A Few Good Men (1992)

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (8) | DVD (18)

An extraordinarily well-made movie, which wastes no words or images in telling a conventional but compelling story.

December 21, 2008 Full Review

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

Top Critic

The same histrionic fireworks that gripped theater audiences will prove even more compelling to filmgoers due to the star power and dramatic screw-tightening.

October 18, 2008 Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Top Critic

The intellectual cut-and-thrust of the courtroom is largely absent here, and the denouement seems slick, arbitrary, and derived from the Captain Queeg catalogue.

January 26, 2006 Full Review | Comments (7)

Time Out

Top Critic

The screenplay is a good one, directed with care and acted, for the most part, with terrific conviction.

May 20, 2003 Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Top Critic

That the performances are uniformly outstanding is a tribute to Rob Reiner (Misery), who directs with masterly assurance, fusing suspense and character to create a movie that literally vibrates with energy.

May 12, 2001

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Top Critic

Men is full of loaded, manly moments, great clashes of will and excellent buzz cuts.

January 1, 2000 Full Review

Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Top Critic

The final scene, when Kaffee locks horns with Jessep, more than makes up for the predictability of what's come before.

December 21, 2008 Full Review

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Although Nicholson has little more than an extended cameo, he seizes the final courtroom scene and makes it a tour de force of cinema.

December 21, 2008 Full Review

Film4

Julgando-se mais importante e inteligente do que é na verdade, o filme conta com um roteiro ingênuo em seu idealismo juvenil e traz Cruise em uma performance implausível e repleta de maneirismos de estrela.

August 16, 2006 | Comments (4)

Pablo Villaca

Cinema em Cena

Highly entertaining courtroom drama that's well-directed by Reiner but narratively flawed. Thematically, the story is fraudulent--much ado about nothing--but enjoybale to watch.

July 3, 2006 Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

So well written and so well acted that you almost don't notice what a shoddy and clumsy piece of filmmaking it is.

November 20, 2005

Dan Fienberg

Zap2it.com

Entertaining but contrived.

June 12, 2004

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

A blueprint for Hollywood product done right: intelligent, entertaining, and stuffed to the gills with movie star charisma.

May 2, 2004

Rob Vaux

Flipside Movie Emporium

Click to read review

January 1, 2004 Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

The great courtroom drama. Fast-paced compelling mystery with moral undertones.

July 14, 2003

Fred Topel

About.com

Film of the highest order...and that's the truth

April 27, 2003

Clint Morris

Moviehole

It probably will win some Oscars, but if this is the best film of the year, it is a pretty poor year for films.

March 23, 2003 Full Review

Robert Roten

Laramie Movie Scope

Only Jack Nicholson rises to the film's overblown sensibility.

February 7, 2003 | Comment (1)

Jeffrey M. Anderson

San Francisco Examiner

An underrated near-classic. No one who has seen this movie will forget it.

December 24, 2002

Phil Villarreal

Arizona Daily Star

Like a roast that's baked too long, the acting in this film is 'over done.'

September 20, 2002

Luanne Brown

Chico Enterprise-Record

Ignited by a clash of values, courtroom fireworks and a dazzling display of topnotch acting.

August 21, 2002 Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

As a play of ideas, it has the profundity of a high-school debate, with a wan, climactic sermon about the need to stand up for the little guy.

January 9, 2002 Full Review | Comment (1)

Stephen Farber

Movieline

• 1. Col. Nathan R. Jessep: You can't handle the truth!
  – Submitted by Dutch E (3 months ago)
• 1. Lieutenant J.G. Daniel Kaffe: I am a lawyer and an officer in the United States Marine Corps...and you're under arrest, you son of a bitch.
  – Submitted by Jared B (9 months ago)
• 1. Capt. Jack Ross: He's not about to have clients go to jail for life when he knows they could be home in six months.
  – Submitted by Willie J (10 months ago)
• 1. Lieutenant J.G. Daniel Kaffe: You cant handle the truth! Son we live in a world that has walls, and those have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it you, you lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury, you have the luxury of not knowing what I know, that Santiago's death while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence while grotesque and incomprehensible, to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you talk about parties; you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall! We use words like honor, code, loyalty, We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something, you use them as a punch line. I have neither the time,or the inclination, to explain myself to a man, who rises and sleep under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner, in which I provide it. I'd rather you just say 'thank you' and go on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn, what you think you are entitled to!
  – Submitted by Willie J (10 months ago)
• 1. Col. Nathan R. Jessep: What do you wanna talk about now? My favorite color?
  – Submitted by Willie J (10 months ago)
• 1. Col. Nathan R. Jessep: You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.
  2. Lieutenant J.G. Daniel Kaffe: Did you order the code red?
  – Submitted by Sone-Serae B (13 months ago)

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