The critic praised the movie with faint damns.
praise with faint damns
idiomTo provide minimal critique, implying that the criticism is the worst that could be said of someone or something.
Origin
disputed originInversion of damn with faint praise.
He did not like the book, so he praised it with faint damns to avoid a direct argument.
By describing the performance as merely adequate, the reviewer praised it with faint damns, effectively signaling his true disappointment to the audience.