Rescue Dawn
Rescue Dawn Image
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Metascore
77 out of 100

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

User Score
7.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 74 Ratings

Your Score
0 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. Newsweek
    Reviewed by: David Ansen
    80
    As taut and exciting as many edge-of-your-seat Hollywood escape movies.
  3. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Andrew O'Hehir
    80
    You can't watch this exciting movie without rooting for little Dieter, but decoding the lessons of his ambiguous story will take a lot longer.
  4. 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: 30 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 39
  3. Negative: 7 out of 39
  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
  2. AzarA.
    8
    One of the better movies based on the Vietnam war. This movie perfectly depicts the horrors of not only war, but also horrors of becoming a POW. Acting is almost top notch, no need to go Shakespeare on this one as it is about the reality of war, and in a situations like this, different people behave differently; so is the case in the characters in this movie. I enjoyed it a lot. Great film.… Expand
  3. BKM
    7
    Rescue Dawn is a gripping tale of survival against all odds and a fitting tribute to the American soldier that is blessedly free of political bias. But most interestingly, thanks to Christian Bale's remarkably strange and hard to classify performance, it is an examination of how the will to survive requires not only courage and brains but also a touch of insanity.… Expand
  4. DuncanRobertsII
    2
    The crash scene was the worst I have ever seen. The flight instruments show the plane rolling yet the plane is in a descent. The VFX very poor. The music terrible. The story is not new. The best part is the ending. If you want a good Vietnam film watch Platoon or The Deer Hunter.… Expand

See all 39 User Reviews

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