Vladimir Nabokov's witty, grotesque novel is, in its film version, like a bee from which the stinger has been removed. It still buzzes with a sort of promising irreverence, but it lacks the power to shock and, eventually, makes very little point either as comedy or satire.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Village Voice by Andrew Sarris
Kubrick goes through the motions with a hula hoop and the munching of potato chips, but there is nothing intuitive or abandoned about the man-nymphet relationship. The Director's heart is apparently elsewhere. [05 Jul 1962, p.11]
The New York Times by Bosley Crowther
This is not the novel Lolita, but it is a provocative sort of film.
Where Nabokov was witty, Kubrick is sometimes merely snide, but fine performances (particularly from Peter Sellers, as the ominous Clare Quilty) cover most of the rough spots.
Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten
Nabokov’s satire is sensationally cast, with Winters and Sellers delivering some of their best work ever.
Chicago Tribune by Michael Wilmington
Brilliant adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's 20th Century comic-erotic classic. [08 Jul 2005, p.C2]
The New Yorker by Pauline Kael
Wild, marvelously enjoyable comedy, adapted from Nabokov's novel.