RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Pale Rider
Pale Rider

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Pale Rider (1985)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
92 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 25

Fresh: 23

Rotten:2

Average Rating: 7.3/10

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Westerns

Synopsis: A girl kneels over the grave of her murdered dog, praying for a miracle, while off in the distance, a man rides toward town on a pale horse. Clint Eastwood's PALE RIDER was the filmmaker's first... A girl kneels over the grave of her murdered dog, praying for a miracle, while off in the distance, a man rides toward town on a pale horse. Clint Eastwood's PALE RIDER was the filmmaker's first Western in nearly a decade. It finds a pleasant balance between the mystical revisionism of films such as HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER and the traditional Western. Eastwood stars as the Preacher, who wanders into a dusty California town and tries to rescue a community of gold prospectors that is being terrorized by the local corporate mining operation, which is strip-mining the land. He's taken in by Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty), who lives with Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgrass) and her 14-year-old daughter, she of the murdered pooch, Megan (Sydney Penny). The Preacher is something of a blend of Eastwood's Man with No Name and the title character of George Stevens's SHANE. The story and treatment are straightforward and entertaining, and the strong performances draw the audience in. The Preacher remains a mysterious character, but in the end, as he takes on the evil mining corporation's hired guns, it's impossible not to root for him. [More]

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel

Director: Clint Eastwood

Director: Clint Eastwood

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Nov 18, 1997

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Pale Rider

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Pale Rider does nothing to disprove the wisdom that this genre is best left to the revival houses. A double feature of Shane and Eastwood's High Plains Drifter will do just fine, thanks.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/26/08
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It had been so long since a quality western had hit America's screens that it appears as if Eastwood purposely set out to remind audiences of all the elements that make the genre work.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/26/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide

It's all been seen before, but Eastwood serves it up with authority, fine craftsmanship and a frequent sense of fun.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/26/08
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

His saddle bag is a mixed one, though Pale Rider still has the touch of quality associated with latter-day Eastwood. [Blu-ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
09/12/08
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

...who else would you want coming to your rescue than the Preacher Man With No Name?

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
09/01/08
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

It's a lightweight, easygoing affair, reminiscent of some of Hawks' or Ford's lesser Westerns.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/16/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Eastwood's mythic Western divided film critics: Some were baffled by the audacity of his playing a religious figure, while others claimed he was just embodying the mysterious knight-stranger, a common character in classic Westerns.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
06/20/07
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

It's good to be back in the saddle again.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
10/10/05
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

Not Clint's best western, but entertaining enough.

comment Comment
07/14/05
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A severely underrated western, one of Eastwood's most stylish.

comment Comment
03/31/05
James Plath
DVDTown.com

Clint's return to westerns is just ok.

comment Comment
12/18/04
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

One of Eastwood's best oaters

comment Comment
10/24/04
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

[Eastwood] understands so well how he works on the screen that the movie has a resonance that probably was not even there in the screenplay.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Clint Eastwood stars as the mysterious stranger who arrives in a town and challenges the citizens to fight evil.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/22/04
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

comment Comment
08/04/04
Linda Cook
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

A lesser Western by Eastwood's standards, but many a filmmaker would consider this a career high point.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film

I'm just now beginning to realize that, though Mr. Eastwood may have been improving over the years, it's also taken all these years for most of us to recognize his very consistent grace and wit as a filmmaker.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

See it if you haven't.

comment Comment
04/24/03
Kevin A. Ranson
MovieCrypt.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
See More Topics...

Related Forums for Pale Rider

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
79%
79%
Gran Torino
30%
30%
12 Rounds
23%
23%
Confessions of a Shopa…
—
The Code
39%
39%
Inkheart

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
22%
22%
Push
12%
12%
The Unborn

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

What’s Hot On RT

Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Pt. 3: Cuaron's darker Prisoner of Azkaban

Best Mockumentaries

Best Mockumentaries

From Borat to Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11

Humpday Clip

Humpday Clip

An exclusive peek at the indie comedy!

Half-Blood Prince

Half-Blood Prince

How good is the 6th Harry Potter?

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: T.J. Hooker Film in Development
22
  • Warners Shortens Green Lantern Wishlist Source: Hollywood Reporter
102
  • Harold Ramis Talks Ghostbusters 3 Source: MakingOf.com
32
  • Spider-Man 4 Gets Its Third Writer Source: Latino Review
60
  • Warners Wins Favorable Ruling in Superman Case Source: Variety
18
  • Remo Williams Rides Again Source: Risky Biz
10
  • Mortal Kombat 3 Filming in September? Source: Slashfilm
82
  • MacGruber Gets a Director Source: Variety
39
  • PG-13 Turns 25 Source: VideoETA
8
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
92
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
67
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
59
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
52
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
46
  • Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
43
  • Total Recall: Mock Docs That Rock
42
  • Five Favorite Films with Kathryn Bigelow
39
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
37
  • RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
26
  • Five Favourite Films with Jaime Winstone
19
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Pale Rider at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno External Link

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles External Link

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

A Baywatch Comedy?
A Baywatch Comedy? External Link

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.