Dunkirk

10

CHEENYUSAug 2, 2017

At first, I have to say something to people, which have problems with loud sounds:
Don`t watch this movie.
The runtime of 100 minutes is filled with noises as well as with stressfull situations. And that`s exactly why it`s not just a typicalAt first, I have to say something to people, which have problems with loud sounds:
Don`t watch this movie.
The runtime of 100 minutes is filled with noises as well as with stressfull situations. And that`s exactly why it`s not just a typical movie about war with any kind of patriotism or embellishment. The focus is clearly on presenting the harshness of suriving in an area full of death and despair. As I already said, the runtime of this movie is onyl at 100 minutes, 100 extremely thrilling and rousing minutes.
It`s one of those movies you have to watch in cinema. Watching it at home on your average TV is probably not even half the experiene you can get there.
Christopher Nolan made again with "Dunkirk" a fascinating masterpiece, which is really hard to compare with his previous movies. There is pretty much nothing to criticize about it, just watch it in cinema, if you don`t have problems with loud sounds.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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7

OrangeknockoutAug 2, 2017

this movie barely gets a 7 out of me. I would give the movie a 6.9 if I could but there is no option for that. overall Dunkirk is a satisfying movie to watch. it has some moments in the movie where you go like," oh **** there are somethis movie barely gets a 7 out of me. I would give the movie a 6.9 if I could but there is no option for that. overall Dunkirk is a satisfying movie to watch. it has some moments in the movie where you go like," oh **** there are some genuinely intense moments in the movie where you are on the edge of your seat. the scenes are captivating primarily due to the movie's excellent musical score. the music in this movie is what really gives Dunkirk's scenes that final push to be truly epic.

I was thrown off a little though. Dunkirk is not your traditional war movie; I went in expecting a gory violent war movie, but was instead treated to a very non-violent war movie. not sure how Christopher pulled that off, considering its a war movie. overall, pretty good movie. the constant scene changing did confuse me a little and I felt like Dunkirk lacks in comparison to nolans other amazing movies. there is not much character development and I got lost at times at what was going on in the movie or who these people were.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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10

deanableAug 2, 2017

Unique for its type; powerful film. amazing editing, music and special effects. The Tom Hardy scenes are somehow moving in an unusual way.
Sparse dialog but what there is, is very good.

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

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9

CarFan1999Aug 2, 2017

In short, Dunkirk is a near-masterpiece. It’s a thriller that puts you on the edge of your seat throughout the runtime and only lets up for small amounts of time. What makes this movie unique is that it doesn’t focus on the characters, butIn short, Dunkirk is a near-masterpiece. It’s a thriller that puts you on the edge of your seat throughout the runtime and only lets up for small amounts of time. What makes this movie unique is that it doesn’t focus on the characters, but the event itself. In most war movies, we focus on a single character as they go through an event. In this case, the movie focuses on the event itself. It does focus particularly on a soldier played by One Direction’s Harry Styles, a father played by Mark Rylance, and a pilot played by Tom Hardy. However, there’s no backstory on any of these characters. Instead, we only see them as they go through this event. We see from their perspective, the events of Dunkirk.

The movie has 3 different plotlines. One focuses on the soldiers stuck on the beach. The second focuses on a dad and his two kids who answer the call and head to Dunkirk to aid in the rescue, despite the danger involved in doing that. The third focuses on airforce pilots and their efforts to take down Nazi warplanes. Nolan switches between the 3 plots throughout the movie and they all join together by the end. This movie is a little under 2 hours long and it gets into the action almost immediately after it starts. There isn’t much backstory provided, so it’s important to research the background of Dunkirk before you go and watch this.

Dunkirk is more of an experience than a movie. The camerawork makes us feel that we’re there right alongside these people. It makes us feel that we’re in the war, instead of watching the war. The sound work influences this as well. When bullets are fired, they are as loud as real bullets. When planes approach the soldiers on the beach, their roar will almost make your ears ring. When a ships sinks, the camera is at water level showing struggling soldiers trying to escape. The camera shows the airplane dogfight scenes in detail. Since minimal computer effects are used, it makes it all the more real. In fact, some of the small boats that were used in the movie were the actual boats that aided in the rescue in 1940. It all feels as if a cameraman were there with the troops in 1940, filming what was happening in real time. It makes the movie very realistic and horrifying. You’ll feel exhausted (in a good way) by the end.

Dunkirk’s also almost a silent movie as the characters say few lines. The action and soundtrack propel it forward. While it could have provided more backstory on the event and the characters, Dunkirk is a fantastic movie. It’s not as memorable as other movies, but the experience you feel while watching it is unlike any other film. I’d give this a 90%. It’s the type of movie that’s made for the big screen and you’re doing yourself a disservice by not seeing it in a theater. Dunkirk is a unique experience that’s worth seeing. It is a fitting tribute to the troops who served there.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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10

michaeloliveiraAug 2, 2017

Incrível. É o tipo de filme que prende a atenção do espectador do início ao fim. Uma combinação perfeita de bela fotografia, sonoridades impactantes e atuações cativantes.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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8

Orli_AguilarAug 2, 2017

Un espectáculo visual enorme y amplio. Tan enorme que no le hace justicia a la factura emotiva, débil y fácilmente olvidable. Da una impresión inconexa, a pesar del especial personal énfasis de Nolan en conectarlo todo.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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10

FuturedirectorAug 2, 2017

Christopher Nolan's masterful filmography gets totally blessed with this clever, well-acted and truly satisfying spectacle that gets really close to the real fact.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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10

JavierChileAug 2, 2017

Excellent movie. Everything it wants to do it executes it perfectly! The tension created by the music is enormous. The multiple point of view technique contributes to enhance the spectator experience. I got very emotional at the end,Excellent movie. Everything it wants to do it executes it perfectly! The tension created by the music is enormous. The multiple point of view technique contributes to enhance the spectator experience. I got very emotional at the end, specially with the Spitfire ode reaching its peak.

Excellent music, minimalist dialogues, direction, photography and ability to transmite the fear and pesimism of the dunkirk english troops. Just perfect.… Expand

7 of 10 users found this helpful73

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5

Donovan84Aug 1, 2017

I have to say this is an overrated movie by the critics. You know all the good things about the movie from most reviews. Here was my problem with it. At the start of the movie, we are told the British and French are surrounded by "the enemy."I have to say this is an overrated movie by the critics. You know all the good things about the movie from most reviews. Here was my problem with it. At the start of the movie, we are told the British and French are surrounded by "the enemy." What enemy? Are they afraid to say it was the Germans? Throughout the movie, not one swastika is seen anywhere. As far as the movie goes, if you go into this movie not knowing much about Dunkirk, you'll leave the movie not knowing much more. They really should have had strategy scenes in Hitler HQ talking about the strategy to trap the British soldiers. And then strategy scenes in Churchill's HQ on how they would attempt to save them. Maybe show some map scenes demonstrating what was happening. Oh well.… Expand

5 of 17 users found this helpful512

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10

alejandro970Aug 1, 2017

One of the most dramatic episodes of WW2 narrated masterfully, with a relentless rhythm that narrates exciting battles from air, land and sea; supported by a outstanding photofraphy, and an overwhelming, dynamic score composed by Hans Zimmer.One of the most dramatic episodes of WW2 narrated masterfully, with a relentless rhythm that narrates exciting battles from air, land and sea; supported by a outstanding photofraphy, and an overwhelming, dynamic score composed by Hans Zimmer. One of best war movies of ever. Rush.… Expand

7 of 10 users found this helpful73

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6

RelaxedmikeAug 1, 2017

Critics gave this movie a 10. I don't see how. It was quite slow in parts as I almost fell to sleep. I'm giving it a 6. Ok 7 at best and thats stretching it!

