Braveheart 1995

Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune: In this mix of historical tragedy and hip adventure, Gibson may be as galvanic a movie swashbuckler as Errol Flynn and Burt Lancaster were in their day. Read more

Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune: In addition to staging battle scenes well, Gibson also manages to recreate the filth and mood of 700 years ago. Read more

Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times: As a filmmaker, [Gibson] lacks the epic gift, but the movie, scripted by Randall (no relation) Wallace, works on a fairly basic level as a hiss-the-English medieval Western. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Mel Gibson throws his whole heart into a role. No one acts with more conviction, and his errors are honest ones. Read more

Desmond Ryan, Philadelphia Inquirer: As the star of the new, epic-scaled Braveheart, Gibson celebrates yet another man of selfless valor. And as its director, he displays some daring of his own. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: Many movies deal with battlefield heroics. Few seriously attempt to define heroism. Read more

Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine: Everybody knows that a non-blubbering clause is standard in all movie stars' contracts. Too bad there isn't one banning self-indulgence when they direct. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: One of the most spectacular entertainments in years. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Though lumpy and even redundant, Braveheart constantly rebounds on some bold note. Read more

Anthony Puccinelli, Chicago Reader: Braveheart has a gut-wrenching, bone-breaking, sword-thwacking verve. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It takes a real star to make suffering this sexy. Read more

Jack Kroll, Newsweek: Braveheart looks like a true epic -- even if it is both bloody and bloody long. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: The political argument that ensues is pretty dull, but the battle scenes are the loudest and most convincing in years: Gibson has learned from Kurosawa in lending a clarifying thrust to what is, essentially, chaos. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: A lavish, entertaining spectacle full of manly men, dastardly villains, rousing battles and women who easily see Mel's hero potential through all that messy hair. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: With its clashing armies, heartstopping action, and grand sense of romance, this is the sort of film it's a pleasure to see and review. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: An action epic with the spirit of the Hollywood swordplay classics and the grungy ferocity of The Road Warrior. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Though the film dawdles a bit with the shimmery, dappled love stuff involving Wallace with a Scottish peasant and a French princess, the action will pin you to your seat. Read more

Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle: At times the film seems an obsessive ode to Mel Gibson machismo. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: Pure hokum. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: A huge, bloody and sprawling epic, Braveheart is the sort of massive vanity piece that would be easy to disparage if it didn't essentially deliver. Read more

Hal Hinson, Washington Post: [Gibson] has created a completely adequate modern facsimile of the classic romantic epic. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: A rambling disappointment. Read more