Killing Bono Reviews

An amusingly fluffy musical biopic.

Full Review | Original Score: B-

While Barnes and Sheehan are persuasive as the squabbling siblings, the music-biz mockery is blunt and obvious.

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A charming admixture of "Goodfellas" and "Almost Famous," "Killing Bono" is a fanciful rock tale that is nevertheless based on a true story.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

A shapeless rock-music caper that, like its deluded antihero, just doesn't know when to stop.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5

Hamm's movie is sparky and fun, and full of affectionate pokes at the '80s music scene. It's also, in terms of music biopics, probably better than the real thing.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

the story of what would charitably be called a wackadoo

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5

Neil's not a very likable protagonist - he's actually often awful - but who can't relate to that nagging certainty that one's destined for great things?

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10

There's a difference between "funny" and "comedy," and the movie adaptation of Killing Bono tries way too hard to be nutty, at the expense of just getting across what McCormick knows.

Full Review | Original Score: C-

The migraine of a story arc needed sharp comedy reflexes or, at least, a live-wire/slummy star turn and got neither.

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Amadeus it's not, but as light transitional music, the film-which has Pete Postlethwaite's final performance, as a swishy landlord-is tuneful enough.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Killing Bono never really gets going, mostly because it has no real idea of how to convey joy, pain, or any type of emotional progression.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4

Don't expect any factual expose about the formative years of U2; this is more of a rock farce in which the band is sort of a plot device.

Full Review | Original Score: C

It's certainly lightweight, but there's nothing at all wrong with that. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10

Killing Bono's rise-and-fall arc is a little predictable, but the cast is spirited and U2 fans should get a kick out of the references to the band's early days.

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Like an overlong guitar solo, the film sags badly in the middle as mouthy Neil sabotages his own career again and again, but co-writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais provide plenty of gags and the performances are full of vim.

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Funny, irreverent, slightly bitter, and brimming with self-importance and self-loathing.

Full Review | Original Score: B-

It's awash with broad humour, comedic contrivances and sitcom setups.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5

This cleverly conceived, behind-the-scenes tale features fine lead performances and enough nods to the epic group's early days to interest fans outside the U.K.

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[O]ne of the most painfully funny movies I've ever seen... plays like a satire on rags-to-riches clichés even though it's mostly true...

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Feeds off a tenuous U2 connection to give a not-very-interesting tale of a rock'n'roll failure a higher profile.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5