Japanese actor Ken Watanabe received scathing remarks about his English skills, although not his acting, as critics reviewed Friday the opening of the Broadway musical "The King and I" in New York.

"His diction is not always coherent," The New York Times said, while The New York Post called Watanabe's English "rough." "His solo turn, 'A Puzzlement,' is just that — a garbled mess," it added.

The Daily News said the 55-year-old actor's English "is a work in progress, so sometimes his lines and lyrics are blurry."