60
Metascore
9 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeGradually, Van Peebles turns stereotypical images of postwar bourgeois prosperity against themselves, leading to a denouement that feels oddly empowering in its total alienation from the status quo.
- 83The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe pounding prelude to a cultural and cinematic revolution, Watermelon Man nearly bubbles over with the rage that exploded outright with Van Peebles' follow-up, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
- 75Boston GlobeTy BurrBoston GlobeTy BurrDirected by Melvin Van Peebles as the '60s writhed to a close, it's very much a product of its time: unsubtle, psychedelic, truly weird, occasionally very funny. [08 Dec 2002]
- 75St. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonSt. Louis Post-DispatchCalvin WilsonIn the early scenes, Cambridge brilliantly conveys Gerber's obnoxiousness while making him sympathetic. Later, Cambridge imbues the character with a blend of outrage and pride that's breathtaking. [31 Jul 2008, p.8]
- 50Time OutTime OutOften very funny in its topsy-turvy comments on racism, the script unfortunately has to battle against a director determined to use every gaudy trick in the book.
- This often-funny film fails to sustain its premise through its entire length. Cambridge is hilarious in his role, but many of the gags are cliched, uninspired, and just what one might have expected from the situation. In order to work, comedy must offer surprises.
- 50Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasBecause its gimmick lays bare the evils of racism so easily, the movie works for a while, but it becomes so predictable that it runs out of gas long before the end. [13 Oct 1985, p.5]
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThe method of this film, however, in both its cutting and mise-en-scene ultimately denies any social relevance by creating a limbo surrounding the fantastic characters so that the film loses all sense of reality in both its characters and settings. [16 Jul 1970, p.50]
- Watermelon Man demands complete surrender and gives absolutely nothing in return except embarrassment.