Primary Colors: Critic Reviews

Adapting Joe Klein's roman a clef of the same name, ferociously witty screenwriter Elaine May and her smooth old compatriot in comedy, director Mike Nichols, have made a zingy drama and have staffed it well.

The film seldom displays much in the way of directorial hallmarks.

May and Nichols may not be right for the material, especially the Searching for Jimmy Stewart component, which feels more labored as the film proceeds.

This entertaining but rather peculiar movie asks extraordinary questions, and I wish it were better equipped to give the answers.

The movie is endlessly inventive and involving.

Travolta's warmth and expansiveness effectively amplify and embellish the likable and personable side of Stanton.

Primary Colors is the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington of our jaded era.

There are piecemeal wonders in Primary Colors, but not the grand and resonant vision the film should have been.

A hilariously entertaining movie.

Like its politicians, the movie is savvy about using whatever it takes to achieve a goal.

A slack, tepid picture stuck in a no man's land between satire and drama.

It's hard for me fully to express how deeply rotten I think Primary Colors is. Adjectives like 'glib,' 'coarse,' and 'sour' don't fully do it.

Dramatically weak.

A smart and savvy piece of work.

Well-acted drama full of Clinton-era jabs.

A savvy and thought-provoking look at the nature of contemporary American politics.

Travolta is amazingly Clintonesque as Stanton, a role that I never believed he could pull off.

The film owes a few doggie bones to "Wag the Dog," which came first in pointing out what Primary Colors only seconds.

Primary Colors successfully straddles the line between comedy and tragedy.

Primary Colors becomes a political morality play, and quite frankly, its mechanics cause it to crawl in across the finish line.

As satire, it's toothless and indulgent; as drama of conscience, it's not a patch on real life...

It used to be that we had to wait 20 years for the fictionalization of history -- now that gap seems to have closed to less than five years. Kinda sad. But also kinda entertaining!

John Travolta has himself a good deal of fun with his take-off on President Clinton.

an alarmingly topical comedy-drama that dredges up far more issues than it can address in its two-and-a-half hours. But give Nichols, writer Elaine May and everyone else an 'A' for effort.

John Travolta continues to establish himself as one of the best actors of the younger generation, and this may be his best job yet.