8 of 18 users found this helpful810

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10

Lukmaster42Aug 1, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its fantastic. A complete masterpiece, which makes you feel tense, and static, and nervous, making you want to see more and more,and to see more things about the story and the characters, which are fantastic! from a bunch of soldiers in a beach, to a soldier in an airplane defending innocent peoplle, it manages to keep you entertained for 1 hour and 46 minutes. Plus, mentioning the ending is crucial, as the scene in which Tom Hardy gets off his plane, burns it, and just stands there, waiting for his fate, it is just such a powerful scene, that makes you feel like watching a Dark Night film. In summary, Christopher Nolan is a master, definitley every film he makes is destined to greatness, but it still continues to surprise us. This film is amazing, it doesnt bores you for a second, and until it ends, you feel greatness itself growing through your body, and the way the three stories combine is just magical! With a great cast of actors (Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh...) that make the experience even better, Dunkirk, makes up a great set for the big screen. "10 / 10".… Expand

7 of 10 users found this helpful73

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10

chuck_dAug 1, 2017

Quick and to the point: Everything Christopher Nolan touches turns to gold, and this is no exception. Epic. A master class on war movie storytelling. Do yourself a favor and SEE IT IN IMAX. Be prepared. You will feel like you're on theQuick and to the point: Everything Christopher Nolan touches turns to gold, and this is no exception. Epic. A master class on war movie storytelling. Do yourself a favor and SEE IT IN IMAX. Be prepared. You will feel like you're on the beach/in the air/on the water with the action.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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1

subseqAug 1, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. There is a phenomenon in filmmaking these days I like to call the "Gravity" effect, named after the ridiculous Sandra Bullock film in which a truckload of spiffy CGI and cinematography was wrapped around a nifty space premise producing a preposterous and scientifically implausible bore. It seems to have taken over Hollywood, and "Dunkirk" is its latest manifestation. As a history teacher very familiar with the Dunkirk story, I was eager to see the intense drama exhibited on the big screen, and superlative reviews from everyone assured me it had to be good. Nope - it was just like "Gravity". There was no story, it was merely one perilous situation after the other. Over and over and over again, people I could not care less about were in danger. In "Gravity" it was Sandra Bullock in space, here it was British troops in the waters off the coast of France. Over and over and over - interminable anguish splashed in our faces. While Christopher Nolan's technical work with the CGI and film editing was terrific, I can't believe he didn't just sit back and say, "With all this filmmaking technology at our fingertips why have a engaging story with flowing plot lines and defined characters? Let's just pound them with the horrors of war and make it so the viewer can FEEL IT." (Needless to say do not see this film if you are aquaphobic.) There were also the extraordinarily annoying scenes like those when the car doesn't start and you need to drive off to avoid something very bad - in this movie it was the gun that malfunctions or the hatch on the plane won't open as it sinks into the sea. Please. Then there is the completely unnecessary tussle on a small pleasure yacht that results in the death of a sympathetic character - oh my. Sorry but I'm sick of directors taking my feelings and ruthlessly yanking them for the purpose of trying to tell us what a grand filmmaker they are. At least Nolan didn't move the camera all around making the scenes artificially jagged and distorted - thank you! Still, after the 57th time we had to tortuously endure wondering whether or not people were going to die horrific deaths - this one having to do with men in the water trying not to let the surface flames reach their oil-soaked bodies - I was done. I left. So yeah, count this one among "My Blue Heaven" and "Grease" as one of those terrible films that I actually walked out on.… Expand

12 of 26 users found this helpful1214

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6

Beowulf4862Aug 1, 2017

Well, once again my friends and I have been duped into seeing a film based on its very positive reviews only to discover that the emperor has no clothes. Too loud, too fractured, too cold. Not a rewarding experience. Oh, and forget about theWell, once again my friends and I have been duped into seeing a film based on its very positive reviews only to discover that the emperor has no clothes. Too loud, too fractured, too cold. Not a rewarding experience. Oh, and forget about the heroics of the French, holding off the Germans for days.… Expand

5 of 12 users found this helpful57

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8

KaptenVideoAug 1, 2017

Ahh... Nolan. Who doesn't love Christopher Nolan, eh? One of the most acclaimed directors working today, a cinematic genius behind modern classics such as "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "The Prestige", "Inception" and "Interstellar"...
Well, IAhh... Nolan. Who doesn't love Christopher Nolan, eh? One of the most acclaimed directors working today, a cinematic genius behind modern classics such as "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "The Prestige", "Inception" and "Interstellar"...
Well, I hate to be a party pooper (as always), but I have never shared the mad love every other movie fan I know has to share for him. I mean, his works are a'ight, but I never found them to be as great as everybody else seemed to think.
I guess I liked early Nolan the best – "Memento" and especially "Insomnia" –, when he was more interested in characters and building suspense than just creating the biggest baddest epics available.
Of course, Nolan is good at creating suspense and orchestrating action setpieces, but even his best works "Inception" and "Interstellar" have suffered from being overlong and pompous. Not to mention his third and last Batman which felt like a big pompous piece of crap.
Having written all that, I liked "Dunkirk" a lot. It's not only one of the finest movies of 2017 (so far), one of the most thoughtful war dramas I've seen, and also Nolan's best yet.
Although if you go to cinema expecting his usual, you may well leave disappointed, because this epic World War II tale is quite unlike anything we have come to associate him with.
After all these years, it must be supremely difficult to create a war drama with something fresh to show or say.
But Nolan is not afraid of challenges, and he has managed to pull off a movie which is both epic and intimate, artsy and mainstream-friendly, adrenaline-filled and deep at the same time. It's what the movie lovers always wait for but rarely get: a thinking man's blockbuster.
"Dunkirk" shows the experience of war from the another angle rarely seen or thought of, at least in movies. It's about human frailty, loneliness, isolation and enduring the limbo between chaos and salvation that war is made of.
Of course, there’s also enough explosions and eye-candy, but the whole thing is rather artsy in a good way. Not much dialogue or clearly defined events too, just people waiting (because there's nothing else left for them to do) and trying to survive.
There is not even a single clearly-defined central character, although there are several main storylines to follow, sometimes not in chronological form.
The story is about thousands of Allied troops surrounded by enemy forces, trapped on the beach and waiting for rescuing.
We have some well-known actors here, such as Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh and Cillian Murphy, but it's not really an actor's movie (ie, meant to let somebody shine) but fitting everything into a carefully crafted cinematic mosaic.
Speaking about war part, I especially loved the flight and air battle scenes. The immediacy, the sound effects. Also the fact that they were often made from pilot’s viewpoints, so it feels more realistic. The pilot shoots and we see target plane catching fire only after a while, for example.
All in all, „Dunkirk“ is the Nolan movie that has touched me the most. It’s about real things, emotions and experiences, and the action is thrillng. Another beautiful achievement for one of the most liked and successful auteurs working in mainstream cinema today.
Watched it in IMAX which probably add something to the experience, at least from technical standpoint. But it’s surely a good looking and sounding movie on any screen or setup, methinks.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

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8

SchroederRockJul 31, 2017

Dunkirk is loud, varied/dynamic and epic. I had high expectations going in and the movie didn't disappoint. The story of Dunkirk and the British fleet being stranded on a beach just a short ways from English shores is quite a tale. NolanDunkirk is loud, varied/dynamic and epic. I had high expectations going in and the movie didn't disappoint. The story of Dunkirk and the British fleet being stranded on a beach just a short ways from English shores is quite a tale. Nolan tells the tale with his usual creative approach - layering 3 story-lines that fit together like pieces of a puzzle, which will connect in its final minutes. That won't make you go "a-ha!" like some of Nolan's other work but it will help fuse together the events and characters a little better. The clever approach of telling 3 stories that cover land, air and sea is interesting to think back on but it's also not essential for audiences to catch. It's all one event and it's explored with excellence in most cases.

Perhaps my biggest gripe with the movie is the lack of character background. That doesn't take away from the movie as-is but I felt less attached to the characters because of that. Without throwing any spoilers into the mix, it kind of helps throw one of the only plot twists into the mix but prevented me and those that I saw the movie with from walking away thinking this was a 10/10 film. It's worth a theater visit for sure, I just think Nolan missed an opportunity to add another layer here and make this movie a no-brainer for lots of Academy Awards for next year. The music and sound effects are intense. Zimmer and his associates here find ways to leverage intense moments with a crescendo of sound and music mix. Often, I found myself tensing up as the music or effects built up - the same approach used in The Dark Knight.

