50
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80Wall Street JournalJoe MorgensternWall Street JournalJoe MorgensternMr. Pandya tells a story of conflicted assimilation that's been told before, but he and his exuberant cast invest it with fresh energy and winning humor.
- 50New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanWith a few exceptions, the Indian characters are two-dimensional buffoons whose traditions are presented as silly quirks meant for cheap laughs.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe subject is likable and the story has possibilities, but why does every single performance sink into a self-indulgent mess of hammy overacting?
- 50The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenMost of it has to do with the ways younger Indian-Americans keep their culture alive in the United States and the ways they don't.
- 50Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonVillage VoiceMichael AtkinsonClubfooted but earnest, Pandya's movie never forgets about its second-gen issues, but never quite plumbs them, either.
- 50TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe script is often obvious and much of the acting is amateurish (Rakesh's comic sidekicks are just dismal), though Purva Bedi is a shining exception — she's got star quality to burn.
- 38New York PostJonathan ForemanNew York PostJonathan ForemanDespite some genuinely funny scenes, American Desi turns out to be inferior to the as yet unreleased "ABCD" and even last year's "Chutney Popcorn."