RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Dances with Wolves (1990)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
78 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:45

Fresh:35

Rotten:10

Average Rating:7/10

Consensus: A grand, sweeping epic with inarguably noble intentions and arresting cinematography, but one whose center, arguably, is not as weighty as it should be.

Runtime: 4 hrs

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: Actor Kevin Costner made his debut behind the camera--and won an Oscar for Best Director--with this celebrated epic. In 1865, Civil War hero Lt. John Dunbar (Costner) asks to be reassigned to the... Actor Kevin Costner made his debut behind the camera--and won an Oscar for Best Director--with this celebrated epic. In 1865, Civil War hero Lt. John Dunbar (Costner) asks to be reassigned to the western frontier before it disappears. At his isolated post he develops a relationship with the peaceful Lakota Sioux and a white woman (an excellent, Oscar-nominated Mary McDonnell) who lives among them, finding greater kinship with them than with his own people. But his life with the Sioux is threatened when the Army appears, and Dunbar must decide where his loyalties truly lie. Co-starring Graham Greene, DANCES WITH WOLVES boasts seven Academy Award wins and another five nominations. [More]

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant

Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Robert Pastorelli, Wes Studi

Director: Kevin Costner

Director: Kevin Costner
Producer: Jim Wilson, Kevin Costner
Composer: John Barry
Screenwriter: Michael Blake

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Dances with Wolves

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The film's real joy rests in Costner's meticulous attention to historical detail, creating a world that is both moving and credible.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/20/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Once you're sucked into the leisurely narrative, it's hard to resist.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

engagingly personal epic

comment Comment
02/26/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Still enthrals with its sweeping direction, gentle humour and lack of pretension.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/06/01
Ian Nathan
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

As a director, Costner is alive to the sweep of the country and the expansive spirit of the western-movie tradition.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
02/20/09
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Plodding, simplistic and overlong politically correct Western epic.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 5 Comments
03/02/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

In his directorial debut, Kevin Costner brings a rare degree of grace and feeling to this elegiac tale.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
01/28/08
Amy Dawes
Amy Dawes
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The political correctness is so politically correct and sappy and sucky and conscience-appeasing and politically-pacifying and just generally brain-numbing

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment 5 Comments
05/05/07
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

No one can doubt Kevin Costner's sincerity or vision.

Full Review Source: Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | comment Comment
02/10/07
Bob Bloom
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

An epic film that without its lead might have been better.

Full Review Source: Oscar Guy | comment 3 Comments
02/10/07
Wesley Lovell
Wesley Lovell
Oscar Guy

Not a great film by any standard, this is a western for people who are completely ignorant about the genre.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment 1 Comment
02/05/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sincere, capable, at times moving, but overextended, this picture is seriously hampered by its tendency to linger over everything -- especially landscapes with silhouetted figures, and not excluding its own good intentions.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 2 Comments
02/05/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

One of the best films of our time. The finest achievement of Kevin Costner's career.

Full Review Source: Moviehole | comment 1 Comment
06/19/06
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

While the movie is not really revisionist or a new type of Western, it's a mass-oriented film in its middlebrow sensibility and acceptable message about the co-existence between the White Man and Native Americans.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
06/10/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

The high-water mark of Kevin Costner's career.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
08/17/05
Donald J. Levit
Donald J. Levit
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Kevin Costner makes a good movie before falling into a pit of garbage.

comment Comment
06/14/05
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
7M Pictures

No review available.

comment Comment
04/08/05
Jon Niccum
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

No review available.

comment 1 Comment
07/13/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

No review available.

comment Comment
06/04/04
Sarah Chauncey
Sarah Chauncey
Reel.com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/16/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Dances with Wolves

May 09, 2008: Viggo Cutting in on Dances With Wolves Sequel? Opens in new window
Director Simon Wincer is rumored to be working on a sequel to Dances With Wolves -- with Viggo Mortensen the favorite to replace a recalcitrant Kevin Costner. More...

February 26, 2007: How Does "The Departed" Rank Among Oscar's Best?
So Martin Scorsese finally has his long-overdue, much-deserved Oscar. But where does "The Departed" stack up in the annals of Academy history? More...

October 10, 2005: Uwe Boll Talks Dungeon Siege, Bloodrayne, and More.
Director Uwe Boll was kind enough to take time away from filming "Dungeon Siege" to answer a few questions about projects, past, present, and future for Skewed and... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
32
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
116
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
175
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
69
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
58
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
19
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
12
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
4
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
12
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Dances with Wolves at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Dances with Wolves at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.