The Bear stars Eben Moss Bachrach and Jon Bernthal swapped the kitchen for the stage this week in this brand new play by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis with direction from Rupert Goold. Based on the 1975 film of the same name, Dog Day Afternoon premiered at the August Wilson Theatre last week - take a look below to see what the critics had to say about New York's latest addition.

The Reviews

The New York Times

"Oddly, it is during that act one closer, when Sonny rallies the audience into chanting the film's famous "Attica!" cry, that the production feels most itself. It's essentially Disney for Dads, a curious blend of head-patting nostalgia and earnest artistry, delivered with a refreshing lack of cynicism. For all its flaws, and unlike its protagonists, Dog Day Afternoon is not trying to put one over anyone."

Entertainment Weekly

"In the end, the new Dog Day Afternoon is a mostly satisfying experience that offers impressive big production values. It has the right star. It has the right set. And with a few tweaks, this Dog could truly have its day."

The Wrap

"Guirgus' "Dog Day Afternoon" is a big, hugely entertaining and laugh-filled dramedy that's crafted to delight the typical Broadway audience."

The Hollywood Reporter

Adapted by Pulitzer-winning playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis, this Dog Day is an antic comedy of bumblers and busybodies and freaks, of nasty jokes and weak attempts at rabble-rousing. It's a frustrating image, Guirgis and everybody else involved in this folly watching the intimate neorealism of Lumet's film and saying, "Let's turn this into a big Broadway farce.""

The New York Stage Review

"The absurdity of it all is somewhat comical as we observe Sonny and the bank staff warm to each other. The film portrayed the dynamic with a nuanced sensibility. Despite the friendlier tone, there was always an understanding that things could turn violent, and it created an air of suspense that heightened the drama. The play, conversely, lacks any real suspense, choosing a more comedic approach with forced humor. When the head teller is finally allowed to use the restroom, her peeing behind a closed door is amped up so that everyone hears it for a cheap laugh. The hostages all have superficial backstories that are inconsequential for the most part. And for whatever reason, when Sonny demands that the cops bring them something to eat, instead of pizza which was the food of choice in real life and in the film, the stage characters end up with donuts after a silly back and forth with the police deciding where to buy them."

USA Today

"What if "Dog Day Afternoon" was actually a poor man's attempt at "The Carol Burnett Show"? That seems to be the tonally incoherent concept behind Rupert Goold's new screen-to-stage production, an appalling near-disaster that opened at the August Wilson Theatre March 30."

New York Post

"There's been a robbery! A new Broadway play starring Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach has stolen the title of the classic New York film "Dog Day Afternoon" and slapped it on a midseason-replacement sitcom. You certainly recognize the plot, no-nonsense characters and Brooklyn bank setting from the 1975 Best Picture-nominated heist film with Al Pacino. But the weird show that opened Monday night at the August Wilson Theatre has contorted it into something altogether unfamiliar: a stress-free series of drama-deflating punch lines that add up to little more than a barstool yarn."