75
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneLevinson invests his script with a richness of theme that helps make it a comedy classic.
- 90The improbable tale of a pair of feuding aluminum siding salesmen, Tin Men winds up as bountiful comedy material in the skillful hands of writer-director Barry Levinson. Film is packed with laughs, thanks to taut scripting and superb character depictions by Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito and a fascinating troupe of sidekicks.
- 90Washington PostRita KempleyWashington PostRita KempleyTin Men is a tale of transitions and a test of mettle, as sweet as a slow dance, as classy and cumbersome as a Coupe de Ville.
- 80The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinBarry Levinson's richly textured new film also has a rueful nostalgia, a fine-tuned streak of con artistry, and the same hilarious, nit-picking small talk that colored Diner, his first and best film - which is recalled, rivaled and in a few ways even outdone by this one.
- 80Los Angeles TimesSheila BensonLos Angeles TimesSheila BensonThe year's most pungently offbeat comedy and the most improbable love story since King Kong sighted Fay Wray.
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertBecause Tin Men is based on fundamental truth, it is able to be funny even in some of its quieter moments.
- 75Miami HeraldMiami HeraldEven the torrent of verbal abuse is rewarding in this warm, evocative comedy with a heart made not of tin, but of gold. [13 Mar 1987, p.D7]
- The greater charm of Tin Men is in its affectionate portrayal of small-time hucksters who gloat over classic scams (like cutting seven inches out of the middle of a yardstick so the square footage will be higher). In its own way, the film is a bittersweet drama, a sort of Glengarry Glen Ross without the vitriol.
- 60EmpireWilliam ThomasEmpireWilliam ThomasHumerous, but doesn't gel as well as Levinson's previous efforts.
- 60TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineThough much of the plot action is downright silly, Dreyfuss, DeVito, and Hershey offer wonderful performances, and director Levinson keeps things moving with some nice comic touches. As he did in his first film, Diner, Levinson again effectively uses a diner setting in which his characters are allowed to engage in some rambling but very funny dialogue.