The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Boy Erased
Ant-Man and the Wasp
American Vandal
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Tomatometer Not Available...
——
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
View All Walker News
All Critics (10) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (6) | DVD (3)
Some bad movies are in no hurry to announce themselves, but Walker declares its badness right from the opening titles.
Walker is the dark, neurotic flipside of Repo Man, where the antiheroic title character is not interested in any form of individual self-expression other than a single-minded pursuit of fame and glory.
a grievously misunderstood piece of schizo art
Cox and writer Rudy Wurlitzer get the politics right, but don't know how to clearly tell their story without seeming like loonies.
The movie's fierce detractors must have been so disgusted that they weren't even willing to concede its strokes of genius.
Ed Harris in the lead role valiantly tries to make the best of a bad situation, but the cartoon dimensions of the story leave him twisting in the wind.
I really don't get the appeal. I like Alex Cox, but this is just...bad.
Super Reviewer
A historical biopic on acid and about 13 other hard drugs! Alex Cox's "WALKER" is a feverish, unbelievably delirious film that while based on facts, refuses to limit itself in any way or take any obvious direction (in what other film could a 19th century Mercenary possibly make the covers of both TIME MAGAZINE and NEWSWEEK). I haven't seen a film this ridiculous in some time, but I actually really liked it! A part of me feels this film is some kind of odd work of manic genius; the other part of me thinks I'm completely insane for admitting that!
[font=Century Gothic]"Walker" starts in 1853 as William Walker(Ed Harris) barely survives his botched attempt at liberating a corrupt section of Mexico. Since that went so well, he is approached by Cornelius Vanderbilt(Peter Boyle) to head an expedition to Nicaragua to stabilize the country so he can profit off the overland route and a future canal. Walker is at first reluctant but joins up when his fiancee Ellen(Marlee Matlin) dies of cholera.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Walker" is a wildly entertaining and exuberant movie incredibly based on a true story about a delusional man.(Anytime you start to believe your own press, you have problems, especially if you own a newspaper for that express purpose.) Directed by Alex Cox in a style that could best be termed as Peckinpah on mescaline, the movie utilizes more than its fair share of anachronisms to highlight the timelessness of the plot. Cox's intent was to indirectly comment on the covert war against the Sandinistas in the 1980's but since economic imperialism is eternal, then why could we not apply this movie's lessons to Iraq instead? [/font]
A strange war movie with black humour and no regard for historical accuracy. It's told very well, and very bloody throughout, but the comedy makes it watchable. The long climax with the civilian slaughter and burning of the city, with the mesermizing music by Joe Strummer of "The Clash" - is powerful and unforgettable. Ed Harris is devilish in his role as William Walker. I wish the lazy folks at Universal Home Video would release this to Region 1 DVD.
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.
200 Essential Movies
Chosen by RT staff!
200 Freshest Movies
The best-reviewed since 1998
30 Great Scenes
30 great scenes in Rotten movies
Best of Netflix
Movies and shows to binge now
More News & Features
View All