Crimson Tide
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: May 12, 1995 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
8
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
The submarine drama, which opens today, has everything you could want from an action thriller and a few other things you usually can't hope to expect: an excellent script, first-rate performances and a story that has more to do with individuals than explosions. Read full review
91
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Directed by Tony Scott, Crimson Tide is the kind of sumptuously exciting undersea thriller that moves forward in quick, propulsive waves. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Crisp as the creases in its naval officers' uniforms, this tale of seething conflicts aboard an American submarine on the eve of nuclear war is strictly by-the-numbers, but hardly ever are traditional elements executed with such panache. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Oddly enough, Crimson Tide develops into an actors' picture, not just an action movie. There are a lot of special effects, high-tech gadgets and violent standoffs, yes, but the movie is really a battle between two wills. Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineStaff(not credited)
Directed by Hollywood's slickest hack, Tony Scott ("Top Gun"), with a script doctored by Quentin Tarantino--you won't need sonar to spot his contributions. Read full review
80
EmpireStaff(not credited)
Equipped with liberal helpings of square-jawed top quality Hollywood thespianism, and that expensive, highly commercial Tony Scott gloss-finish, this submarine-set mutiny thriller is about as good as it gets. Read full review
80
VarietyTodd McCarthy
While skillfully crafted to maximize visual excitement and dramatic fireworks through the first hour, relentlessly paced pic sports a fancy new package for a rather shopworn doomsday scenario that unravels to increasingly familiar effect as the finale breathlessly approaches. Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
It's a thrill-a-minute ride that concludes with a whimper, like a roller-coaster that has all the drops and twists early. Make no mistake, this is a good source of early summer fun, but with a little extra imagination, it could have been a whole lot more. Read full review
75
San Francisco ExaminerGary Kamiya
It's too slick to be truly disturbing, but it's that slickness that keeps you on the edge of your chair. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The movie has nothing intelligent to say about post-cold-war tensions or anything else, but it's great fun to watch Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington square off in a submarine that looks like a cross between the Starship Enterprise and something you'd get in a cereal box. Read full review
70
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The scenario may be dumb and predictable, with a wimpy ending to boot, but it's also sort of fun. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Go see it, get the adrenaline rush, and then go home and forget about it. It's noisy and fun, but that's all it is. Read full review
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