Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 60 Ratings

  • Starring: Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise
  • Summary: One man is dead. Two are accused of murder. The entire Marine Corps is on trial. Hollywood heavyweights Cruise, Nicholson and Moore ignite the screen in Rob Reiner's acclaimed drama about the dangerous difference between following orders and following one's conscience. (Columbia TriStar)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 21
  2. Negative: 3 out of 21
  1. 100
    That the performances are uniformly outstanding is a tribute to Rob Reiner, who directs with masterly assurance, fusing suspense and character to create a movie that literally vibrates with energy.
  2. Reviewed by: Emma Cochrane
    80
    This is a timeless thriller, a reminder of how stars who have been so average elsewhere can produce excellent — some career-best — work when given a decent script and a confident director.
  3. Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    60
    The final scene, when Kaffee locks horns with Jessep, more than makes up for the predictability of what's come before.
  4. I'm usually a sucker for courtroom dramas, but Rob Reiner's highly mechanical filming by numbers of Aaron Sorkin's adaptation of his own cliched and fatuous Broadway play kept putting me to sleep.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 13
  2. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. 10
    "A Few Good Men" is a 1992 courtroom drama film Directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise. The story follows a young lawyer's plight to defend two marines accused of murder. Now I know just about everyone's heard of this film. If they haven't, they've at least heard of the line, "You can't handle the truth!" That line is just a snippet of the greatness that is weaved into this film. Starting off on a related note, the script is fantastic. Aaron Sorkin strikes again with his rapier wit and compelling dialogue. The story is a very compelling look at the military definitions of honor and loyalty and how they can sometimes become misinterpreted. Some of the lines in this film are also spectacularly memorable. However, while the screenplay is decidedly impressive, the most imposing aspect of this film is the performances within it. Every single actor in this film brought their best to the table, and it's because of the unbelievably captivating performance from Jack Nicholson that everyone else raised their bars. Nicholson's really only in this film for about 10 or 15 minutes, but man does he make those minutes count with his caustic and snide portrayal of Colonel Nathan R. Jessup. Again, it's his performance that caused everyone else in this film to bring their a-games, and holy crap did they. Tom Cruise, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Bacon, J.T. Walsh, Kiefer Sutherland, Demi Moore, all did unbelievable jobs with their respective characters. Even Wolfgang Bodison, a stagehand who had never acted before in his life, did a really beautiful job with his role. The aforementioned fact is a real testament to the seemingly limitless talent of Rob Reiner. After watching the special features of the film, you really get a good idea that Reiner forged an effective relationship with his actors and offered some acting tips of his own for their performances. Because this is such a character driven story, Reiner made a great choice in offering some of his own acting expertise to his cast. Overall, I felt that "A Few Good Men" was a really masterfully directed, beautifully written, unforgettably performed coatroom drama that is sure to impress anyone. Expand
  2. Was actually pretty good. Solid acting (although Demi Moore sucked hard in it) and it was an interesting story that ended perfectly. I really enjoyed it. Expand
  3. You definitely enjoy any Nicholson's movie, but I have to agree with other critics, the cast could have been better, Moore's performance it's poor, why does she always seems to have tears in her eyes? is she always crying? Anyway, Tom always acts the same every time his characters belong to any of the armed forces, so maybe someone else for the job. Still a a manageable movie with an epic scene, from Jack Nicholson of course. Expand
  4. Discombobulator
    2
    Not a bad story, bud sadly let down by poor casting. Jack Nicholson is as highly watchable as ever, but Demi Moore proves yet again that she is one of the worst actress of her generation. She stinks in everything she's done, and dont let me get started on Tom Cruise's wooden performance. Yikes !! The courtroom scene is sadly let down by La Cruise's hambone performance, as he is outclassed by Jack. With better casting it could have been so much more. Expand

See all 13 User Reviews

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