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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Men of Honor
20th Century Fox Films


7.8

based on 30 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 11 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

Soul Food

MPAA RATING: R for language

Starring Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis, Hal Holbrook, Michael Rapaport, Powers Boothe, and David Keith

Inspired by the life of Carl Brashear (Gooding, Jr.). The setting of his journey is the little known and dangerous world of deep-sea diving in the U.S. Navy of the 1950s and 60s. (20th Century Fox Films)

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Scott Marshall Smith
DIRECTED BY:	George Tillman Jr.
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: April 10, 2001 Video: April 10, 2001 Theatrical: November 10, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	128 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

New York Post Lou Lumenick

In-depth performances by De Niro and Gooding Jr. provide the oxygen for this extremely shipshape biopic.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Passes muster as an old-style biopic with its heart in the right place. There won't be a dry eye in the house.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Inspirational biographical movie that really works.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

One of the more uplifting films of the season.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Just what Gooding needed to restart his stalled career.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It isn't about thrills and explosions, but about tenacity, and most of it takes place within our own imaginations.

Dallas Observer Andy Klein

If you don't view it too analytically, Men of Honor provides almost more uplift than a body can handle.

LA Weekly F. X. Feeney

The main body of the film earns comparison with the military parables of John Ford, particularly "The Long Gray Line" and "The Wings of Eagles."

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Educational and upstanding, a little overacted and more than a little overdramatized. But it's honorable.

Philadelphia Inquirer Desmond Ryan

A stalwart military inspirational.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Goes to such great lengths to show the greatness of its Navy diver hero that it neglects to add much depth to his character - or the story.

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

Flaws and all, Men of Honor ultimately does its duty. It honors the feats of an incredible man.

Mr. Showbiz Larry Terenzi

Sunk by its own melodramatic falseness, and it stands as a well-meaning yet lacking tribute to a courageous man.

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

In its quest to create "wholesome" entertainment, the movie industry is furiously turning back the clock four decades or so, to the days when men were men, girls were cute but knew their place and pencil-necked Poindexters stayed out of your damn face.

Variety Todd McCarthy/ David Stratton

Those in search of positive role models and films detailing little-known aspects of black and military history, or stressing the value of tenacity and hard work, pic has something to offer.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Engagingly corny drama.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Leaves you wanting to know more, and that's not a bad thing.

Time Richard Schickel

There's something refreshing about its utterly unembarrassed embrace of the familiar. The director, George Tillman Jr., either doesn't notice or doesn't give a hoot about the way Scott Marshall Smith's script piles up cliches.

Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez

In an effort to turn Brashear's life into a larger-than-life sermon, Men of Honor almost manages to make it all feel like an overbearing crock.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Gooding can't will this well-meaning film into life.

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

It's hard not to like a movie like Men of Honor, but it's entirely possible.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

Until its unbearably hokey ending, acquits itself reasonably well.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Gooding and De Niro bring their characters to vivid life despite the unsubtle screenplay and hyperactive music score.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

Leaves you exhausted and even bored.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Storytelling like this weighs heavier than a standard diving suit, and it's really up to you, if you're ready to take the plunge.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Loses focus of whom the film is honoring.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Strives to be an inspirational depth charge, but its power is consistently waylaid by some genuinely hokey dialogue and situations.

TV Guide Steve Simels

By the film's big finale, the whole thing has begun to feel distinctly ridiculous.

Village Voice Dennis Lim

The filmmakers at once coarsen and dilute a fascinating life into a lumpy puddle of punishing inspirational hokum.

Film.com Sean Means

A bad movie about a great man.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.8 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Matthew A. gave it a 10:
Very inspirational film. Brilliant actors and touching story with a very positive message.

Pat C. gave it a 6:
Informative reporting of true events and the interesting way in which they were handled. Apparently, though, the personnel involved were from the same troop of baboons Hollywood continues to find constitutes our military.

Unbearable Lightness gave it a 0:
This movie was painfully bad. I felt nauseated when it was finally over.

Crag F. gave it a 10:
Very emotional.

Perry M. gave it a 6:
Very entertaining, not enough character development. You don't feel any bond with the good or bad guys, except for Sunday.

Charlie gave it a 10:
One of the best films i have ever seen. Buy it now!!

Ryan M. gave it a 7:
A fairly good movie with the regular good guys who turn into bad guys and bad guys who turn into good guys. De Niro is great, Gooding is good and the story actually succeeds.

Men of Honor 20th Century Fox Films

Men of Honor
20th Century Fox Films