The true story of Neil and Ivan McCormick, two Irish brothers who attempt to become rock stars but can only look on as their high school friends U2 become the biggest band in the world.
There's a difference between "funny" and "comedy," and the movie adaptation of Killing Bono tries way too hard to be nutty, at the expense of just getting across what McCormick knows.
– Noel Murray,
AV Club,
3 Nov 2011
fresh:
Hamm's movie is sparky and fun, and full of affectionate pokes at the '80s music scene. It's also, in terms of music biopics, probably better than the real thing.
– Joe Neumaier,
New York Daily News,
3 Nov 2011
rotten:
A shapeless rock-music caper that, like its deluded antihero, just doesn't know when to stop.
– Jeannette Catsoulis,
New York Times,
3 Nov 2011
fresh:
A charming admixture of "Goodfellas" and "Almost Famous," "Killing Bono" is a fanciful rock tale that is nevertheless based on a true story.
– Kyle Smith,
New York Post,
4 Nov 2011
rotten:
While Barnes and Sheehan are persuasive as the squabbling siblings, the music-biz mockery is blunt and obvious.