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Wild Child (2009)

tomatometer

42

Average Rating: 4.8/10
Reviews Counted: 24
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 14

More mild than wild. This tween comedy mess falls flat on its face due to poor characters, poor direction and poor jokes.

No Score Yet...

Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 0

More mild than wild. This tween comedy mess falls flat on its face due to poor characters, poor direction and poor jokes.

audience

69

liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 14,892

My Rating

Movie Info

The unhinged behavior of a Malibu princess (Emma Roberts) prompts her frustrated father to send her to an all-girls English boarding school in this teen comedy penned by Lucy Dahl (daughter of Roald Dahl and a boarding school alumni herself) and directed by Nick Moore. Poppy is a bratty, self-absorbed 16-year-old whose pampered L.A. childhood has left her with a notable sense of self entitlement. Showered with unlimited-balance credit cards and constantly flanked by a horde of hangers-on, the

PG-13, 1 hr. 38 min.

Comedy

Kate Kondell, Daisy Donovan, Lucy Dahl

Nov 17, 2009

Universal Pictures

Cast

All Critics (25) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (15) | DVD (2)

Competent if mechanical helming debut by editor Nick Moore.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Too much teen drinking/bad behavior for Emma Roberts fans.

December 15, 2009 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

A slight but tart teen comedy, Child carries some surprising bite, subverting the norm with a fine British cast helping to sell the pixy stick fantasy, buttressed by Roberts's refreshing angry streak.

December 7, 2009 Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | Comment
DVDTalk.com

Mildly entertaining and utterly innocuous...

November 23, 2009 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

A project broad-based enough to make tween competitor Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging feel arthouse.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Screen International | Comment
Screen International

What begins as tedious teen comedy/drama about a Californian brat turns out to be a surprisingly agreeable popcorn flick.

September 19, 2008 Full Review Source: FILMINK (Australia) | Comment
FILMINK (Australia)

The screenplay by Lucy Dahl (daughter of Roald) dwells unpleasantly on cruelty and humiliation, and finally Poppy does little more than exchange one form of snobbery for another.

September 19, 2008 Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | Comment
The Age (Australia)

It's an unoriginal story but one with potential, and the actors who play Poppy's school chums are lively company.

September 19, 2008 Full Review Source: The Australian | Comment
The Australian

The film has an energy and honesty about it: it's lively, funny and smart and the characters are appealing

September 13, 2008 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comment
Urban Cinefile

Bright and silly, with just enough wit and intelligence to make it watchable, this British-American teen comedy doesn't break much new ground, but is pretty entertaining while it lasts.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | Comment
Shadows on the Wall

Despite a shaky start, Wild Child is actually a surprisingly entertaining teen flick, thanks to likeable performances and a script that highlights the importance of friendship. Worth seeing.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: ViewLondon | Comment
ViewLondon

It may be manna for teen girls but any kind of critical eye will find it about as convincingly made as the last St Trinian's movie. It is played, though, with lively abandon.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: This is London | Comment
This is London

On balance, gouging one's eyeballs with a chopstick would be more fun than watching this crummy tween comedy about a Californian princess.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Independent | Comment
Independent

The types are such extremes that the partisans in the audience will continue to hate American brats and English snobs respectively, rapprochement between two sets of caricatures seeming unlikely.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Financial Times | Comment
Financial Times

WILD? More like mild, unless you think short skirts and "horse face" put-downs are outrageous.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Sun Online | Comment
Sun Online

Shame on Iggy Pop for letting them (ab)use his anarchy-anthem 'Real Wild Child' in a girls'-own flick that is so paltry it makes the recent St Trinians addition look like Picnic At Hanging Rock.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Total Film | Comment
Total Film

Unless you're fourteen and female, look away now. There's absolutely nothing for you here.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Sky Movies | Comment
Sky Movies

A tweenie comedy with an uplifting American-style sports movie awkwardly bolted on, it's a mess - far inferior to the recent Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.

August 15, 2008 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | Comment
Daily Telegraph
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Wild Child

Suprisingly good film considering the 'mild' teen films that we have around today. I'd agree with the name of the film, the main word being 'wild' as it's not afraid to mention things such as sex or alcohol. Comedic in some scenes and Emma Roberts and Alex Pettyfer have good chemistry. Although predictable, it's not

June 24, 2011
murphmann93
Bethany Murphy

Super Reviewer

New Girl. New School. New Rules. The movie clearly is a chick flick azn girls only but I enjoyed it anyways been a guy and all, it entertain me to say the least. The story was nice and has a nice message to it. I see Emma Roberts been a great actress someday she's so adorable and likable but for now she's doing some

February 4, 2010
xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
Manu Gino

Super Reviewer

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