--- title: "The Kid: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-kid/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-kid" critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 10 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." --- # The Kid (1921): what the critics said Critics' score 84 from 10 reviews: 10 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous in their approval. Most critics treat Chaplin’s first feature as the point where his comedy learned to carry real feeling, and they return again and again to the same source: the bond between the Tramp and the abandoned boy he raises. Jackie Coogan’s performance is praised in nearly every piece, from the earliest notices onward, and several single out the heaven dream sequence, along with the rooftop chase, as the film’s best-remembered set pieces. The spread is narrow, and the only real reservation concerns sentiment. Empire finds the sentimentality heavy-handed enough to mar an otherwise fine comedy, while Time Out argues the opposite, that the pathos is held in check by an unusually harsh picture of slum life. Nobody dissents from the verdict; the reviews differ only on how much sweetness Chaplin should have been allowed. ## Little White Lies — Saffron Maeve Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2021. The critic praises Chaplin’s first feature as a Dickensian tale of the Tramp raising an orphaned boy, highlighting the warmth and humanity in their domestic pancake breakfast scene as a pure moment of joy amid scarcity. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/article/the-kid-pancake-scene-charlie-chaplin) ## RogerEbert.com — Audrey Fox Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 7 January 2021. The piece celebrates The Kid as Chaplin’s emotionally complex debut that established the Tramp’s profound adoptive bond with a foundling child, noting its lasting influence on stories of unconventional fatherhood and raw empathy. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/what-child-is-this-the-enduring-legacy-of-charlie-chaplins-the-kid) ## The AV Club — Ignatiy Vishnevetsky Rating A-. 13 February 2016. The critic highlights the film's enduring emotional power and Chaplin's skill at blending comedy with genuine feeling, especially in the Tramp's bond with the boy and the heavenly fantasy sequence. The review notes the work's personal resonance and technical ambition as a transitional piece in Chaplin's career. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/charlie-chaplin-s-the-kid-hasn-t-aged-a-day-1798186564) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1920. The critic finds Chaplin more actor than buffoon here while retaining all his comedy, with no dull moments. The film delivers laughter, delight, and sympathy through its story and standout performances, especially from Jackie Coogan, highlighted by imaginative touches like the heaven dream sequence. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1920/film/reviews/the-kid-3-1200409336/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 January 1921. Chaplin returns at his best in a real comedy with plot, characters, and balanced fun and sadness. The standout is young Jack Coogan as the Kid, with effective laughs from situations and a well-timed story of a derelict caring for an abandoned baby. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1921/01/22/archives/the-screen.html) ## Slant Magazine — Clayton Dillard Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 2016. The critic emphasizes the film's blend of sentiment and social observation through the Tramp's makeshift domestic life with the boy, praising its autobiographical undertones and inventive physical comedy. The review singles out the rooftop chase and dream sequence for illustrating Chaplin's intuitive grasp of urban space and human emotion. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-kid/) ## Time Out — GB Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The critic describes Chaplin's first feature as a note-perfect mixture of humour and pathos in which sentimentality is balanced by harsh reality. They single out the Tramp's pantomimic grace and the detailed, Stroheim-like depiction of slum life. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-kid) ## Empire — Nick Dawson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic notes that Chaplin's first feature includes some wonderful comic sequences yet is slightly marred by heavy-handed sentimentality. Coogan's cherubic charm is singled out as making the film special. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/kid-review/) ## Paste — Jacob Oller Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 11 February 2021. The critic celebrates Chaplin's first feature as a groundbreaking blend of comedy and drama that captures the Tramp's humanity amid social inequality. It praises the chemistry between Chaplin and young Jackie Coogan as the emotional core, noting the film's timeless relevance a century later. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/charlie-chaplin/the-kid-charlie-chaplin-100-years) ## Film Stories — Sarah Cook Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 15 February 2022. The critic describes The Kid as an intimate, tender and charming comedy that remains heartfelt over a century later, praising its rooftop chase sequence and the performance of young Jackie Coogan. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/old-movies-an-intro-to-charlie-chaplin/) --- © 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/the-kid.md