An old-fashioned battle-of-the-sexes comedy refurbished with the kind of language (mostly about oral sex) that would once have made a maiden blush.
Comment
08/11/09
The Ugly Truth (2009)
15
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:22
Rotten:128
Average Rating:3.8/10
Consensus: Despite the best efforts of Butler and Heigl, The Ugly Truth suffers from a weak script that relies on romantic comedy formula, with little charm or comedic payoff.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating]
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:07-08-2009
Synopsis: The battle of the sexes heats up in Columbia Pictures' comedy The Ugly Truth. Abby Richter (Katherine Heigl) is a romantically challenged morning show producer whose search for Mr. Perfect has left... [More]
Starring: Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville
Director: Robert Luketic
Reviews for The Ugly Truth
The film is desperate to be edgy, but its attempts at adult humour are woefully misjudged.
08/11/09
While [Heigl] and co-star Gerard Butler give good performances, the film's the same predictable fluff we've all seen before - and seen done better.
08/11/09
The ugly truth about this insipid romcom is that Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler are entirely wasted.
08/11/09
It’s not as risqué as it wishes it were, nor as likable as it should be. Butler’s rarely been better-cast, but the material’s too patchy to support him .
08/07/09
Top CriticWe’re left with a few giggles and the option to be offended by the gender stereotypes – if we can be bothered.
08/07/09
Top CriticIf one were to take a buzzsaw to The Ugly Truth, its arterial spray would drip down the wall to form the coagulated word 'generic'.
08/07/09
Top CriticBy the end, you actually want these two cardboard cutouts to get together.
08/07/09
Top CriticThere is, in fact, a spark of chemistry between Heigl and Butler: it's testimony to the ineptitude that the film itself acts as such a wet blanket.
08/07/09
Top CriticA romantic comedy with a glacier where its heart should be.
08/07/09
Top CriticThis fails to achieve anything special or spectacular and what we're left with is a rather run-of-the-mill, albeit more raunchy and definitely enjoyable, tale of opposites attracting.
08/07/09
This is a romcom made very much in the ribald spirit of lad-centric comedies such as The Hangover, and it makes a refreshing change. Sappy, it ain't.
08/07/09
Legally Blonde director Luketic keeps the film light and frothy, and the script (penned by three women) isn’t afraid to flavour the romance with a little raunch.
08/07/09
Surprisingly sharp and sassy, this romcom for grown-ups is like many a romantic dalliance – the thrill of the chase is more fun than the catch.
08/07/09
A comedy so utterly mechanical that you can smell the grease lubricating the nuts and bolts.
08/07/09
If this film was a pizza it would be a Margherita – it fills a hole but could do with a few more ingredients.
08/07/09
There hasn't been be a more loathsome, depressing or woman-hating movie this year. This is a new low in romantic comedy.
08/07/09
For a mostly female rom-com audience, Butler simply grins like a chimp on heat.
08/07/09
In the age of neurotic screen hygiene each film must have an anti-Messiah who takes on the dirt of all. Elsewhere, wit-free dialogue combines with dust-free scenery and foible-free characters.
08/07/09
What I hated most of all was the script , which smears these so-called insights into the sex wars with pointless (and witless) crudity. More depressing still, it’s written by three women.
08/07/09
Latest News for The Ugly Truth
July 31, 2009:
Submit to the RT Show and Earn a Cool $100
Time for the weekly update, folks. As always, thanks to everyone who has submitted reviews and helped contribute to the show. Every week, we continue to bring you a lively,... More...
July 30, 2009:
Heigl's Comments Spark Online Animosity 
With a new movie in theaters, it seems an awfully inopportune time to pose the question, but the Los Angeles Times is nonetheless asking: Why is the Web so full of Katherine... More...
July 27, 2009:
A formulaic Hollywood fairytale in which an infuriated feminist eventually falls for a creepy cave man.
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July 23, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Orphan Is Mixed Bag
This week at the movies, we've got an evil adoptee (Orphan, starring Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard), a battle of the sexes (The Ugly Truth, starring Katherine Heigl and... More...
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