 reviews: 3 positive, 5 mixed, 4 negative. The reviews lean towards a mixed verdict on Bee Movie, with praise clustering around its comic personality rather than its story. Several critics find charm in the gentle tone and Seinfeld humour, while the voice cast, courtroom scenes and occasional sharp gag earn approval. Even some less enthusiastic notices acknowledge an amiable film, though there is little agreement on whether the comedy is sustained enough to make it memorable. Reservations centre on thin plotting, awkward narrative choices and jokes that do not consistently land. The spread is wide: Radio Times welcomes the story’s imaginative directions, while other reviews find it short on surprise or weighed down by unnecessary action. The animation divides critics too, with Eye for Film praising its beauty and Empire finding it flat. Questions about the intended audience deepen the split: some see broad appeal, while others think the humour serves adults better than children. ## Radio Times — Dave Aldridge Rating 4/5. Aldridge presents the film as a smart, sassy animated adventure. He praises its lively comic energy and the story’s imaginative directions. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-k1rr8n/bee-movie/) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating B-. 1 November 2007. Rabin finds the film semi-charming and reasonably clever, but slight and not quite able to overcome its hype. He praises its unexpected dark turns while faulting the padded, unnecessary third-act action sequence. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/bee-movie-1798203318) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 May 2008. Mackie finds the film sweet and charming, though not especially memorable or laugh-out-loud funny. He singles out the courtroom scenes and Chris Rock’s mosquito for the film’s best line. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/may/23/dvdreviews.family) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 63/100 (inferred from the text). The page endpoint identifies a review, but its text is unavailable here. The critic's verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be verified. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bee-movie-2007) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 3/5. 10 December 2007. The review gives a mixed verdict on the film. It describes the bee jokes as semi-decent, while criticizing how they are put together. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/bee-movie-1) ## Empire — Sam Toy Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2007. The critic finds the film entertaining but only just good enough to overcome its shortcomings. The voice cast and gag writing stand out, while the flat animation disappoints. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bee-movie-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 2/4. 1 November 2007. Schager finds the film awkward and ineffective, with a muddled message about individuality and conformity. He singles out its unfunny one-liners and celebrity cameos as weak attempts to entertain adults. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/bee-movie/) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2007. McCarthy finds the film amiable but underwhelming, with a story short on surprise and originality. He praises its gentle tone and distinctive Seinfeld humor, while faulting its wispy concept and less detailed animation. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/digital/reviews/bee-movie-1200555014/) ## Screen Daily — Brent Simon Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2007. The review finds that the film fails to fully take flight. It blames misguided narrative choices for holding back the story. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/bee-movie/4035617.article) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Kirk Honeycutt Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 28 October 2007. Honeycutt finds the film strained and uninspired, with its comedy rarely working. He particularly criticizes the lack of believable logic in the relationship between Barry and Vanessa. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/bee-movie-158919/) ## Eye for Film — Keith Dudhnath Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 May 2008. The critic finds the film formulaic but charming and highly entertaining. They praise its beautiful visuals and appeal to viewers of all ages. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/bee-movie-film-review-by-keith-dudhnath) ## The Skinny — Kevin McHugh Rating ★★. 7 December 2007. McHugh finds the film disappointing, saying it fails to entertain children. He praises its slick animation and Seinfeld’s performance, but says adults will appreciate the humour and characters more. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/bee-movie) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/bee-movie.md