- Critic Score
- Most active
- Publication
- Most clicked
-
88As Jim, Bale delivers a stunning performance; he appears in virtually every frame and truly seems to grow over the course of the film from a coddled rich child to a calculating, almost feral creature who will ally himself with whoever wields the most power in a given situation.
-
80Spielberg's technical ability is very clear, with much to appreciate on close examination.
-
80A visual splendor, a heroic adventurousness and an immense scope that make it unforgettable.
-
80Spielberg has energized each frame with allusive legerdemain and an intelligent density of images and emotions.
-
80With an edgy, intelligent script by playwright Tom Stoppard, Mr. Spielberg has made an extraordinary film out of Mr. Ballard's extraordinary war experience. [09 Dec 1987]
-
75Empire of the Sun remains a solidly engaging story of heroism in the face of adversity, as filtered through the eyes of a boy obsessed with planes and flight.
-
70It is up to young English thesp Bale to engage the viewer's interest, which he does superbly.
-
63Empire of the Sun adds up to a promising idea, a carefully observed production and some interesting performances.
-
63Empire of the Sun is an imperfect film, but at its best it's grand and haunting in ways that only a movie can be. [11 Dec 1987]
-
60Though Empire of the Sun is a profoundly perplexing, frustrating object, there are things in it to marvel at and enjoy.
-
50The film is sober, serious-minded and paced like a funeral march. [11 Dec 1987]
-
Although he misses reaching to the heart of Jim's spirit and his relationship to other people, Spielberg has clearly taken an impressive step forward in shaping his new and adult vision for the screen. [11 Dec 1987]
-
50A faithful, technically brilliant, but also dramatically malnourished film of J.G. Ballard's popular World War II novel. [08 Dec 1987]
-
50Although Tom Stoppard's script lifts Ballard's spare dialogue directly from the page, the context in which it is placed is kitsch. [11 Dec 1987]
-
50For all its good intentions, for the thrillingly staged moments in the film's first quarter-for all the sweeping movement of thousands of people streaming through the streets of Shanghai-and for all its not-inconsiderable craft, the film's grave problem is a lack of central heating: We don't have a single character to warm up to. [09 Dec 1987]
-
50The pseudomystical vagueness that seems to be Spielberg's stock-in-trade stifles most of the particularity of the source.
-
Behind the trademark fancy package is a troubling sensibility, too. Spielberg seems unable to come to terms with anything real.
User score distribution:
-
Positive: 8 out of 8
-
Mixed: 0 out of 8
-
Negative: 0 out of 8
-
MarinaM10Gorgeous and touching. Definitely one of my all time favorite movies.
-
BillM.10An awesome movie with a truly mesmirizing performance by Christian Bale.