I will note that there was an article I read that said the lack of character backstory is intentional to help the audience feel more immersed in the events as if they were there experiencing it, however interesting characters tend to be a primary driver in taking a movie from good to great and Dunkirk pumps the brakes perhaps a little too much in that department for my preferred taste. Anyways, go see it!… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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5

BratJul 31, 2017

I'm sorry it's not getting to me. The music is the strongest part, the visuals are... fine, but still it's a movie about nothing. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well known historical event, but do not expect a Serving Private Ryan or BlackI'm sorry it's not getting to me. The music is the strongest part, the visuals are... fine, but still it's a movie about nothing. Don't get me wrong, it is a very well known historical event, but do not expect a Serving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down kind of thing. It's a slow unfolding of interlacing plots, leading to not so well executed and a little trivial ending. Still only worth to see in IMAX. Oh, and a very loud movie. Read about it before you go to see it.… Expand

10 of 22 users found this helpful1012

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9

JalumbiJul 31, 2017

The perfect performances, beautiful cinematography, an increasing sense of tension anchored by Hans Zimmer score, and a narrative that surpisingly takes the film to unexpected depth, makes 'Dunkirk' one of Nolan's, and war films in general, best.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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0

AesopfussygitJul 31, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Millions of dollars spent on a movie that can't even get the train right ... They were carriages that never saw service until at least 40 years after the event. A spitfire with endless bullets and able to cruise without an engine for mile after mile after mile, then turn around and come back again only to land on an empty beach ... with that amount of glide available, he could have turned left and gone home for tea. And where were all the thousands of troops, four hundred thousand was mentioned in the movie, about the only part in the entire thing that they got right! So where were they? What was all the money spent on? The container depot behind the beach maybe? Where was the dialogue? A boy, someones son, his other sons brother get killed by a British soldier, trying to get away from Dunkirk ... The brother says 'Oh, ok."
The sound left a lot to be desired as well. But the thing that really bugged me, was that the buildings behind the beach were all modern! A lot of money wasted as far as I can see.… Expand

14 of 30 users found this helpful1416

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6

FilmaticJul 21, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I can't honestly say i see what everyone here is raving about. It's a masterfully shot film, with a story, and progression about as interesting as watching paint dry. the entire movie was a repetitive arc of events. The acting is almost null as there hardly any lines of dialogue. The story telling.... there was honestly no story, it was rather a collage of sequences without beginning or end. A sort of mishmash of unfortunate events that the characters trudge through at brisk pace. No actor stood out, no life stories told, nothing and nobody to care about. The horrors of war weren't even demonstrably shown as it was in PG13 meaning nothing of too much intensity was allowed. I think it rather disappointing that everyone (critics and users alike) reviewing this is putting this film in the same league as higher acclaimed war movies. Somehow nolan even managed to make the dog fights seem rather unimpressive and tepid. I can't say that i felt throughoughly immersed, entertained, or in love with any of the characters enough to give this movie anything close to a solid rating. i rather think it unfortunate that Nolan failed to create some kind of story arc with natural movie mechanics and rather decided to go with this bland hobglob mish-mash of repetitive tepid sequences that one somehow can manage to call a film. One can only dream.
Edit: upon second viewing in imax rather than regular, I can see why people were praising the cinematography and sound so much more than i thought was necessary. both image quality, shots, and sound were top notch. But the sound still managed to deafen and hurt my ears during certain scenes, and take away from the visual side quite a bit. Nonetheless Every scene has a powerful sense of immersion, sincerity in reasoning. This movie is more 'in the action' rather than telling a story, but in that style it quite succeeded. I recommend people who saw it in a regular theater to go see it in 70mm or imax definitely a different experience altogether. I boost my original somewhat reactionary score from 3/10 to 6/10.... I think i overreacted merely because of the pacing, and how little i cared about the cinematography on the regular theater screen.… Expand

13 of 33 users found this helpful1320

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2

AxeTJul 31, 2017

Even worse than expected. There was no doubt the jackass critics herd perennially on auto pilot would laud praise upon a noble little known true war story put on screen by a massively over-rated pompous director because they all sensed itEven worse than expected. There was no doubt the jackass critics herd perennially on auto pilot would laud praise upon a noble little known true war story put on screen by a massively over-rated pompous director because they all sensed it must be important purely based on the subject and pedigree. They in their utter dishonesty and phony pretentious lack of any shred of integrity assume in order to be perceived as serious and smart must heap praise on something like this. Venture to say, no matter what Christopher Nolan came out with the praise would be the same near unanimous nonsense it is. They didn't see the actual movie. They only saw the pretense. For the last time: subject matter is not primarily what you are reviewing idiots, the way it is executed is.

Here's why it's not only not the great movie they exclaim, but a pretty bad movie! There is no plot nor any character development, and there is no true suspense precisely because of this! You can't be on the edge of your seat no matter what the action on screen if you are not invested in the characters. This is an uninspired, stodgy, overly reverent trudge through a historic event with no invention working to transform such into a movie. Hollywood movies are supposed to entertain. Hey, that goes for whatever the content and no matter the tone. If you want a dry history lesson on the event, go read a text book or watch a documentary (and nearly any fathomable documentary on this battle would be more interesting).
Just imagine had James Cameron's "Titanic" not invented the fictional core love story and characters both modern day and past for that story in favor of pure, straight documented, totally accurate depiction of the historic event? It would not resonate as the epic Hollywood classic it became in short time. And it's not as though they blew off the historical accuracy which was painstakingly recreated in nearly every detail. It's that Cameron understands what movies should be for the audience, not just himself. The characters here are puppets whether real or imagined. The spare acting caught on screen is devoid of performance which while realistic is dull and it's not the cast's fault. There's no script! Kenneth Branagh tries, but sorry a watery eye in one close up and looking up for a few seconds in alarm of coming doom is not all there is to acting. If it is, then anyone can do the job on cue and to effect as professional actors must do. Worse still, like his last lame pretentious effort "Interstellar", the sound mix is AWFUL again! The freaking dialogue is mixed too low to the sound effects and even more so to the music! It's bad enough these actors have mumbled hard to understand heavily accented deliveries, but to then self indulgently attempt to be more "real" by making the decision to compromise intelligibility is just plain asinine. It's unprofessional. It's downright incompetent! Music is artificial to begin with, so his illogical argument last time about being more real to life experience is again just a fallacy here!

The staged big screen aerial dog fight footage is how this movie initially seemed to showcase itself in advertising and is about the only worthy of attention aspect of the entire production. So a few real flying shots of vintage WWII fighter planes from some unique angles with unnoticeable not overdone CGI is worth sitting bored out of your mind for two hours? Ah, no.

A-lister Nolan is a moviemaker who cares about the audience and the entertainment value he is delivering, but he is gravely mistaken in his efforts. No question he is highly intelligent, creative in general, a scholar of cinema history, and understands all the technical mechanics of filmmaking as well or better than anyone. What he is not is an artist who delivers genuine emotion. That's what great movies and great art in general is truly about. Nolan is a very cerebral writer/director not unlike say Kubrick who also fell short on emotion in all his work. However, Kubrick was such a genius and brilliant designer of mind bending psychological exploration that the lack of emotion in his art is acceptable as the canvases are overflowing with inspiration as it is just on an intellectual and aesthetic level. Nolan is only a pale imitation of that (though granted a better poser than say PT Anderson, another retro junkie also falling for old gimmicks of the medium over good storytelling). The truth is he hasn't made any great films, only a few good ones, and the rest are all pretentious mediocre bores. The only good thing about this thing is that surprisingly it is not overlong as is the stupid trend. That's because the story is thin to begin with and padded out for running time. If you must still go see it, go digital. The film prints are literally half the resolution and quickly damaged by today's uncaring theaters! Mr. Nolan the luddite is delusional in his denial of reality. Passé tech 70mm is a hoax now!… Expand

23 of 42 users found this helpful2319

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0

corwin84Jul 31, 2017

Very boring and monotonous movie. Lack of good plot and strong idea (unlike great Interstellar and Inception). No sense of admiration afterwards. Utter disappointment from Nolan.

10 of 22 users found this helpful1012

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7

CinemaphileJul 31, 2017

The non-linear storytelling which worked so well for Nolan's Momento works against Dunkirk. What does work in Dunkirk is the bombastic sound effects, but like CGI, those alone do not make a movie. Ironically, Dunkirk draws back from theThe non-linear storytelling which worked so well for Nolan's Momento works against Dunkirk. What does work in Dunkirk is the bombastic sound effects, but like CGI, those alone do not make a movie. Ironically, Dunkirk draws back from the immersive, oppressive, omnipresent sound and score that dominate Inception and Interstellar. One wonders if a linear edit would reveal the story's weaknesses. Because the editing seems like a gimmick, I give Dunkirk a 7 ... a solid 7. It's worth seeing in Imax ... not many films are shot with an eye for the big big screen, but I'd recommend a matinee.… Expand

