--- title: "Wayne's World: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/waynes-world/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/waynes-world" critics_score: 61 critics_reviews: 13 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." --- # Wayne's World (1992): what the critics said Critics' score 61 from 13 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics lean towards liking it, and the praise clusters in the same places: Myers’s asides to camera, the performances of the two leads, and the sight gags and non sequiturs that arrive faster than the plot. Several credit Penelope Spheeris for keeping a loose, sketch-shaped film on track, and the more recent reviews find something smarter underneath, a comedy about friendship, music and refusing to sell out that holds up better than most films built from a television sketch. The reservations are about length. The negative reviews say a thin sketch has been stretched and padded to feature size, with too little incident to carry it. The Guardian finds the whole thing juvenile and dated, and Time Out thinks the leads lack the charisma of Bill and Ted. The spread is wide, from 30 to 85, and it runs largely along one line: the critics writing in 1992 are cool, and those looking back decades later are warm. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 1992. The film delivers plenty of dumb, vulgar comedy but also an unexpectedly amusing and intelligent undercurrent, working on its intended level while adding slyer humor and inside jokes. Ebert singles out the dialogue, sight gags, and Myers' conversations with the camera for praise, noting the movie captures the unpredictable spirit of cable access TV. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/waynes-world-1992) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Duane Byrge Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 1992. The critic calls the film a profitable, smartly dumb comedy that succeeds with its non-sequitur humor and side trips. They single out the strong performances (especially Myers, Carvey, and Carrere) and Spheeris’s direction for capturing authentic Americana. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/waynes-world-1992-review-976101/) ## Time Out — DW Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 March 2012. The critic contrasts the film's massive US box-office success with the more limited cult appeal of Bill & Ted, noting Wayne and Garth lack comparable charisma and rapport while adding mostly sexist gags and the catchphrase 'NOT!'. Much credit goes to Spheeris for her confident if rough-edged direction that keeps the fast-paced TV-deconstructing jokes on track. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/waynes-world) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The film is hit-and-miss as a series of sketches, but engaging performances and a sharp script make it a solid Saturday-night choice. Wayne-speak will likely enter the language. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wayne-world-review/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 1992. The film stretches a thin SNL sketch into a feature that struggles when it tries to be more than short gags and TV-style humor. Spheeris keeps things lively with sight gags and supporting bits, but the leads' idiocy only works in small doses. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/14/movies/review-film-a-dim-duo-in-a-revel-of-stupidity.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 1992. The big-screen expansion of the SNL skit feels awkwardly transplanted and padded, with too little plot or incident to fill its length and an energy-less result at feature length. Turan singles out occasional comedic fire in sequences like the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' car sing-along for praise but concludes the concept was never suited to a movie. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-02-14-ca-2021-story.html) ## The Guardian — Tim Pulleine Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 1992. The critic finds the film's dialogue and characters juvenile and its style dated, comparing it unfavorably to earlier youth comedies. He questions how it became a cult success in America. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,558598,00.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1991. The film weakly transfers the popular Saturday Night Live sketch to the big screen. Director Penelope Spheeris delivers a colorful but uneventful picture with guest stars adding little. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1991/film/reviews/wayne-s-world-1200429159/) ## Paste — Jesse Hassenger Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2022. Calls it an excellent and influential comedy that balances sketch roots with character-driven humor better than many SNL films, crediting the director's influence. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/mike-myers/waynes-world-anniversary-influential) ## The Ringer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 August 2019. Celebrates its cultural impact and groundbreaking mix of meta jokes, pop references, soundtrack, and performances that made it a mainstream phenomenon. [Read the review](https://www.theringer.com/2019/08/14/movies/waynes-world-mike-myers-dana-carvey-comedy-1990s) ## Collider — Jennifer McHugh Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 21 January 2022. Praises the film's enduring appeal through its cast, iconic soundtrack, anti-corporate themes, and consistent silly humor that never strays from the characters' core appeal. [Read the review](https://collider.com/waynes-world-why-its-good/) ## Consequence Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 February 2022. Highlights how the film holds up due to its innocent charm, focus on love of music and friendship, and universal appeal through rock anthems and camaraderie. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2022/02/waynes-world-anniversary-love-story/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Lambie Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2018. The critic sees the film as a deceptively smart comedy that explores creativity versus commerce through its story of Wayne and Garth selling out their show. It singles out the studio recreation of the basement set as a standout comedic and thematic highlight. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/wayne-s-world-a-classic-comedy-about-creativity-and-commerce/) --- © 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/waynes-world.md