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The General

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The General (1927)

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Reviews Counted:36

Fresh:33

Rotten:3

Average Rating:8.8/10

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: The two things engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) loves most in the world are his Southern belle sweetheart and his locomotive. When Northern spies steal the latter, the intrepid Confederate... The two things engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) loves most in the world are his Southern belle sweetheart and his locomotive. When Northern spies steal the latter, the intrepid Confederate single-handedly takes on the entire Union army in order to get it back. Against a backdrop of magnificently photographed Civil War battle scenes unfolds one of the great chases in movie history. Set almost entirely aboard moving trains, Keaton's THE GENERAL is physical comedy refined to elegant perfection and widely considered to be the actor-director's greatest film. [More]

Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Charles Smith, Frank Barnes

Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Charles Smith, Frank Barnes, Joe Keaton

Director: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

Director: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Feb 18, 2003

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Reviews for The General

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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Ranks among the greatest movies ever made.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
01/01/00
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Keaton is a wonderful treasure no matter the movie, and The General is certainly among his best.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
02/27/01
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Spectacular chases, fires and explosions are captured with fluid camerawork. There are no stunt doubles for Keaton and of course no digital effects.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/02/08
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]

The birth of slapstick.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/02/08
Simon Braund
Simon Braund
Empire Magazine

Keaton proves as endlessly clever and athletic as his screen surrogates...chock-full of hilarious sight gags, including bits of business that incorporate moving trains, cow-catchers, a bear (and bear trap), and a misbehaving cannon. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
11/25/09
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

An imaginative masterpiece of dead-pan "Stone-Face" Buster Keaton comedy, the silent Civil War adventure epic classic, The General (1927)

Full Review Source: Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films | comment Comment
01/01/00
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks
Tim Dirks' The Greatest Films

[Keaton's films] have such a graceful perfection, such a meshing of story, character and episode, that they unfold like music.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Among the finest comedies of all time, it wears its greatness lightly.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
04/02/08
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

Begins with a single, brilliantly sustained premise and works it into an engaging story with edge-of-your-seat excitement and stunningly conceived stunts and sight gags.

Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
03/22/04
Steven D. Greydanus
Steven D. Greydanus
Decent Films Guide

Newcomers will doubtless be surprised at the excellent pacing of the action.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
02/17/02
Almar Haflidason
Almar Haflidason
BBC

This is by no means so good as Mr. Keaton's previous efforts.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment 1 Comment
03/25/06
Mordaunt Hall
Mordaunt Hall
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Its peerless mixture of exciting action and kinetic comedy are one of moviedom’s supreme pleasures.

Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
03/05/02
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com

There’s no point sitting on the fence on this one. Buster Keaton's The General is a work of genius.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

An almost perfect entertainment.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/11/08
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sure, it's got that cornball '20's dialogue and plays the underdog Confederacy as the heroes, but it's a truly fantastic piece of cinema.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
06/15/01
Karina Montgomery
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

One of the greatest films of the silent era.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
02/28/02
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies

This is Buster Keaton's ageless masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/05/02
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The result is a flop.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 2 Comments
01/11/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The General isn't likely to be the favorite opus of the star's purist fans, but it's the one with the trappings of ambition and historical poesy

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
11/11/08
Bill Weber
Bill Weber
Slant Magazine

Only superlatives will do to describe Keaton’s hilarious Civil War dramatic comedy.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
 
 
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