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

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6

Xan_RyilJul 31, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Christopher Nolan’s movies over the year have become a huge craze and have a sincere fan following. With Dunkirk Mr. Nolan has taken a much different work in his resume. I would start with one of the mostly compelling part of his movies.
Background Score
Only work I admire of Hans Zimmer is with Christopher Nolan, Whether it’s TDK or Inception or the best to date Interstellar, Hans has always proven to be diverse and mind bending. But with Dunkirk he has gone way too far. Even from the start score is way too heavy for nerves, movie itself is very short but that intensity and pressure is unnecessary from the scenes which should have been all about sound editing and mixing instead of relying on same technique as Chasing scene from TDK and Docking scene from Interstellar. Hans’ work is good but is not needed at most of the time as it makes it all more artificial rather real.
Memento Mori
We might have missed Chris’ brother Jonathan Nolan, who was absent from writing credits (may be too busy with Westworld) 3rd time since Chris’ breakout film Memento back in 2000. Jonathan was not involved in Insomnia 2003, fan favorite Inception 2010 and now Dunkirk. However he was present in spirit of Memento, a movie which was adapted from his then unpublished short story Memento Mori. Memento was built on a complex web of time lapse and chronology so is Dunkirk. Three different stories of different time period all in 106 minutes and running parallel. To avoid confusion it was displayed at the start how will it be. Although it is beautiful idea, however bringing together three different time periods, by pulling one way too long and shrinking one way too much made it feel uneven and hard to relate to. Movie showed Mole for 7 days and yet not a single night. Mainly because it wanted to focus on its connection to the rest of the two stories.
Chaos without Drama
One thing Christopher Nolan is notorious to create since TDK is the chaos. That’s something movie shines on. Whether it’s the Mole or Air, there is huge fear over the fate of vessel, plane and the lives. Among characters the confusion and fear has played the best, although the lead felt weaker without any outcome and reaction. Drama throughout was cut off, an element which was criticized to cover up the scientific gaps in Interstellar’s plot. At some level it worked as it maintained the tone of the movie but at other side movie was losing its soul over that. Tag line gave it all
Usually it’s the trailer, but here it was the tag line “When 400,000 men couldn't get home, home came for them.” For the people who had no idea of events at Dunkirk, who were only out to see another of Christopher Nolan movie, there was nothing left but Kenneth Branagh’s overly expressed emotions as movie moves into the final segment. Beside the plotline, the fabrication of one day at sailing into one week at mole had also taken most of the suspense away when audience know it from the start that home is on its way. Home being many ships only focused on one. With the movie which propelled ensemble cast, focusing on one ship was narrow for the story. Ship itself was sailed by “Mark Rylance” who was miscast for the role as he could not bring what was required to appear as a man willingly walking into the war without any aid. Good thing is…
Those are too many negative words but there are good things about Dunkirk, which could be the Direction. Even with all the wrong choice Nolan made, still movie keeps audience captive at point. Another quality is by default its length which does not make the viewer suffer through completed of second and sometime third hour which most of the war movies do. Cinematography is very good and so is Sound editing and mixing but unfortunately excessive use of background score has taken over those departments. Over all Dunkirk is a nice job but it does not fill up the hopes one walks into theatre with.… Expand

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

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10

kyle_hydeJul 30, 2017

Today is Christopher Nolan's birthday and mine too and I decided to celebrate it watching Dunkirk. Best birthday gift ever. It make me feel lots of emotions, even if the length is 106 minutes it feels longer because you really get immersed onToday is Christopher Nolan's birthday and mine too and I decided to celebrate it watching Dunkirk. Best birthday gift ever. It make me feel lots of emotions, even if the length is 106 minutes it feels longer because you really get immersed on the plot. The acting is great, Hans Zimmer gives a powerful score and the camera angles are awesome. In this age of CGI and slow motion abuse is great to see a movie that doesn't do that. Overall a 10/10… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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7

rvndprJul 30, 2017

The movie was good. But it does not live up to the hype. They will tell you that it was shot with IMAX cameras and what not. But it doesn't really look stunning on the IMAX screen. Besides that, the audio reproduced very well the sounds oneThe movie was good. But it does not live up to the hype. They will tell you that it was shot with IMAX cameras and what not. But it doesn't really look stunning on the IMAX screen. Besides that, the audio reproduced very well the sounds one hears in a war quite well. That unfortunately does not work very well, when you want to hear and understand what people are saying. I was able to understand what was going on for the most part, even though I missed a good part of what people were saying. It was too loud and just not worth the money - I was hoping to see some good cinematography.… Expand

5 of 7 users found this helpful52

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2

TantricSkyJul 30, 2017

Obviously I missed something here, a lot in fact. I found this film to be boring, annoying (the highly intrusive score didn't help on that account) and, considering the potential of the material, strangely limp and lifeless.

29 of 51 users found this helpful2922

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10

kman5473Jul 30, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nolan does it again, but this time with his first historical film. First, let me start by saying that if anyone else had decided to make a war film with just a handful of dialogue throughout and essentially only action, it almost definitely would not have worked. Performances are stellar throughout, but the real focus Nolan has in this WWII epic is about the real, shoulder-to-shoulder struggle that the soldiers on the front line were being put up against. If there was any CGI in this movie, I didn't notice it because nearly all of it was practical effects. Such a smart choice to have it so the only monologue throughout the film was the speech Churchill published in the papers the day after the evacuation. There is no playing with the emotions by way of artistic license in this film; it is all very grounded in its reality presented on screen. Nolan proves cinema is not dead.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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10

marcmyworksJul 30, 2017

Dunkirk is the type of film I normally would feel uneasy watching because of its real and visceral nature. However Director/Writer Christopher Nolan focuses more on the emotional nature of groups of characters rather than the gore we normallyDunkirk is the type of film I normally would feel uneasy watching because of its real and visceral nature. However Director/Writer Christopher Nolan focuses more on the emotional nature of groups of characters rather than the gore we normally see in a film about WW2. This film is beautifully shot, with an eerily silent, yet suspenseful quality.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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7

diarmotJul 30, 2017

Very promising at the beginning but rapid sequence shifts take away any story flow and becomes tiresome. The scope of the actual Dunkirk evacuation is lost. Nevertheless, it was entertaining but could have been more.Do not see it in IMAX, theVery promising at the beginning but rapid sequence shifts take away any story flow and becomes tiresome. The scope of the actual Dunkirk evacuation is lost. Nevertheless, it was entertaining but could have been more.Do not see it in IMAX, the sound level is excessive.… Expand

9 of 14 users found this helpful95

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5

philatJul 30, 2017

Why Dunkirk is so highly praised if unclear. Lots of battle scenes, endless air battle [about six planes], ships blown up, guys in the water swimming--really--with their heavy gear. The constant shifting from air/sea/land was confusing. SoWhy Dunkirk is so highly praised if unclear. Lots of battle scenes, endless air battle [about six planes], ships blown up, guys in the water swimming--really--with their heavy gear. The constant shifting from air/sea/land was confusing. So was the time sequence--Spitfire with 50 gallons or less of fuel fights on and on. Movie would have helped early on with an enlarged map of where Dunkirk is, nearness to England, something about how Brits had defensive perimeter that Germans did not attack--and maybe why. Great photography--but essentially disappointing. Only story that seemed connected and moving was the small Brit ship and its part in returning soldiers home....… Expand

11 of 26 users found this helpful1115

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9

Kes4278Jul 30, 2017

It was a great movie. Not as great a Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight but it was still a really good movie. The gun shots are so loud at IMAX and I hated that.

1 of 13 users found this helpful112

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8

MrJimmyJul 30, 2017

Brilliant. Not a conventional blockbuster, but tense from start to finish. Each story could stand alone as it's own film and the way they intertwine is brilliant. A true masterpiece.

0 of 6 users found this helpful06

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3

mbmartinsJul 30, 2017

booooring movie... I really don't understand what people see so good. Confusing and simplistic plot. Shallow characters. Want a good war movie goes see until the last man, because this is a noolan hype and nothing anymore

46 of 73 users found this helpful4627

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10

ifritforceJul 29, 2017

una pelicula de guerra que sin mostrarte a ninguna tropa enemiga, sin centrarse en el poder bélico, sin héroes , diálogos de comandantes ostentosos, sino más bien mostrándote la cara más real del ser humano, en una construcción magistral deuna pelicula de guerra que sin mostrarte a ninguna tropa enemiga, sin centrarse en el poder bélico, sin héroes , diálogos de comandantes ostentosos, sino más bien mostrándote la cara más real del ser humano, en una construcción magistral de los hechos en diferentes tiempos, Dunkerque es la mejor película de Nolan sin duda.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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10

kwjduffJul 30, 2017

Dunkirk is one of the best war movies of all time. Its unique structure makes it very different to other war movies. The best thing about this movie is how intense it is, with the outstanding music from Hans Zimmer and the use of actual gunDunkirk is one of the best war movies of all time. Its unique structure makes it very different to other war movies. The best thing about this movie is how intense it is, with the outstanding music from Hans Zimmer and the use of actual gun shots, explosions and aeroplanes. The movie screams authenticity, which makes it feel so real. While this review is short, I do want emphasise that it is better if you go see it for yourself, as it really is an incredible movie.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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3

AlprJul 30, 2017

Found the movie quite boring, and it was hard to follow sometimes, specifically with the pilots. Dunno how this movie is rating so well honestly. Been awhile since I found a movie so dull, I'd rather watch Wonder Woman again and that movie was meh.

