Few movies have captured the intoxicating effect of pop culture on kids better than Son of Rambow.
Son of Rambow (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:115
Fresh:85
Rotten:30
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: Undeniable heart and charming young leads save the film's nostalgic storyline from suffering at the hands predictability.
Theatrical Release:04-04-2008
Synopsis: Writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith, who as Hammer & Tongs have made music videos for such groups as Fatboy Slim, Supergrass, Blur, and REM, follow up their 2005 film, THE... Writer-director Garth Jennings and producer Nick Goldsmith, who as Hammer & Tongs have made music videos for such groups as Fatboy Slim, Supergrass, Blur, and REM, follow up their 2005 film, THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, with the charming indie SON OF RAMBOW, a love letter to the movies. A success at such festivals as Toronto and Sundance, SON OF RAMBOW stars Bill Milner as Will Proudfoot, a shy, reserved young boy who is different from the other kids because his family is part of the Brethren, a religion that shuns the outside world, not allowing him to have friends at school or to watch television. While in the hallway in school one day because he can't watch an educational film in class, Will gets into a fight with Lee Carter (Will Poulter), a tough kid who gets into trouble all the time. Lee forces Will to help him make a homemade version of the Sylvester Stallone film FIRST BLOOD, but after watching the original, Will is captivated by the movie and writes his own sequel, casting himself as the son of Rambow (he misspells the name of the character). Will and Lee use their imagination and lots of grit to get the project off the ground, bonding as only blood brothers can. But soon the entire school wants to participate in the movie, including ultra-cool French exchange student Didier Revol (Jules Sitruk), jeopardizing the integrity of the production as well as Will and Lee's growing friendship. Milner and Poulter, both making their feature-film debuts, are engaging as the lead characters. Jennings sets SON OF RAMBOW in the 1980s, before cell phones, digital cameras, and YouTube changed the way people communicate. Amid a soundtrack that includes music from such seminal period bands as The Cure and Depeche Mode, the two young boys learn about family and friendship, jealousy and ego as their carefully controlled worlds threaten to implode. [More]
Starring: Will Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruck, Charlie Thrift
Starring: Will Poulter, Bill Milner, Jules Sitruck, Charlie Thrift, Jessica Stevenson, Neil Dudgeon
Director: Garth Jennings
Director: Garth Jennings
Screenwriter: Garth Jennings
Producer: Nick Goldsmith
Composer: Joby Talbot
Studio: Paramount Vantage
Reviews for Son of Rambow
I can't imagine a better movie for children and adults to enjoy together.
It's really a touching kids movie about youthful imagination and family values. That's not what I wanted!
This is a must-see film that will not only touch your heart but also your funny bone. It's refreshing to find two filmmakers who have so much passion and boyhood spirit involved in their filmmaking processes.
Like a lot of those home movies we made as children, Son of Rambow has the best of intentions and a great set-up, but the ending falls apart.
This Sundance hit is as clever and charming as you hope it will be, though, regrettably, not consistently so.
Garth Jennings, has crafted a small, indie film that - dare I say it? Should I say it? Why not? Is "This Year's Juno."
Flatly ignores any kind of joy-of-filmmaking themes and instead takes the standard coming-of-age route.
Writer/director Garth Jennings captures the innocent ecstasy of boys discovering the elemental power of cinema and the unfettered play of imagination with disarming humor.
The kid-heavy cast tends to substitute enthusiasm for subtlety, but the way they throw their hearts into their games just makes it easier to get drawn in.
All part of growing up, an experience Son of Rambow portrays with genuine insight.
...much more than a kids' film and should appeal to those who grew up during the 1980's. The good nature of the film will strike a chord with other auds, both older and younger, too.
Jennings and Goldsmith make good with the implications of their pseudonym [Hammer & Tongs], treating the proceedings as the world's biggest, baddest science project.
First-timers Milner and Poulter are engagingly unaffected and convey a real sense of the explosive joy the right movie at the right time can spark, along with the fierce desire to make it your own.
That unashamed passion for movies explains why, even when it gets a little too sweet in its final scenes, Rambow remains true to itself and to Will and Lee's friendship.
For a film about falling in love with the movies, its insights on them are next to nil.
Latest News for Son of Rambow
August 25, 2008:
RT on DVD: Watch Uwe Boll Box Critic, Heroes Season Two Clips
It's a good week to catch up on your favorite shows before the new TV season begins (Heroes Season Two) and a good week to satisfy your curiosity for a certain guilty pleasure... More...
May 01, 2008:
Critics Consensus: Iron Man Is Heroic, Made of Honor Isn't
This week at the movies, we've got metal-plated superheroes (Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow) and matrimonial mishaps (Made of Honor, starring Patrick... More...
April 23, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Craig's Fool Has Disasterous Opening
Daniel Craig's new film - Flashbacks of a Fool - suffers a disastrous opening weekend, coming in at only 11th in the charts. Fool's Gold and Happy Go Lucky are the big successes More...
April 16, 2008:
UK Box Office Breakdown: Sony's 21 Gamble pays off
Gambling drama 21 cleans up at the UK box office this week, taking both the number one spot and twice-as-much cash as another film. George Clooney however should maybe stick to... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
| 53% 53% | David & Layla |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Son of Rambow at Rotten Tomatoes
- Son of Rambow at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

