---
title: "Entrapment: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/entrapment/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/entrapment"
critics_score: 41
critics_reviews: 7
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."
---

# Entrapment (1999): what the critics said

Critics' score 41 from 7 reviews: 0 positive, 2 mixed, 5 negative.

Most critics find Entrapment a disappointing heist thriller, with scattered pleasures rather than sustained suspense. Praise centres on individual robbery sequences, moments of tension and wry humour, though there is little agreement about how much these redeem the film. The first heist’s build-up and a high-rise daredevil sequence receive particular approval. Variety gives Connery and Zeta-Jones much of the credit for keeping the caper watchable, finding their performances magnetic despite the contrived plotting.

The reservations cluster around implausibility, familiarity and a story that loses momentum after a promising setup. The reviews range from qualified enjoyment to outright boredom, with none offering an unreserved recommendation. Radio Times finds the mechanical robbery scenes effective and the film entertaining; other critics find too little suspense to overlook the silliness. Eye for Film also rejects the leads’ performances, directly opposing Variety’s main source of praise. Two partially accessible reviews leave some verdicts less firmly established.

## The New York Times — Stephen Holden

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 30 April 1999. 

The article is identified as a review of the film, but its text is inaccessible here. I can’t reliably determine the critic’s verdict or what they single out for praise or complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/30/movies/film-review-they-re-a-devilish-match-but-who-s-conning-whom.html)

## Time Out — TJ

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 

The visible text suggests a sardonic view of Connery’s familiar master-thief persona, but the overall verdict is unavailable. The description singles out the similarity to roles he played in other films as a complaint.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/entrapment)

## Radio Times — Jason Caro

Rating 2/5. 

Caro finds the familiar romantic heist thriller less stylish and intelligent than The Thomas Crown Affair, but still entertaining. He praises its tension and wry humour, and calls the robbery scenes mechanical yet effective.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-vksu6c/entrapment/)

## Total Film — Total Film

Rating 2/5. 2 July 1999. 

The critic finds the thriller glossy but sloppy, with only mild diversion to offer. They praise the tense first heist’s build-up but fault the climactic robbery for its weak setup and lack of thrills.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/entrapment-review/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 26 April 1999. 

McCarthy finds the caper too silly and fabricated to create suspense, though its romantic conceit helps it get by. He praises Connery and Zeta-Jones for carrying the film with magnetic performances.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/entrapment-easy-on-the-eyes-twosome-lifts-hard-to-swallow-caper-1200457169/)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The review finds the film’s promising setup quickly loses momentum, leaving a lacklustre and sometimes silly plot. It praises the impressive high-rise daredevil sequence as the one sustained thrill.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/entrapment-review/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. 

The critic finds the thriller creaky, implausible and ultimately dull. The shiny high-tech gadgets are its only modern touch, while Connery and Zeta-Jones are criticized for their performances.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/entrapment-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© 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/entrapment.md