40 of 65 users found this helpful4025

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10

ArkantosHJJul 30, 2017

Dunkirk é uma obra cinematográfica tecnicamente impecável, o desing de som é primoroso, assim a como a trilha sonora de Hans Zimmer que entrega aqui o seu melhor trabalho desde Inception, casada perfeitamente com o som do filme.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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1

GleefulnessJul 30, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Terrible script, unsympathetic characters, confusing plot sequences and corny story lines. Silliest bit is when soldiers try to stop their boat sinking by covering up the bullet holes with their hands; they only abandon ship when the hull is completely inundated with water. This is just completely ridiculous. Everything gets blown up around the central characters, who get out of a lot of narrow scrapes in a series of sinking ships (I lost count in the end). They survive intact and unscathed, barring their blackened faces - a bit like Wile E Coyote in the Road Runner cartoons. The flotilla coming to the rescue looked like it was a handful of boats, so one of the most remarkable incidents of the war, the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from the Nazis, comes across as an anti-climax. Trawler segment with Mark Rylance could have come straight out of the send-up in the recent comedy Their Finest (a much better film). I can only assume that the director has spent so much time making dumb action movies based on comic books he's completely lost his touch when it comes to creating engaging characters and plausible stories. There wasn't much of a script and the little dialogue was hard to make out. No wonder (spoiler alert) nobody spotted the French soldier earlier - as hardly anyone was saying anything! I'm not a scholar but the film seemed to overdo conflict between Brits and French, overlooking the fact that (according to Wikipedia), 139,000 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk. I'd be interested in reading a historian's perspective.… Expand

15 of 34 users found this helpful1519

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6

senorcampbellJul 30, 2017

Didn't feel that there was any emotional weight and scale to this major WW2 event. For example when the soldier boy died the father didn't show any emotion and I never care at all about the boy. The characters or soldiers, since I don'tDidn't feel that there was any emotional weight and scale to this major WW2 event. For example when the soldier boy died the father didn't show any emotion and I never care at all about the boy. The characters or soldiers, since I don't remember anything about them, were never given enough time throughout the movie to make us care about them. I also think that there was never time throughout the movie to let us breath for a minute with all the tension and action that's happening because with all of whats going on the beach there was never a time where we never got a scene to where there was character development. However there was some good things about the movie. The movie is gorgeous to look at. The action is good and Nolan does do a good job of making you feel that your right on the beach but in my opinion its not enough to make it a great movie. If I don't care about the characters then why should I feel anything when they are finally home. Apparently according to rotten tomatoes and metacritic I was suppose to really like this movie, but for a story this big of a scale there must be some emotional weight to it in order to make it huge and epic. Overall, Dunkirk was kind of a disappointment and coming from Christopher Nolan I'm a little shock. 6/10… Expand

12 of 24 users found this helpful1212

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7

ShiArchJul 29, 2017

Good movie but definitely not great.
The subject matter is presented in a mundane manner and the perpetually flying fighter plane, which apparently doesn't need oil, is such a massive distraction from realities of war that it begs theGood movie but definitely not great.
The subject matter is presented in a mundane manner and the perpetually flying fighter plane, which apparently doesn't need oil, is such a massive distraction from realities of war that it begs the question that whether any critics even had the basic sense before awarding it on average 9.5?
Giving it 7 for good visual and sound effects. Watchable but everyone I know has been feeling cheated by the overhype created by the critics. Again, its good but not great at all.… Expand

4 of 10 users found this helpful46

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10

Iky009Jul 29, 2017

Nolan's cold and raw war in the smallest details, the reality is vivid and cruel, there is much more there in that port of Dunkirk, there are people helping each other, struggling and trying to survive at all costs, in the face of a horribleNolan's cold and raw war in the smallest details, the reality is vivid and cruel, there is much more there in that port of Dunkirk, there are people helping each other, struggling and trying to survive at all costs, in the face of a horrible war. Nolan brilliantly escapes the sameness of the genre by showing one of the best war films of recent years.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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1

jhepJul 29, 2017

Do war movies need to have a script ?.......YES. Do war movies have to have characters ?......Yes again....."Dunkirk" has neither script nor characters and as a result you rapidly lose interest in what becomes of any of the individuals weDo war movies need to have a script ?.......YES. Do war movies have to have characters ?......Yes again....."Dunkirk" has neither script nor characters and as a result you rapidly lose interest in what becomes of any of the individuals we encounter because you never bond with them. In fact after a while they just seem very unlucky in their various attempts to get away!) This is a very cold film about an amazing event. Nolan seems far more interested in showing what bungled mess the Dunkirk experience was. He depicts the whole thing as futile, messy and basically more ANNOYING than anything else i.e., what a bunch of Losers! The result is a sort of yuppie take on WW2. And a rather desperate tossing in of Churchill's "We shall never surrender" speech in the final moments of the film doesn't make up for this film's fatal wrongheaded approach to its subject.… Expand

27 of 53 users found this helpful2726

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10

Shomik123Jul 29, 2017

Just watched it today! None in this planet can doubt Nolan's imagination and film making! Loved this on like I loved Interstellar, Inception, Dark Night Series, etc.

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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10

eva3si0nJul 29, 2017

The best military movie which I saw! The movie will disappoint a half of people with lack of pathos and heroism (that the biggest honesty, after pseudo-heroic Hollywood movies). The second half he will disappoint with the fact that the movieThe best military movie which I saw! The movie will disappoint a half of people with lack of pathos and heroism (that the biggest honesty, after pseudo-heroic Hollywood movies). The second half he will disappoint with the fact that the movie not the fighter, and deeper movie. The truthful movie in which evacuation from Dunkirk is shown as the accident (yes will forgive me British) which has ended with miracle. And only at the end of the movie Nolan gives in to heroism of the events. The suspense level is executed at the greatest level, in many respects it is it is a merit of a magnificent soundtrack of Hanz Zimmer. The main enemy isn't shown in in general, not one German isn't in the movie. Only heartless bombers and torpedoes, it is the excellent director's course! A minimum of computer graphics, everything looks as alive. The best movie by Nolan! To shoot the military film at such level, on very difficult military operation in the plan to art statement units in cinema can! At the same time this movie doesn't resemble all previous pictures of the director. It is unique!… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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8

Supahninjah17Jul 28, 2017

Where to even begin with this one, this movie was amazing. It gives the viewer three separate but parallel (meaning they all occur at the same time) perspectives. This concept helps give the viewer insight on the struggles of the British andWhere to even begin with this one, this movie was amazing. It gives the viewer three separate but parallel (meaning they all occur at the same time) perspectives. This concept helps give the viewer insight on the struggles of the British and French civilians, soldiers and pilots. Definitely worth a watch. However, there is little character development on the soldier and pilot side of things. You will not know much about the main people you are supposed to be following. Also, the soldiers on the beach don't seem to be bothered by the fact that the enemy is getting closer am dead closer to them each day, which seems to be an oversight on the writing part because the soldiers that were actually at Dunkirk were most likely very troubled (and that's putting it lightly) by the enemies presence. If you like action, you will like this movie, if you like World War II history, you will definitely like this movie.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

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6

rbbJul 28, 2017

Seems like the professional reviewers are too young or don't know history. The film shows only chaos during most days and real rescue only at the very end. In fact, 8,000 to 45,000 were picked-up each of the nine days of the operation. AndSeems like the professional reviewers are too young or don't know history. The film shows only chaos during most days and real rescue only at the very end. In fact, 8,000 to 45,000 were picked-up each of the nine days of the operation. And the film drags out each mini-story to interminable lengths. Operation Dymnamo was a frightening but unexpected success. Many were lost but most were saved.… Expand

9 of 20 users found this helpful911

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9

bereczkibenceJul 28, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A future classic and a terrific movie experience. One of the best war films I've ever seen and definitely the most touching and beautiful one since 'The Thin Red Line'.

Nolan succeeded in making a thrilling and exciting movie out of a simple story by messing with timeline and narratives. However, the real genius of the film is in the visuals. The 70mm IMAX format really paid off: with breathtaking extreme long shots, shaky-cam close-ups and a great deal of practical effects, the film creates an atmosphere that's tense, beautiful, realistic and terrifying at the same time. Hans Zimmer's score is brilliant, the ticking clocks and half-note orchestral steps set the tone of the film pretty early on.

