Rotten Tomatoes Logo Do you want to see ‘The Pick-Up Artist’?

The Pick-Up Artist (1987)

tomatometer

50

Average Rating: 5.2/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 3

No consensus yet.

audience

34

liked it
Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 7,148

My Rating

Movie Info

With this rote but well-cast romantic comedy, writer-director James Toback began his long association with actor Robert Downey, Jr. The latter stars as Jack Jericho, a grade school teacher and smooth operator who zealously polishes his cliched pick-up lines in front of a mirror. Jack's come-ons even work on Randy Jensen (Molly Ringwald), a redheaded museum tour guide who dishes up a stream of retorts, matching Jack's verbal banter. After quickly trysting in the back of Jack's car, Randy flatly

PG-13, 1 hr. 21 min.

Comedy, Romance

James Toback

Dec 16, 2003

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Cast

All Critics (20) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (9)

James Toback's long-gestating portrait of a one-track mind becomes bogged down in unconvincing plot mechanics.

February 27, 2008 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The film roams from the Upper West Side to Coney Island to Atlantic City, maintaining a lighthearted style that doesn't quite match the hints of obsessiveness in Mr. Toback's screenplay.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This is an appallingly silly movie, from its juvenile comic overture to its dreadfully sincere conclusion.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A light and fairly innocuous youth picture.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | Comment
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Pickup's 'little more' is in its quirky characters and its intentionally goofy melodrama.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Downey, who worked for one season on Saturday Night Live, has just the right emotional weight for the role of Jack, and the right touch of goofy boyishness to soften his aggressiveness.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Toback has devised an interesting premise that draws parallels between risking one's heart and one's wallet, but the picture itself risks little.

February 27, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Features Robert Downey Jr. as a smooth-talking womanizer who meets his match.

March 27, 2004 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | Comment
Spirituality and Practice

A very challenging movie. Downey Jr and Ringwald sizzle.

September 19, 2002 Comment
Moviehole
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Pick-Up Artist

The story is kind of a mish-mash of two different stories, and the dialogue is horrible, but there are a bunch of great actors in the movie. The actors are the only reason to watch it, and they can't even help the movie that much. Overall, it's not a good movie.

September 6, 2010
ajv2688

Super Reviewer

Nothing special, but this really finds its own in the second half. The first half is just a little too happy go lucky and silly, but when the love story kicks in between Robert Downey Jr. and Molly Ringwald, it's smooth sailing. The premise is interesting and natural for its release period. It takes the term ladies man

January 23, 2011
ythelastman89

Super Reviewer

The Pick-Up Artist Quotes

No quotes approved yet for The Pick-Up Artist. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Latest News for The Pick-Up Artist

November 18, 2010:
Downey Learning How to Talk to Girls
Officially free of Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity," Robert Downey, Jr. is looking at starring in an...

March 6, 2008:
First Shot of Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder Hits the Web
The first photos from Ben Stiller's Tropic Thunder and Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno...

What's Hot On RT

Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus

Journey 2 Not Worth the Trip

Luis Guzman
Luis Guzman

What are his 10 best movies ever?

<em>Amazing Spider-Man</em>
Amazing Spider-Man

See the all-new action-packed trailer!

The Avengers!
The Avengers!

Five new Marvelous pictures

Top Movie Quizzes

LEGO Mania: 2011 Best Picture Nominees
by natalie - 18,570 taken
created 12 months ago
How Much Do You Know About Leonardo DiCaprio?
by natalie - 44,459 taken
created 15 months ago
Pixar Movies!
by jdikwlzviv - 27,164 taken
created 15 months ago
The Wizards of Harry Potter
by jdikwlzviv - 27,658 taken
created 15 months ago
Help | About | Jobs | Newsletter | Critics Submission | API | Licensing | Blog | Developers | Mobile