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Chris Monroe (Christian Spotlight) says it "revels in immoral dealings but nevertheless rounds out with evil-doing being brought to justice." He calls the movie "well-crafted," but objects to the "excessive foul language."

"I can't remember laughing this much at a film," says Phil Boatwright (Movie Reporter). "In my opinion, it is the funniest dark comedy since Dr. Strangelove. There is, unfortunately, a fly in the mint julep. Along with the positives … this remake has sadly taken on a modern-day nastiness by incorporating excessive coarse and irreverent language. What a shame."

Steve Lansingh (The Film Forum) warns moviegoers that the film has little in common with the popular O Brother Where Art Thou? "The Ladykillers is much more akin to the Coens' Fargo, both disturbingly gruesome tales of bad guys getting their due. The violence is in typical Coen Brothers style—halfway between funny and sickening, which some people don't seem to mind, but I find difficult to appreciate."

Steven Isaac (Plugged In) says the foul language is damaging. "I'm left feeling that what I heard while I watched this otherwise masterful movie utterly destroyed its credibility, tore up every layer of its delicate nuance and scribbled haphazardly all over its colorful characterizations."

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "unevenly entertaining. While the film bears the unmistakable stamp of the Coens' off-kilter humor, it does not rank among their best work. Its deep-South setting is beautifully filmed but its obscenity-laced script may have some viewers singing the blues."

David Bruce (Hollywood Jesus) says, "It's the classic battle between good and evil set in a clever and comedic story line." He also admits, "The language in this film, though true to life as we know it, is enough to curdle milk."

Elsewhere, Josh Hurst (The Rebel Base) looks over The Ladykillers, the latest comedy from the Coen Brothers. He finds that it features "one of the finest performances of any Coen flick yet. Irma P. Hall steals the whole doggone movie with her note-perfect portrayal of a kindly but shrewd Southern woman with a soft spot for Bob Jones University and an aversion to 'hippity hop' music. But The Ladykillers also differs from your average Coen Brothers film in a few key areas. Like the fact that it's a remake. Whenever a celebrated classic film is remade one always has to wonder exactly why Hollywood found it necessary to make the same movie all over again. And then there's the characters. Or maybe I should say the lack of characters." He is also displeased to find the Coens have settling for "cheap, easy, sometimes-bawdy laughs."

A ready-to-download Movie Discussion Guide related to this movie is available at ChristianityTodayMoviesStore.com. Use this guide after the movie to help you and your small group better connect your faith to pop culture.

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