I think what really makes the film so tense - besides the visuals and the score - is the lack of the German army during the whole movie. The Allied Forces know they're there: they talk about them, you can hear gunshots, see planes dropping explosives, torpedoes tearing ships apart, constant smoke in the background but can never see a German soldier (bar one of the last scenes, but even then, their faces remain hidden).

The thing that makes the movie only a 9/10 for me, is that it touches on some pretty interesting and thought-provoking themes - like the British Navy not allowing the French on their boats or the shell-shock driven actions of Cillian Murphy's character - but never explores them deep enough. This is caused by the great spectrum of characters in the movie. On one hand it's a huge advantage: the audience sees the events through many perspectives that cross each other near the end of the movie, but can never really dive deep into the thoughts and feeling of the protagonists (the lack of dialogue and constant cuts between different storylines don't help either).

I highly recommend Robert Merle's brilliant novel: Week-end at Zuydcoote on the same subject wich tells the story of a French soldier during the Dunkirk evacuation. Merle, beeing a Dunkirk survivor himself, tells the events from an entirely different point of view that depicts the Brits in a lot less heroic way.

All in all, Dunkirk is probably the best movie of the year because it's brilliant in almost all aspects of film-making. Hats off, Chris Nolan.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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10

BotaramJul 28, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I went to this movie in the theatre with two friends. We all had very high expectations, not only because of Christopher Nolan, but also because we heard very good things about this film. Usually when I have high expectations of a film, the film disappoints me. But this roller coaster of a film had surpassed my expectations.

WARNING: SPOILERS
In Dunkirk, you follow three points of views: land, sea and sky. The in-film duration is based on the time it gets before the characters arrive in Dunkirk, or, in case of the story on land, how long it takes before they're getting rescued.

The film begins with a little group of soldiers. Within a couple seconds, the group is under fire. That is where the roller coaster starts. The action lasts for roughly 1.5 hours, with only a little break when a new character is introduced, which is only a little scene where you get to know which part of the story the character occupies. The action is so intense, you will need to remember to breath.

The action in the movie is not like the action in a Michael Bay-movie. The action in a Bay-film is just brainless and for entertainment. Nolan on the other hand, tries to make the audience experience the war, in which he succeeds. The sound is amazing, when a bomb drops or a plane flies over, the sound is extremely loud and it feels like everything on screen is incredibly close. Nolan's choice not to introduce the main characters is tricky, but turned out very well. Nolan made the choice to make the soldiers look like more regular soldiers. They are not better or worse than all the other soldiers in Dunkirk. Another interesting choice is the casting. The young, unexperienced soldiers are played by young, unexperienced actors, with for example the unkown Fionn Whitehead as Tommy (the main character on land), while the experienced oscar winning Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The BFG) is cast as Mr. Dawson (one of the main characters on sea), who has much life-experience.

However Dunkirk looks like a classic war-action movie, it is nothing like it at all. There is no background story of the characters, and the entertaining explosions are replaced for terrifying sounds. Nolan's decission to make a relative short movie (with a runtime of 108 minutes) is a right decission. However the action is intense and realistic, if it lasts too long it will get boring. In Dunkirk you won't get that feeling, as it lasts just long enough. Then, when the action is over, 338.000 of the 400.000 soldiers are saved. First, you follow the rescued soldiers on land. They survived the hell in Dunkirk, but they aren't happy at all, because they are traumatised and tired and they need to digest the cruel events in Dunkirk. They are still, lightly said, sad, which gives the movie more realism. The people on sea rescued many soldiers, but when they get back in England, they also aren't that happy, and for the same reason as the soldiers. But these rescuers are also mourning over the loss of their dear friend who died in a fight with a rescued soldier.
Than, last but not least, we have the pilot. He rans out of fuel, after he shot a couple of German planes out of the air. He decides not to jump out of the plane, but he lands it on the beach. He could choose to land on sea, but he decides to land on the beach in the hope he could go with the other soldiers. This is not possible, so he burns his plane and gets captured by the Germans.

Nolan has already proven himself to be a great director with most of his films, but with Dunkirk he outclassed all of his other movies. The intensity, realism and perfect runtime makes this movie so good. Saving Private Ryan was considered as the best and most realistic war movie of all time. It is hard to say if Dunkirk or Saving Private Ryan is more realistic, but Dunkirk trumped Saving Private Ryan in the category 'best war film'.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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9

PopcornNMoviesJul 28, 2017

Nolan tells a story about a terrifying situation in which soldiers need to be delivered out of harms way. The filmmaking elevates this movie, along with sound design, and a haunting score from Hanz Zimmer. A couple shots made me whisper "WOW"Nolan tells a story about a terrifying situation in which soldiers need to be delivered out of harms way. The filmmaking elevates this movie, along with sound design, and a haunting score from Hanz Zimmer. A couple shots made me whisper "WOW" to myself in the IMAX theater. Nolan once again plays with time and as the timeline becomes more clear, a brilliant story opens up. It's perfectly paced with a solid runtime that keeps audiences engaged. It's one of, if not the best, of Nolan's filmography.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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7

redisonJul 28, 2017

There is great beauty in the film and Nolan successfully avoids the sloppy romanticizing of war usually present in war films. But something was missing. While the film's mission seemed to focus on the individual dramas being played out in aThere is great beauty in the film and Nolan successfully avoids the sloppy romanticizing of war usually present in war films. But something was missing. While the film's mission seemed to focus on the individual dramas being played out in a commendable effort to personalize the horror of war, the evacuation itself was badly represented. One would think from viewing the film that there were a few arial dog fights and few ships sunk but otherwise an orderly evacuation. It was not. There were thousands of sorties and 16 squadrons of the Royal Air-force engaged in Operation Dynamo. The French were fiercely fighting a regard action to hold off the advancing German divisions. The sheer desperation and scale of the calamity never reaches the audience. The result a good movie with the potential to be great movie is lost.… Expand

10 of 15 users found this helpful105

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4

JasonJJul 28, 2017

I don't know what movie everyone else saw... but the only ones I agree with here are the ones giving scores of 2 through 6. I'm a huge war movie fan. This movie had very little action, which isn't a big deal if you had an interesting plotI don't know what movie everyone else saw... but the only ones I agree with here are the ones giving scores of 2 through 6. I'm a huge war movie fan. This movie had very little action, which isn't a big deal if you had an interesting plot with characters you can connect with. I didn't care about any of the characters in this movie. When I saw SPR, I didn't want it to end. When I saw this movie, I couldn't wait for it to end. There was absolutely no connection to the audience. I have no idea what the critics or the 9 and 10 viewers are talking about.… Expand

8 of 18 users found this helpful810

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7

HuraxdaxJul 28, 2017

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly, when I first left the movie theater after watching Dunkirk, I thought it was not really a great movie, especially not from somebody like Christopher Nolan. Over the course of a night of good sleep and one not-too-busy day with a lot of thinking, I've changed my mind. Although I still don't consider it his best movie - not even his second- or third-best one - I do see the "Nolan-touch" in it, which is always a good thing. Let me explain.
The most important point to eventually change my mind was how great of a war movie Dunkirk is. Not a movie, a war movie. I like that the main Characters didn't get introduced too much, nor got a big background story. Over time, they don't develop like you would expect from a typical modern movie. They just happen to be the 'chosen ones' for the movie, among 400,000 other men with just the same fate. I feel like this gives the whole war setting a much more authentic and believable touch to it, because nobody speaks of 'heroes'. They're all just soldiers. Another thing I enjoyed were the intersections of some of the sub-plots. The parallel events created a sense of unity in the main plot which brings me to a side of the movie that I didn't like. The idea of having three sub-plots happening over three different time periods is good, but the way it is introduced isn't. The only hint we get as to how long each sub-plot plays out and where it begins and ends is right at the beginning of the movie, when there are three shots, introducing the perspectives air, land and sea. In each shot, a time period is stated. One week for land, one day for the sea and one hour for the air. The only plot that has a nice pace throughout the movie is the sea. I found myself being most fascinated by the sea plot and caring the most about it. Partly also because it was the easiest to follow. While the land part happened much too quickly for the risky endeavor it really was, the air-part repeated itself 4 times with the same dogfight-scene, thus got pretty boring (and unrealistic, given the authenticity of the rest of the film) towards the end. It took me pretty long to figure out that the time-periods in the beginning indicated how long each of the three plots lasted in real life. That, combined with the three plots being shown literally parallel makes for a pretty confusing experience at times. Although Nolan has repeatedly proven to be the master of confusion in earlier movies, this time it didn't quite work for him. On the other hand, so many things did work. The scene towards the end, where the boat we follow in the "sea" part reveals to be one of hundreds coming to rescue the soldiers worked great. The cinematography, the sometimes dark, sometimes turquoise look of the film combined with the mind blowing sound belongs to the best audio visual cinema experiences I've ever witnessed. And most of all, the mood of war, the hopeless brutality and endeavor, the sheer insanity of that scenario works exceptionally well. What can I say, Chris Nolan just knows how to make a great movie.

