A portrait of contemporary fatherhood, the film blends the reflections of Howard's own father, film director Ron Howard, other Hollywood celebrity fathers and everyday men from around the world on what being a father means to them.
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 94% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "As solidly dependable as the fathers it depicts, Dads pays affectionate—and affecting—tribute to some of the many ways parents can make a difference."[5] At Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 59 out of 100 based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]
Tomris Laffly of Variety wrote: "It’s mostly a vanilla documentary with no real destination, but one with plenty of cuteness to go around."[7]
