You can't see the forest for the twee in writer-director Taika Waititi's thicket of cutesy conceits, from the stunted supporting characters to the precious animated interludes.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
Intermittently charming, sometimes tiresome celebration of quirkiness.
It's a perfectly cheerful time at the movies, without any hint of drama or surprise.
Los Angeles Times by Carina Chocano
As it turns out, spending a couple of hours with emotionally arrested, socially moronic characters is not a whole lot more fun than spending a couple of hours with actual emotionally arrested, socially moronic people.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
There are occasional nice moments scattered throughout, but this is mostly a big, uncomfortable cartoon focused on the twisted attraction between two caricatures.
The Hollywood Reporter by James Greenberg
More dumb than funny.
Entertainment Weekly by Owen Gleiberman
It's a tale that reduces angst, not to mention love, to a generational tic.
Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer
What rescues Eagle vs. Shark is its focus on Lily. Although Horsley overdoes the winsomeness, she is genuinely appealing. Love erases Lily's geekiness and in its place stands an attractive young woman.
Result is still innocuously mild and inconsequential.