Over all, it's a mixed bag. The ideas Nolan put into the movie are great and show his talent as a filmmaker, but the way he ended up realizing them doesn't quite make for an entertaining movie. I see this movie as one that you truly enjoy the second time you watch it, because the first time you're busy figuring out what happens where and especially when. It's not the typical war-movie. It's not a typical movie at all. You have to in the mood for a movie that has more in common with a documentary than with a hollywood movie, but at the same time wants to be a hollywood movie (and is one, regarding sound ans visuals). Maybe it's just the wrong genre for a director like Nolan.… Expand

9 of 14 users found this helpful95

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9

GoreaffectionJul 28, 2017

Nolan proves yet again that no director comes close to his talent. For a reviewer its a hard task to review this movie as the movie has to be reviewed both for its technical prowess and also for its emotional message. The movie is made withNolan proves yet again that no director comes close to his talent. For a reviewer its a hard task to review this movie as the movie has to be reviewed both for its technical prowess and also for its emotional message. The movie is made with almost no CGI which means shooting those aerial fights and sea battles is a benchmark in cinematography itself. The movie gives a strong message of human spirit although most of it due to its source material. What is unique about the movie is that it portrays this without the use of dialogues or forced emotional scenes. It is a visual experience simply cannot be put into words. I have never before been so terrified of the sound of a fighter plane swooping down for a kill. This movie changes film making and brings a fresh perspective to movies in its purest form without any distraction.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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10

JarodyJul 28, 2017

Christopher Nolan never disappoints. Dunkirk's incredible soundtrack and sound effects create the most realistic feel I have felt in a movie for a very long time and the lack of dialogue and character development may seem like a bad thing butChristopher Nolan never disappoints. Dunkirk's incredible soundtrack and sound effects create the most realistic feel I have felt in a movie for a very long time and the lack of dialogue and character development may seem like a bad thing but it actually adds to the gritty feel of the movie. There is absolutely nothing I can fault this movie on.… Expand

3 of 9 users found this helpful36

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7

tibzoidJul 28, 2017

Not understanding why there is so much praise for what is at best a pretty middling war movie. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't do a good job of portraying the true scale of the evacuation. I think there's something wrong with filmNot understanding why there is so much praise for what is at best a pretty middling war movie. My biggest complaint is that it doesn't do a good job of portraying the true scale of the evacuation. I think there's something wrong with film criticism right now. We're so grateful for anything that approaches half-way decent that we lose all perspective. Dunkirk is perfectly okay entertainment but nothing more.… Expand

4 of 11 users found this helpful47

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4

CzaszuJul 28, 2017

Only good, could be a masterpiece. Its incredibly boring, little scale expereience. Air fights was incredible, but again on very little scale. I dont understand that much good opinions. Go watch it and judge yourself.

7 of 15 users found this helpful78

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2

ARBonaventuraJul 28, 2017

I pride myself on my judgement of movies and Metacritic nearly never fails me, yet it did this time. I am blown away by the "professional" critic reviews. It just does not make sense and I find myself sitting here wondering what is wrong withI pride myself on my judgement of movies and Metacritic nearly never fails me, yet it did this time. I am blown away by the "professional" critic reviews. It just does not make sense and I find myself sitting here wondering what is wrong with everyone. The other reviews below consistent question of "was this the same movie I watched?" ring so true. It was plain bad, and I cannot for the life of me understand why the "critics" thought it good. Were they paid off? Were they caught up in the Nolan hype? There were so many fallacies and inconsistencies in this movie that I do not want to cover them all, but I really felt the need to say... Please do not waste your money if you are an intelligent, analytical, deep, perceptive adult... This movie is not for you. If you are a teenage boy or someone who just needs to turn their brain off for two hours and watch stuff happen in front of them, this movie may be for you. It is not a logically executed, well written, or intellectually / emotionally stimulating movie. It is shallow, dry, and poor from start to finish. War is hell, and this movie did not have the emotional capacity or grit to show that reality.… Expand

24 of 42 users found this helpful2418

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10

JbeeziJul 27, 2017

Breathtaking visuals, pounding soundtrack, a stirring moment in history and visionary directing make this a modern masterpiece. What a film.Christopher Nolan has surpassed himself yet again with a more nuanced and restrained approach toBreathtaking visuals, pounding soundtrack, a stirring moment in history and visionary directing make this a modern masterpiece. What a film.Christopher Nolan has surpassed himself yet again with a more nuanced and restrained approach to exposition and characterisation. Ignore the few naysayers. This film is a work of art. I had the pleasure of seeing it in the BFI Imax in London last night and it received applause at the end. First time in 25 years of cinema going that I have seen that.… Expand

3 of 9 users found this helpful36

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2

JeanJeanJeanJul 27, 2017

Boring. People boarding boats and drowning for 106 min. On top of that the sound is awful and irritating. I dont know what Nolan did but the movie is too loud and the effects sound totally fake.

9 of 20 users found this helpful911

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9

SpangleJul 27, 2017

The first truly great film of 2017, Dunkirk is a return to the top of the filmmaking world for director Christopher Nolan after his last two efforts failed to rise to the stellar levels of his past works. In Dunkirk, Nolan has made a filmThe first truly great film of 2017, Dunkirk is a return to the top of the filmmaking world for director Christopher Nolan after his last two efforts failed to rise to the stellar levels of his past works. In Dunkirk, Nolan has made a film that is artistically challenging, possesses great cinematic merit, is accessible to a wide audience, and is a box office success. Not since the prime of Steven Spielberg or James Cameron has a filmmaker been better able to turn their works into ones that are both must-watch spectacles accepted by mass audiences and cinematic achievements. Though praising Nolan has become somewhat faux pas amongst cinephiles, those who deny that Nolan is one of the best working directors today are perhaps lost in the hype surrounding his works. With his latest effort, Nolan rises to the challenge set before him by film lovers to become more than just an entertaining director of great films, but flawed, works. In a stripped down celebration of human will, Dunkirk is perhaps the finest artistic achievement of Nolan's career of consistent success.

Ever since filmmaking became an accepted piece of artistic expression, war films have been a mainstay. Whether it is All Quiet on the Western Front, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Paths of Glory, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, or any number of other greatly celebrated works, war films often prove to be the greatest challenge of its filmmakers' careers. Forged in the blood of the fallen, attempts to build characters amidst the sea of carnage, and trying to make a universal statement about anything, the genre has its share of master works, imitators, and misfires. While the 21st Century has had its fair share of strong war films, none have quite risen to the level of being the definitive war film of the era until Dunkirk. Stepping away from the brutal carnage and character-driven nature of many great war films, Nolan takes a page out of Terrence Malick's book in how to make a war film: capture its essence. Focusing on character development and carnage in equal measure proves to be the undoing of far too many war films with not enough screentime to go around. So, like Malick, Nolan seeks to capture the feeling and experience of being at the Dunkirk evacuation through the stories of those on the land, in the sea, and flying in the air. Names are never mentioned. Dialogue is sparce. Characters are paper thin. Yet, through this work, Nolan manages to silently and loudly strike at the very essence of what it is to be human.

Perhaps no film has better used its IMAX capabilities than Dunkirk, becoming the Avatar of IMAX cinema. With bombs dropping all around, men yelling in the distance, rifles firing, and the ominous hum of German fighter planes in the distance, Dunkirk is a truly immersive experience that makes the audience more than a spectator. It turns us into a participant. The struggles of the characters to reach England and escape from soon-to-be German-held territory in France needs no character development or long scenes of backstory to make us sympathetic for the characters. Instead, it forges a brotherhood found only in the trenches, emblazoned in a way that only the unity of shared experience can conjure. By simulating the feeling of being surrounded from all sides, Nolan makes us root for anybody his camera finds. Their names are inconsequential and who they are has no impact. We root for them not because the film tells us to, but because we feel a sense of unity and brotherhood with these men. These becomes our boys. Our friends. Our brothers. To watch them suffer and die is to lose a part of ourselves. To save them and watch them reach the British shore is a cause not just for celebration, but unabashed jubilation. In creating this feeling, Dunkirk is a film that feels like no other, casting aside individuality and focus on developing single characters in favor of creating familiarity in the entirety of the British forces.

