Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Good ain't the half of it in this case - it's funny, it's endearing, it's strangely touching. [19 Aug 1994]

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

The generosity and gorgeousness with which Aussie writer-director Stephan Elliott (and costume designers Lizzy Gardiner and Tim Chappel) turn this most unlikely road picture into something arresting - if a tad sentimental - in its naive vision of a perfectly tolerant world.

The New York Times Janet Maslin

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert presents a defiant culture clash in generous, warmly entertaining ways.

Variety David Stratton

A cheerfully vulgar and bitchy, but essentially warmhearted, road movie with a difference, which boasts an amazing star turn by Terence Stamp as a transsexual, Stephan Elliott's second feature is a lot of fun.

Chicago Tribune Clifford Terry

On the whole, though, it is funny and compassionate, silly and sweet. [26 Aug 1994]

Portland Oregonian Henry Sheehan

Elliott has come up with an ebullient entertainment propelled by garishly jaunty musical numbers, adroitly handled comic banter and an optimistic faith in people's ability to roll with the punches. [26 Aug 1994]

TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)

The script is spiked with cheeky, occasionally hilarious encounters, like the trio's stroll through a lazy Outback town in flamboyant space-age drag, or Bernadette's deliciously unprintable riposte to a hostile woman in a bar.

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is about the most fun you can have with three guys who like to dress up as women.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

In this roaringly comic and powerfully affecting road movie, Terence Stamp gives one of the year's best performances.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

This nicely made 1994 comedy-drama could be described as an Australian "Easy Rider," with Sydney drag queens instead of bikers and no apocalyptic ending.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

The comic pizazz and bawdy dazzle of this film's vision of gaudy drag performers trekking across the Australian outback certainly has a boisterous, addictive way about it. [10 Aug 1994]

Austin Chronicle Robert Faires

Where drag is concerned, though, the film does anything but drag; Elliott has no compunction about restraint, and Priscilla gushes with bitchy repartee, campy comedy, sappy Seventies pop (Abba! “Billy, Don't Be a Hero”! “Take a Letter, Maria”!), and production numbers so outrageous, they make the Divine Miss M's excess look like the efforts of a Baptist boys' camp.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It is done well, yet one is still surprised to find it done at all.

Empire Angie Errigo

Those who find men in feathers inherently divine will have a high old time here, and there are enough hilarious cinematic moments for the gob-smacked rest.

Wall Street Journal Julie Salamon

Like the "girls," the movie is flamboyant in almost every respect - the costumes, the humor and the sentimentality. [1 Sep 1994]

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Writer-director Stephan Elliott is obviously fond of his characters, and this may account for the upbeat story line, but it blinds him to how very annoying two hours of dishing can be.

Washington Post Desson Howe

Obviously, Priscilla is a one-note pleasure: Bitches in the Desert! Queens in the Sand! Nancy boys do the Outback!

USA Today Mike Clark

Poor, no-respect ABBA gets tweaked repeatedly in this unexpectedly handsome widescreen import - though, in keeping with the movie's soft tone, the gooning isn't mean-spirited or even all that catty. [10 Aug 1994]

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Director Stephan Elliott too easily buys into the drag queens' conception of themselves as valiant pursuers of illusion, without ever questioning the value of the illusion being pursued.