Opening

87% Star Trek Into Darkness May 16
24% Erased May 17
91% Frances Ha May 17
41% The English Teacher May 17
42% Black Rock May 17
77% Pieta May 17
—— Populaire May 17
21% 33 Postcards May 17

Top Box Office

78% Iron Man 3 $72.5M
50% The Great Gatsby $50.1M
47% Pain & Gain $5.0M
37% Peeples $4.6M
77% 42 $4.6M
56% Oblivion $4.1M
69% The Croods $3.6M
98% Mud $2.5M
8% The Big Wedding $2.5M
60% Oz the Great and Powerful $1.1M

Coming Soon

—— The Hangover Part III May 23
77% Fast & Furious 6 May 24
—— Epic May 24
94% Before Midnight May 24

Chicago (2002)

tomatometer

87

Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 217
Fresh: 188 | Rotten: 29

A rousing and energetic adaptation of the Broadway musical, Chicago succeeds on the level pure spectacle, but provides a surprising level of depth and humor as well.

87

Average Rating: 8/10
Critic Reviews: 45
Fresh: 39 | Rotten: 6

A rousing and energetic adaptation of the Broadway musical, Chicago succeeds on the level pure spectacle, but provides a surprising level of depth and humor as well.

audience

80

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 409,805

My Rating

Movie Info

A starry-eyed would-be star discovers just how far the notion that "there's no such thing as bad publicity" can go in this screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Chicago, originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. In the mid-'20s, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is a small-time chorus dancer married to a well-meaning dunderhead named Amos (John C. Reilly). Roxie is having an affair on the side with Fred Casley (Dominic West), a smooth talker who insists he can make her a star.

PG-13,

Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Comedy

Bill Condon

Aug 19, 2003

$170.6M

Miramax Films - Official Site External Icon

Watch It Now

Cast

ADVERTISEMENT

All Critics (217) | Top Critics (45) | Fresh (199) | Rotten (30) | DVD (47)

The net effect of the incessant dazzle is depressing.

February 24, 2013 Full Review Source: The New Republic
The New Republic
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The song-and-dance numbers are calisthenic but unspectacular, with too much fast cutting, and the tone throughout is harmlessly facetious.

February 24, 2013 Full Review Source: New York Magazine
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film has punch, but it never really conveys the delicious, redeeming sense that life can be lived on the hoof.

February 24, 2013 Full Review Source: New Yorker
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Chicago has so much razzle-dazzle that viewers may end up both raised and dazed. It's remorselessly inventive, trying anything fast and sassy to keep you watching.

February 24, 2013 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This Oscar-laden movie rendition, directed by Rob Marshall, suffers from the kind of ants-in-your-pants MTV editing that prevents you from simply watching and enjoying the musical numbers.

February 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Marshall betrays the dancing by never letting us see it properly.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Chicago is a great movie musical.

February 24, 2013 Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix
Boston Phoenix

Considering that none of the three leads is a pro singer or dancer, Chicago is surprisingly a brassy, enjoyable movie musical, with at least a couple of risque production numbers.

February 26, 2011 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com
EmanuelLevy.Com

Oscar-winning satire all about the razzle-dazzle.

December 22, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media

Chicago is a stunning show stopper, a seamless integration of toe-tapping tunes, riveting routines in the wicked and wonderful seedy side of the swing city.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile
Urban Cinefile

Good, easygoing, sometimes inspired entertainment.

August 13, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4

Here, finally, is a movie musical made by people who know what they're doing.

August 13, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com
eFilmCritic.com

Sustains its energy and momentum and cleverly continues to weave together a realistic narrative with staged theatrical interpretations.

July 25, 2007 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis
Movie Metropolis

Each musical number builds to such a frantic climax that the audience is nearly moved to applaud the actors on screen.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | Comments (4)
Big Picture Big Sound

A shallow work without a true moral framework, it sees the world as a posturing showbusiness arena, a stage for celebrities to briefly strut their stuff and go on their way.

February 6, 2007 Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | Comments (6)
Guardian [UK]

Choreographer Rob Marshall makes his feature debut, toning town the Fosse-ness and keeping things snappy.

May 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Combustible Celluloid

a wildly cynical and sardonic piece, yet hysterical in its own right - about as unlike Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as you can get

February 5, 2006 Full Review Source: 7M Pictures
7M Pictures

Audience Reviews for Chicago

The music is already good, and it's a well made, dark and wry movie musical.
April 21, 2012
Louis Rogers

Super Reviewer

Not as good as the hype suggests, but still something that can be put on in the background for a brief sing and dance-a-long. Probably better in theatre.
July 25, 2006
StarCrossedVoyager

Super Reviewer

    1. Roxie Hart: Forget it. It'll never work.
    2. Velma Kelly: Why not?
    3. Roxie Hart: 'Cause I hate you.
    4. Velma Kelly: There's only one business in the world where that's no problem at all.
    – Submitted by Rawballs B (28 days ago)
    1. Velma Kelly: We can make a couple hundred a week. Think about it, Roxie. Our faces back in the papers, our names on the marquee.Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart.
    2. Roxie Hart: Shouldn't it be alphabetical?
    3. Velma Kelly: That could work.
    4. Roxie Hart: A couple hundred? Maybe we could ask for a thousand.
    5. Velma Kelly: We're worth it.
    – Submitted by Rawballs B (34 days ago)
    1. Billy Flynn: I don't like to blow my own horn, but believe me if Jesus Christ had lived in Chicago today and if he had five thousand dollars and he'd come to me, lets just say things would have turned out differently.
    – Submitted by Olivia S (42 days ago)
    1. Velma Kelly: The spread eagle...
    – Submitted by Seng Wee T (4 months ago)
    1. Billy Flynn: Good night and God save Illinois.
    – Submitted by Lucas B (4 months ago)
    1. Billy Flynn: It's all a circus. A three ring circus.This trial... the whole world... it's all... show business. But Kid.... You are working with a star.
    – Submitted by Swayamdeep S (5 months ago)

Discussion Forum

There are no discussion threads for Chicago yet.

Latest News on Chicago

July 19, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Chuck and Larry Beat Up Harry?
Two new star-driven Hollywood comedies face off at the box office this weekend in an attempt to...

February 26, 2007:
How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar's Best?
So Martin Scorsese finally has his long-overdue, much-deserved Oscar. But where does "The...

January 11, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Can Sony "Stomp" the "Museum?"
Can Ben Stiller and his living artifacts four-peat at the top of the North American box office, or...

Help | About | Jobs | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Mobile