--- title: "Miss Congeniality: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/miss-congeniality/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/miss-congeniality" critics_score: 55 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." --- # Miss Congeniality (2000): what the critics said Critics' score 55 from 12 reviews: 2 positive, 7 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics find Miss Congeniality uneven but give Sandra Bullock much of the credit for keeping it watchable. Praise centres on her comic assurance, likeability and willingness to commit to the physical gags, with the pageant setting providing some easy laughs. The supporting performances also draw favourable notices, though Bullock is the clearest point of agreement across otherwise mixed reviews. The main reservations concern familiar plotting, a laboured makeover and a script that adds storylines and sentiment without consistently supplying jokes. The spread is fairly wide: Radio Times enjoys the energy, chemistry and gags, despite some supporting players overdoing things. Total Film finds the transformation unconvincing and the execution predictable, while Variety sees missed opportunities for character-based humour. Between those positions, most reviews describe a lightweight comedy with amusing moments rather than enough invention to overcome its formula. ## Radio Times — Lorien Haynes Rating 4/5. The review finds the comedy energetic and says Sandra Bullock is on great form. It praises the chemistry and gags, while noting that Candice Bergen and William Shatner sometimes overplay their roles. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ydczgw/miss-congeniality/) ## Time Out — WI Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the beauty-pageant premise an easy source of comedy. They single out Bullock’s earnest performance as the vehicle for the jokes. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/miss-congeniality-1) ## Screen Daily — John Hazelton Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 15 December 2000. The review's verdict is unavailable in the accessible text. No specific praise or criticism can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/miss-congeniality/404534.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2000. The review text is unavailable, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint can be reliably identified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/22/movies/film-review-operation-ugly-duckling-fighting-terrorism-in-heels.html) ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2000. Rabin calls the film a competent, formulaic crowd-pleaser that remains watchable but may disappoint viewers seeking more than a generic action comedy. He praises Michael Caine’s dignified performance and Sandra Bullock’s assured work. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/miss-congeniality-1798192564) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Thomas finds the film lightweight and overstuffed, though Sandra Bullock’s performance makes it hard to dislike. He praises her comic presence and the amusing pageant and makeover side characters, but faults the script for piling on storylines and sentiment. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/miss-congeniality-review/) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. The critic finds the film entertaining in places but says its premise takes too long to bring the cop and beauty-pageant worlds together. They single out Sandra Bullock’s sharp answer about harsher sentences as a particularly amusing moment. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/miss-congeniality-7433345.html) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2001. French finds the comedy uneven, with amusing moments but a laboured makeover plot. He praises Sandra Bullock as a likeable presence, especially as a tomboy. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,462672,00.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Rating 2/4. 22 December 2000. Ebert finds the comedy largely unfunny and overly familiar. He singles out Bullock’s appealing performance as its main strength. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/miss-congeniality-2000) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 2/5. 23 March 2001. The review finds the film clumsy and only mildly amusing, with more winces and yawns than laughs. It singles out Bullock’s unconvincing transformation into a beauty-pageant contestant and the film’s predictable, uneven execution. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/miss-congeniality-review/) ## Variety — Robert Koehler Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 14 December 2000. Koehler finds the comedy miscalculated and unlikely to make much of an impression. He praises Heather Burns’s endearing performance, while faulting the film for missed opportunities in its character-based humor. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/miss-congeniality-1200465827/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2001. The critic finds the comedy thin and uneven, though it remains easy on the eye. Bullock’s willingness to play the makeover and physical-comedy gags is singled out as a strength. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/miss-congeniality-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/miss-congeniality.md