[A] remarkable macho crime caper that is at once violent, sickeningly funny and utterly compelling.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:43
Fresh:41
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.9/10
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Former video store clerk Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, RESERVOIR DOGS, is a brutally funny, supercharged introduction to his supremely distinct cinematic vision, which was later to become... Former video store clerk Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, RESERVOIR DOGS, is a brutally funny, supercharged introduction to his supremely distinct cinematic vision, which was later to become one of the most mimicked styles of the 1990s. Mastermind Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney) assembles a crew of top-notch criminals to pull off a jewelry store heist. As the film opens it becomes immediately clear that the plan backfired, forcing the survivors, who have gathered at an abandoned warehouse, to figure out if one of them is, in fact, a police informer. The crew--Mr. White (Harvey Keitel), an aged veteran; Mr. Orange (Tim Roth), a wounded newcomer; Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen), a psychopathic parolee; Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi), a bickering weasel; and Nice Guy Eddie (Chris Penn), Joe's son--begin to unravel as the pressure becomes too much for them to handle. When Joe arrives, the truth becomes clear in a vicious Mexican standoff. Tarantino takes liberally from Hong Kong action flicks, most notably Ringo Lam's CITY ON FIRE, but his ultra-hip ‘70s soundtrack and hysterical pop culture dialogue make the film seem wholly original and new. Taking a cue from the French New Wave--most notably Jean-Luc Godard--RESERVOIR DOGS remains one of the decade's most influential motion pictures. [More]
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Quentin Tarantino, Eddie Bunker, Kirk Baltz, Stephen Wright
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Screenwriter: Quentin Tarantino
Producer: Lawrence Bender
Composer: Karyn Rachtman
Reviews for Reservoir Dogs
Tarantino exploits audience savvy, preferring to build anticipation, mesmerise, and then cut away at the climax.
Quentin Tarantino came out of nowhere with perhaps the most astonishing, explosive American debut film since John Cassavetes' Shadows.
The writing is crisp and clean, providing line after line of snappy dialogue designed to leave the viewer alternately pondering and laughing aloud.
You may not like the terms Tarantino sets, but you have to admit he succeeds on them.
Those who survive it emerge in a shell-shocked euphoria -- so good and so blunt is the writing.
A small, modestly budgeted crime movie of sometimes dazzling cinematic pyrotechnics and over-the- top dramatic energy.
The movie feels like it's going to be terrific, but Tarantino's script doesn't have much curiosity about these guys.
Like many young directors, Quentin Tarantino is overly infatuated with Scorsese, but he shows talent -- in his work with the actors, and in his staging of some of the action scenes.
It's extremely well-acted, written with flair and directed by a 29-year-old first-timer, Quentin Tarantino, who always knows where to put the camera, when to cut to a flashback and how to draw the best work from his brilliant cast.
Tarentino has the craft down but lacks the depth and moral wisdom to avoid merely gleeful bloodletting.
The one QT film that always manages to rope a knot in my stomach and keep a firm grip, pulling, twisting, tightening and re-tying it.
After watching this film for the zillionth time, there’s no doubt in my mind that this 'little doggy' belongs at the top echelon of any list having to do with great crime pictures.
A ballet of macho posturing, gun-pointing, and the creative uses of every four-letter word imaginable.
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