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Rescue Dawn
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Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.3 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 62 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Christian Bale
  • Summary: Based on the true story of an American pilot, Dieter Dengler is shot down during a top-secret mission. Taken hostage, he endures unimaginable conditions at the hands of cruel captors in a makeshift POW camp. Dengler's iron will to survive guides him and fellow prisoners in a meticulously planned, death-defying escape, only to discover the harsh realities of an unforgiving jungle beyond the camps walls. (MGM)… Expand
  • Director: Werner Herzog
  • Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, War
  • Rating: PG-13
  • Runtime: 126 min
  • More Details and Credits »

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 36
  3. Negative: 0 out of 36
  1. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    100
    What a sweet collision is Rescue Dawn: the American psycho meets the German kook.
  2. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    100
    An old-fashioned prisoner-of-war movie that becomes much more because of writer-director Werner Herzog's admiration for the remarkable true story of its protagonist, Dieter Dengler.
  3. Empire
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    60
    Herzog's planted rather too firmly in his discomfort zone, but Bale once again confirms himself as one of our most intense, committed and watchable actors.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 37
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 37
  3. Negative: 6 out of 37
  1. o.w.d
    10
    Werner Herzog does an incredible job bringing home the reality of jungle war, torture and escape against all odds. Gripping movie and well done by Bale as well.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. DanC.
    5
    What a strange film. The tone was just off from the first moment. The dialogue is amazingly wooden in many pars. The viewing experience left me quite perplexed. I can't recommend it.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. Kellyd.
    0
    Wow what a major disappointment! Not that i was particularly looking forward to the movie as i had no background knowledge of Dieter, instead i watched for the sake of Christian Bale. I continued to try and make myself beleive that this movie was worth while as i choked up words like "wow that rock is big" or "it must have been really humid". No use the movie sucked gracefully. I don't know where the sucking began--if it was when Bale walked into the first camp and smiled--because being tied up, tortured, and forced along by non-english speaking foreigners always brings a smile to my face--or when he was told continually that Zane shits his pants every night. I couldn't help but laugh at the atrociousness of the writing, directing, and acting in this movie. Honestly i laughed more than once.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 37 User Reviews

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