Tommy (1975)

All Critics (25) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (6) | DVD (14)

One thing is sure: there has never been a movie musical quite like Tommy, a weird, crazy, wonderfully excessive version of The Who's rock opera.

May 6, 2013 Full Review

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

This 1975 film's inventiveness begins to flag about halfway through, but by then it's a relief. If only Wagner could have lived to see this.

May 6, 2013 Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Ken Russell's filmization of Tommy is spectacular in nearly every way.

March 26, 2009 Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Top Critic

This is both the movie in which [Russell] is most faithful to the ideas and tone of his material, and one of his very worst films.

June 24, 2006 Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Top Critic

It's all fairly excessive and far from subtle, but in this case good taste would have been wildly inappropriate and a fearful drag.

May 9, 2005 Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

The effect is exhilarating and exhausting.

October 23, 2004 Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Top Critic

Fans of the Who beware. Ken Russell applies his rococo outpourings to Pete Townshend's rock opera and botches not only the visuals but the fine score.

May 6, 2013 Full Review

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Overlong, over-indulgent, overdone.

May 6, 2013 Full Review

Film4

An anything-goes phantasmagoria that pushes at the borders of good taste and good sense.

April 15, 2011 Full Review

Phil Hall

Film Snobbery

Trippy rock opera with drug references and sexual imagery.

March 15, 2011 Full Review

Charles Cassady

Common Sense Media

The core essence of Tommy lies in the quivering carriage of Ann-Margret and her heroic personification of Russell's funhouse directorial approach.

August 27, 2010 Full Review

Brian Orndorf

BrianOrndorf.com

Emphasizing the sensual and musical elements of the rock opera, Ken Russell brings his excessive visual flourishes to the material and also get good performances from Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed, resulting in an original musical movie.

July 26, 2010 Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Quite the gaudy mind-blower.

March 16, 2006

Rob Thomas

Capital Times (Madison, WI)

It becomes tiresome and runs out of gas way before the conclusion.

February 23, 2006 Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

It is an extravagant musical curiosity, or Baby Boomer time capsule, if nothing else.

May 3, 2005 Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

• 1. Acid Queen: His head, it shakes! His fingers clutch! Watch his body writhe!
  – Submitted by Steven K (2 months ago)
• 1. Tommy: We need more room, build an extension. A colorful palace, spare no exepense now.
  – Submitted by David L (14 months ago)
• 1. Tommy: Those who love me. Have a higher path to follow now. And you, dear mother, too. Must be prepared!
  – Submitted by Steven K (19 months ago)
• 1. Tommy: See me, feel me, touch me, heal me.
  – Submitted by Chris D (22 months ago)
• 1. Nora Walker Hobbs: I believe in love. But how can men who've never seen light be enlightened?
  – Submitted by Nathan O (22 months ago)

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