critics consensus

Not even an HOV lane amid a traffic jam is worth boarding this aggravating and unfunny Carpool. Read critic reviews

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Carpool Photos

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Movie Info

Buttoned-down company man Daniel Miller (David Paymer), who reluctantly drives the carpool for his children and their friends when his wife is ill, stops to pick up some breakfast -- and some thugs try to carjack him. To the rescue comes Franklin Laszlo (Tom Arnold), the struggling manager of a carnival who had been considering whether to rob a bank, but instead has opted to rob the robbers. Due to complications, Franklin has to take Daniel and the whole van full of kids along for his getaway.

Rating:

PG
Genre:

kids and family, comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

Arthur Hiller
Producer:

Arnon Milchan, Michael Nathanson
Writer:

Don Rhymer
Release Date (Streaming):

Jul 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA):

$3.3M
Runtime:

1h 32m
Sound Mix:

Surround

Cast & Crew

Tom Arnold
Franklin Laszlo

David Paymer
Daniel Miller

Rhea Perlman
Martha

Rod Steiger
Mr. Hammerman

Kim Coates
Detective Erdman

Rachael Leigh Cook
Kayla

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Carpool

All Critics (23) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (20)

Watching a Tom Arnold movie is like getting trapped in a room with a barking dog for 90 minutes.

May 2, 2014 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

John Hartl
Seattle Times
The whole madcap production is at best faintly amusing, at worst, painfully protracted.

May 2, 2014 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Darren Bignell
Empire Magazine
Carpool, the new Tom Arnold comedy, is one ride to avoid, unless truly idiotic car-chase slapstick comedies are the destination genre.

May 2, 2014 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

Peter Stack
San Francisco Chronicle
A ramshackle if amiable chase comedy.

August 6, 2008 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
Quote not available.

November 6, 2003 | Rating: 2/5

Nell Minow
Movie Mom
A clunker of a chase movie that gets more mileage out of its cut-the-cheese jokes than it does from the this comic duo.

January 22, 2002 | Full Review…

Rita Kempley
Washington Post
This attempt at entertaining knockabout comedy is a perfect example of Hollywood dumbing down and treating its audience like idiots.

May 2, 2014 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Robert Sellers
Radio Times
Loud, silly and choc-a-block with madcap slapstick, Hiller's film may have an alarming plot premise but it's innocent enough for all but the youngest kids to enjoy.

May 2, 2014 | Full Review…

Billy Mowbray
Film4
Despite its "family comedy" packaging, parents may balk at taking kids to Carpool, where kidnapping at gunpoint is intended to trigger humor.

May 2, 2014 | Full Review…

Roger Hurlburt
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Indifferently directed and almost aggressively tedious, we'd call it cliched if they'd even bothered getting the cliches right.

May 2, 2014 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Quote not available.

September 23, 2005 | Rating: 0/5

Michael Szymanski
International Press Academy
Quote not available.

August 5, 2005 | Rating: 1/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

View All Critic Reviews (23)

Audience Reviews for Carpool

Nov 23, 2009

Use to be 1 of my favorites when I was younger but now its just something to watch

Brody M Super Reviewer
May 28, 2009

Always loved this movie ever since it came out, so silly and cheesy but amusing and avintage 90's kid flick, a genre of movies that generally are still good today.

Lenny M Super Reviewer
May 05, 2008

A forgettable and stupid movie with some funny situations.

John M Super Reviewer
Mar 10, 2007

Great movie! Tom Arnold is hilarious.

Terri H Super Reviewer