But while Hoot's pro-environment message to kids is certainly worthy, the unquestioning, pro-vigilante angle doesn't sit entirely well.
– Tom Keogh,
Seattle Times,
5 May 2006
rotten:
There is nothing objectionable in this family film, but it doesn't seem to appreciate the intelligence and savvy of its youthful audience. Kids can spot a silly stereotypical character as fast as the rest of us.
– Claudia Puig,
USA Today,
5 May 2006
rotten:
Endangered as they are, burrowing owls will be disappointed to learn that their cause has been hitched to a movie with little entertainment value, let alone credible strategies to save their environment.
– Susan Walker,
Toronto Star,
5 May 2006
rotten:
It would be a nice little family film if not for the fact that the young heroes commit felonies in the name of saving the environment.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
8 May 2006
rotten:
This sweet-natured but plodding adaptation of a young-adult novel by Carl Hiaasen could have used a little less broad satire of corporate greed and a few more, well, owls. The critters peep from their burrows for only a few brief moments.