Reception
Blow was a minor box office success. With a budget of roughly $53 million, it managed to rake in just under $53 million domestically, but raised just over $30 million internationally for a worldwide total of $83,282,296. Reviews for Blow were decidedly mixed. The film holds an approval rating of 55% at Rotten Tomatoes based on 135 reviews (74 positive, 61 negative), where the consensus is: "With elements that seem borrowed from movies like Goodfellas and Boogie Nights, Blow is pretty much been-there-done-that despite another excellent performance from Johnny Depp. It also becomes too sentimental at the end."
Rob Gonsalves from eFilmCritic.com gave the film 4 out of 5 stars stating: "Blow isn't really a classic, but it's a sobering story well-told." Roger Ebert gave the film 2½ out of 4 stars, but questioned the value about making Jung the subject of this film, stating: "That's the thing about George . He thinks it's all about him. His life, his story, his success, his fortune, his lost fortune, his good luck, his bad luck. Actually, all he did was operate a toll gate between suppliers and addicts. You wonder, but you never find out, if the reality of those destroyed lives ever occurred to him." David Nusair of Reel Films also questioned making a film about Jung, stating "The biggest problem with Blow is that Jung is such a complete moron." Nusair concludes that while it "is not a bad film ... the central character of George Jung just doesn't seem worthy to be the center of attention." Christopher Smith from Bangor Daily News gave the film a "D+", stating "Blow is ultimately more about charisma than it is about truth, more about Depp’s smooth strut and tousled hair than it is about George Jung’s fatal flaws — his stupidity, desperation, ego and small-town greed."
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