The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

100% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings

Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.

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The Kid

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Critics Consensus

Charles Chaplin' irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.

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The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Grace Kingsley Los Angeles Times There's really no classifying The Kid. The best one can do is say that it has all the old melodramatic material, but so jazzed up with fun and with its drama so simply and humanly played, that it almost fools you into believing it is like life. Jun 25, 2021 Full Review The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Mabel McElliott New York Daily News Jackie, legging it madly 'cross corners, is almost as good for box office purposes as our own Charles, playing the Artful Dodger to a Bowery bum. May 17, 2021 Full Review The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Times (UK) Staff Times (UK) Formerly it was the custom to say that Mr. Chaplin played down to the level of his audiences. Now it is to be hoped that he will lift his audiences up to this new level of his own. Aug 5, 2020 Full Review The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News Those constant contenders who maintain that Charlie Chaplin is the master mummer of the movies and the world's greatest actor, either in the silent or the spoken drama, now have another exhibit to put forward in behalf of their argument. Mar 28, 2022 Full Review The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Robert E. Sherwood LIFE Chaplin, as always, demonstrates the marvelous quality which, in the cinema world, is so exclusively his own -- the ability to be coarse without being offensive; to mix Rabelaisian wit with Chesterfieldian delicacy. Oct 4, 2021 Full Review The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (6) John McDonald Australian Financial Review The Kid was a breakthrough for Chaplin and for the industry in the way it combined slapstick comedy with the kind of drama that touched viewers' hearts. Aug 1, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Gorptholemew T 🍅 7.6/10It was pretty chuckle worthy, especially that scene with the windows. This isn’t really my genre, but watching it it’s surprisingly heartwarming and pretty funny at times. Even with no dialogue, the characters are charming in their own ways. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/26/24 Full Review Andrew M Fun FactThe kid grew up and tied the nooses used to hang a couple of kidnappers in San Jose, California. Thirty years after the lynching, nooses were used on the set of the Addams Family where the grown up kid, Jackie Coogan, played as Uncle Fester. The Governor of California spoke live on the radio and offered pardons to rioters that dare break into the county jail and hang the suspects. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/11/24 Full Review Dan O People talk about Citizen Kane as the old tired of cliche of when film became an important art form but when films like this were being made, what a stupid thing to say. I’ve watched this film over a hundred years later with both my children and they’re entranced, and I’m crying and laughing. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/28/24 Full Review Dani G Beautiful and emotive dramedy from the master Charlie, in his first feature film. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/07/24 Full Review Audience Member "A picture with a smile-and perhaps a tear." really does this film justice. I really liked the drama, and the way it played out was masterful. The stunts were pretty great too, unfortunately I think the humor is pretty dated. If you like sped up slapstick then more power to you. The drama is the best selling point, and if you are going to watch this keep it in mind. 3.5/5 stars. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/02/24 Full Review Steve D A classic if this is your kind of film. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/20/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Charlie Chaplin Director Charlie Chaplin A Tramp Jackie Coogan The Kid Edna Purviance The Woman Carl Miller The Man Granville Redmond The Man's Friend (uncredited)
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The Kid

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Synopsis Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.

Director
Charlie Chaplin

Producer
Charlie Chaplin

Screenwriter
Charlie Chaplin

Production Co
Charles Chaplin Productions

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 21, 1921, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 2, 2016

Runtime
1h 0m
Most Popular at Home Now
The Kid | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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