The Other Boleyn Girl

A.V. Club

It's pretty, passionate, and full of historical poppycock.

Rolling Stone

What works is the combustible teaming of Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, who give the Boleyn hotties a tough core of intelligence and wit.

The New York Times

More slog than romp...

Film Threat

The falling blade is the only element not missing the mark in this film.

Time Out

Why in the name of ermine boleros would anyone make such a dull, coy and, worst of all, pretty film about Anne Boleyn?

BBC

An entertaining bodice ripper lightly disguised as historical fiction.

Los Angeles Times

OK as far as it goes, which is not far enough.

Boston Globe

Not good enough to take seriously and, sadly, not bad enough to be any fun.

Chicago Reader

Neither sexy enough to qualify as good trash nor serious enough to pass for history.

Associated Press

Your eyes will probably roll before anyone's head does.

The Washington Post

Even by its own standards, the movie becomes increasingly macabre and ludicrous...

Entertainment Weekly

A classy romantic cocktail distinguished by its tart yet breezy bite.

Chicago Tribune

This glossy production plays fast and loose with the facts, abbreviating, altering and excising entire character arcs and plot lines.

Variety

A sexy, good-looking political bodice-ripper with an almost flawless cast at the top of its game.

New Zealand Herald

There is no doubt that Americans Johannson and Portman make English history attractive and will help broaden this chick flick's audience, but unfortunately next to actresses such as Scott Thomas and Torrent they look like a couple of Hollywood starlets in fancy dress who have wandered on to the wrong set.

Newshub

I suspect fans of period dramas will fill cinemas around the country for this film, with the added box office draw card of Scarlett and Natalie, not to mention Eric for the girls.

But I must confess the film didn't make me feel much of anything at all really.

Hollywood Reporter

Shot in high definition and filmed at many historic locations, the film somehow still lacks the splendor of an epic, and its urgency to get on with the next plot point leaves much unexplained while context goes out the window.

Empire Magazine

A rather titillating take on a racy historical novel, this is perhaps too ambitious in intent. More time, or more pruning (perhaps they should just have focused on The Boleyn girl), would have produced a richer and more enjoyable film.

Dominion Post

The Other Boleyn Girl is one of those movies in which double doors are always booted open, horses with riders clothed in red and gold travel in thundering packs, and pretty girls do flirty over-the-shoulder glances. Men plot affairs of high state, women have lines like, "My children! My children!", duplicity rules, and the audience leave pretty much well satisfied.

Christchurch Press

The Other Boleyn Girl is a trite soap opera about a socially ambitious extended family dressed in Tudor clothes. While one Boleyn girl is bedded unwedded, the other is bedded, wedded, bedded some more and beheaded.