1. The third time is charmless for writers/directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
2. Ken Kesey is probably rolling over in his grave somewhere, but once you get past the faux-psychiatry trappings, It's Kind of a Funny Story isn't a bad little comedy.
3. Despite the pleasant, loopy energy and fine performances -- Galiflanakis conjures a surprisingly sad character, and I grew fond of Gilchrist, with his impenetrable black eyes and rosebud mouth -- you walk out of it shaking your head.
4. Writer-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck fail to energize their mild-mannered, overly pat material.
5. Respected indie filmmakers with a niche in social-realist drama try their hand at winsome comedy, fall flat on their critically acclaimed faces.
6. It's not a film, it's a bland, overly long sitcom straining for the funny ... something along the lines of Two and A Half Men-tal Cases.
7. Disarmingly gentle, sweet and whimsical.
8. Like a short course of intelligence-numbing anti-depressants: Though it may make you feel temporarily better, it's probably not worth the icky aftertaste.
9. Co-directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden, who directed the gritty indie dramas Half Nelson and Sugar, go all gooey and sentimental here.
10. So many elements, from its setup to scenes of therapy sessions and hallway high jinks, seem as canned as the blandest dayroom Muzak.
Based on these individual reviews, what is the critic consensus?
It's amiable, and it does a surprisingly good job of sidestepping psych ward comedy cliches, but given its talented cast and directors, It's Kind of a Funny Story should be more than just mildly entertaining.