Kinky Boots: Critic Reviews

Our friends across the pond have gone daft trying to satisfy a worldwide desire to see a reserved populace get plucky.

The recipe for this silly, quasi-inspirational British comedy comes from the same cookbook that gave us The Full Monty.

It would be nice to be able to report that Kinky Boots is a kick in the pants. But this conventional, manipulative British import feels like a re-soled pair of shoes that unquestionably have seen their day.

Director Julian Jarrold and screenwriters Geoff Deane and Tim Firth trade in hackneyed dualities.

Lola, at least the way Ejiofor plays her, has a sad story she's eager to tell. The movie never entirely figures out what to do with this.

Why are movies 'inspired by a true story' always the most contrived?

Despite the subject matter, the script and direction are disappointingly conventional, though the performances are appealingly spirited.

It's a predictable and preachy stab at a comedy with heart, and its subversive silliness is eclipsed by an overwrought humanity.

It's a feel-good movie that happens to dress in drag.

Don't let the title toss you. The accent on this charmer about a shoe-factory owner who finds a muse of economic recovery in a drag queen rests on the boots more than the kinks.

With Kinky Boots, we find ourselves watching another one of those British comedies in which unconventional sex is surrounded by a conventional story.

Quite enjoyable, effortlessly well-done on every level, even moving at times, but relatively light weight.

This pleasant but predictable affair does one thing very well: showcasing the versatility of Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Kinky Boots would be little but a gender-bending retread of The Full Monty if it weren't for Ejiofor's regal Lola.

Kinky Boots sounds like some kind of fetish fantasy, but it's actually a good-natured and rather sweet British comedy that charmingly touches on issues of manhood and friendship.

Kinky Boots is hilarious and poignant enough to suspend skepticism and erase doubts.

A slick, cross-tracks Britcom whose stride is hampered by its desire not to offend.

Title notwithstanding, it should be noted that Kinky Boots isn't remotely racy. Not only won't it offend grandma -- she'll probably enjoy this uplifting comedy.

You'll giggle and laugh and never look at those things on your feet the same way again.

The movie is a bit of all right, as they say down at the Nob & Gobbler.

[Ejiofor] gives us the real kinky; everything else here is just an assembly-line boot.

Even in light comedy, Ejiofor is a commanding presence. As queen or king, he rules.

Kinky Boots, a crowd-pleasing British import based on a true story, may be this year's Full Monty.

It has heart and soul (and sole). What Kinky Boots lacks is kick.

Kinky Boots trips on its contrived plot, but this blend of trash and sass is a comfy fit.