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The Last Waltz (re-release)
Metascore
88 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 14 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
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  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    The greatest rock concert movie ever made -- and maybe the best rock movie, period.
  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    It's never been topped.
  3. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    100
    One of the rare rock films that produces the effect of a live concert: After each number, the audience erupts into applause.
  4. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: William Arnold
    100
    Soars on its purity of form, subdued elegance and tidy professionalism.
  5. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    100
    No other concert film has ever expressed so fervently the erotic root of rock. Seeing it is the opposite of taking a trip down memory lane; it's more like a plunge into the belly of the beast.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: A.O. Scott
    100
    There are few concert movies that were filmed were such abiding feeling and respect. It's of a potent vintage that goes down deceptively smoother with age.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not Credited)
    100
    An outstanding rock documentary.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Richard Harrington
    100
    Is "The Last Waltz" the greatest rock movie of all time? It makes its case persuasively in a restoration overseen by director Martin Scorsese and producer Robbie Robertson that's been released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the concert it made famous.
  9. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Staff (not credited)
    80
    From a technical perspective, it's undoubtedly the most impressive and authentic concert film ever made.
  10. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
    80
    To see the film in this meticulously restored and remixed version is like watching it for the first time, so clear is the sound, so vivid the sights.
  11. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Robert Wilonsky
    80
    Scorsese's rockudrama withstands big-screen scrutiny some 24 years after its initial release.
  12. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    The music probably sounds fine on a CD. Certainly it is well-rehearsed. But the overall sense of the film is of good riddance to a bad time.
  13. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Dave Kehr
    70
    Despite Scorsese's efforts, there just isn't much to look at, and the film plays less like a movie than an illustrated record album.
  14. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Josh Goldfein
    50
    Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz proves Andrew's point by gathering so much talent into one theater that the stage buckles and the subject drops out of sight.
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User Reviews

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User Score
9.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. JimD.
    4
    Everybody ought to read Levon Helm's book, "This Wheel's On Fire" before they render their judgments. The movie's a fraud and it, Marty Scorcese and Robbie Robertson ought to be tarred and feathered out of the same pot.… Full Review »
  2. MM.
    10
    The Last Waltz transcends its genre AND transcends its medium -- it is, simply, a remarkable work that succeeds both as Art and as Fun. My favorite moment: Look into Neil Young's eyes at he sings "Helpless" (harder than it sounds, given the jaw-dropping beauty and intensity of his performance). The whitewalls around his nostrils may have been edited out, but the manic, cocaine-fueled thousand-yard stare remains for posterity to enjoy. And as a bonus, you understand why Neil scared the living bejeebus out of Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, and the rest of the "Canyon Rock" royalty when he so famously threatened, in song, to "kill them in their cars." God bless him :-)… Full Review »
  3. Tam
    10
    I've never seen any other concert video even come close to this. They have captured a piece of what I can only imagine attending one of their shows would've been like.… Full Review »
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