A slimmed down script that chooses its words carefully certainly bolsters this, as the film is devoid of exposition and character development of any type. Words come at a premium and, unlike in his lesser works, Nolan ensures no word is out of place. Every time a character opens their mouth to speak, those words and their impact is felt due to the rarity of speech in the film. It is for this reason that Dunkirk is best viewed as an experience. In line with Nolan's attempts to drop the audience in Dunkirk and give them the lay of the land, historical details are a rarity. Conversations about the battle's role in the war, how disposable these men are to the British, and the current state of affairs in the war are kept to a minimum. As such, this is not a film to educate. While many war films seek to have a cohesive narrative that explains the events of the war, Dunkirk does no such thing. Nolan never flirts with this possibility, nor embraces it at all.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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10

brownie2Jul 27, 2017

Best IMAX experience so far. It's definitely one of my favorite movies this year. For a movie that has a short runtime, it packs so much stuff in it. The lack of character development and dialogue might bring in some hate but I think theBest IMAX experience so far. It's definitely one of my favorite movies this year. For a movie that has a short runtime, it packs so much stuff in it. The lack of character development and dialogue might bring in some hate but I think the film's main intention is not about the character's background. The film focuses more on the situation, and the direction with the story is absolutely brilliant in my opinion. Dunkirk is well-crafted, visually stunning, and intense.… Expand

14 of 23 users found this helpful149

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3

GinaKJul 27, 2017

I am trying to figure out why this movie got such good reviews. It was unrelentingly loud (perhaps partly a problem with the theater we attended) and boring – unless you’ve never seen a war movie before. What annoyed me the most was how allI am trying to figure out why this movie got such good reviews. It was unrelentingly loud (perhaps partly a problem with the theater we attended) and boring – unless you’ve never seen a war movie before. What annoyed me the most was how all the soldiers looked alike, except for the principal “star” cast (Rylance, Branaugh, Hardy, Murphy). I realize this is what happens with CGI – but really did all 300,000 of the British “common” soldiers need to be the same age, have the same hair (longish, black, wavy), the same height, weight, build, etc.)? I have been aware of CGI somewhat in crowd scenes (for example, in Gladiator), but this film was full of unrelenting close-ups of clones. Tom Hardy and Mark Rylance were excellent, but Branaugh and his “stiff upper lip” was one of the most clichéd performances I have ever seen him give. Thank God, Nolan didn’t drag Churchill in.… Expand

11 of 25 users found this helpful1114

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6

yosemiteJul 27, 2017

So many qualified critics gave this film a high score that my six (6) is in the minority. It was o.k. but could have been a lot better. The story is worthwhile and the casting seems decent. The photography is at times very good and at otherSo many qualified critics gave this film a high score that my six (6) is in the minority. It was o.k. but could have been a lot better. The story is worthwhile and the casting seems decent. The photography is at times very good and at other times, very confusing. Didn't need all the almost drowning scenes. The style wherein one character's story overlaps another or is shown concurrently did not work for me. Too confusing. The story was dramatic but the movie wasn't. Not impressed with this director… Expand

8 of 18 users found this helpful810

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9

UNCLEPAULIEJul 27, 2017

I loved the film and would recommend it to everyone, I watched it on imax and it was amazing . I took a point off because of the lack of large battles scenes but that's just my preference .

3 of 8 users found this helpful35

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10

crizzyviewJul 25, 2017

Dunkirk engages the audience from the first scene. The soldiers of the British army are being directed by their comrades to the beach at Dunkirk. Thousands of soldiers are lining up with great dignity to patiently await their rescue.Dunkirk engages the audience from the first scene. The soldiers of the British army are being directed by their comrades to the beach at Dunkirk. Thousands of soldiers are lining up with great dignity to patiently await their rescue. Churchill has requisitioned civilian boats to pick them up.

So, you ask with great anxiety about the result of the herculean effort to rescue and deliver the soldiers to Britain, did Harry Styles survive to the end of the movie? My answer is: go and see. The visual display, the persistent and exciting percussion of the musical score, the booming zooms of the aircraft, bombs, gun fire, and other sounds of war immediately brought me to the beach at Dunkirk while my gut rumbled and vibrated in my seat. I became a soldier on that beach, a Spitfire pilot, and an officer of the Royal British Army. I felt excitement, desperation, patience, forgiveness, sacrifice, empathy, the thrill of the rescue effort, and the possible consequential joy of being able to go home. This movie is an artistically delivered rendition of what it means to be a soldier, a sailor, and an officer. Will you be rescued? Will the support of the Royal Air Force be enough to get you off that beach and back into your family kitchen at home? I urge you to experience what I felt in watching Dunkirk. It's a movie that dramatically emphasizes the importance of persistence, strategy, and humanity in the war against impossibility. Ten fingers.… Expand

33 of 59 users found this helpful3326

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9

noshighJul 26, 2017

Is it Nolan's best work? Maybe...or maybe not, but it is his most intense film. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack is just awesome. Some might not like the movie because of the direction with the story telling, butIs it Nolan's best work? Maybe...or maybe not, but it is his most intense film. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, and the soundtrack is just awesome. Some might not like the movie because of the direction with the story telling, but I think the way the story is in the film is really brilliant.… Expand

5 of 13 users found this helpful58

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10

mrpopo123Jul 26, 2017

Dunkirk is epic, loud, and stunning on every level. It's an immersive movie that takes the audience into the intense situation that is happening in the film. I had trouble breathing through out the entire film because it was so loud andDunkirk is epic, loud, and stunning on every level. It's an immersive movie that takes the audience into the intense situation that is happening in the film. I had trouble breathing through out the entire film because it was so loud and suspenseful. When I left the theater, my heart was still pounding.… Expand

5 of 13 users found this helpful58

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10

ChemaMXJul 26, 2017

Beautiful movie, the visuals, the sounds, the story, everything keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Tom hardy's acting in the movie was amazing, even though you only see his eyes most of the times and he has very fewBeautiful movie, the visuals, the sounds, the story, everything keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. Tom hardy's acting in the movie was amazing, even though you only see his eyes most of the times and he has very few lines, you can feel the intensity of his situation.… Expand

13 of 25 users found this helpful1312

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10

demonbrownieJul 26, 2017

Awesome movie, and very intense from the beginning until the end. Dunkirk is a well-crafted film by a great director. The story might confuse some, but it's brilliant in my opinion. The score is intense, and fits well with every scene in the movie.

16 of 26 users found this helpful1610

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10

maxsonlee2Jul 26, 2017

It was definitely worth watching in IMAX. Don't miss out on the IMAX experience, because this movie is really intense so watching it in the big screen is a must. I think some people just don't get the main intention of this film. The movie isIt was definitely worth watching in IMAX. Don't miss out on the IMAX experience, because this movie is really intense so watching it in the big screen is a must. I think some people just don't get the main intention of this film. The movie is about the situation,the lack of dialogue is not needed because the film wants you to get that immersive feeling. Visually, I think it's Nolan's best looking film right next to Interstellar thanks to the beautiful cinematography. The sound design is just amazing, and the soundtrack is great as well. I really like what Nolan did with the story which consists of three settings..the land, the sea, and the air. Some thought it was confusing, but I thought it was brilliant and well executed in the end.… Expand

13 of 25 users found this helpful1312

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1

dunkirkisbadJul 26, 2017

2 hours of annoying suspense music played over an incoherent shamble of scenes cello taped together in the wrong order. Recommend for children of all ages.

12 of 27 users found this helpful1215

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0

christiandfJul 26, 2017

Don't get all the good reviews. This is a bad movie. The first 20 minutes are really good, perhaps even the best of Nolan works. After it becomes a mess. Repetitions, bad character developments, excessive use of music (really annoying music),Don't get all the good reviews. This is a bad movie. The first 20 minutes are really good, perhaps even the best of Nolan works. After it becomes a mess. Repetitions, bad character developments, excessive use of music (really annoying music), bad storytelling, repetitions... We just don't care about the fate of the characters, I wanted them to all die because they were annoying. I… Expand

11 of 26 users found this helpful1115

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9

MattBrady99Jul 26, 2017

"Home."

You can love, hate or call him overrated all you want, but you've got to give respect to Christopher Nolan for going this old school. Nothing like cardboard props for background soldiers, inspired by the silence films era with little"Home."

You can love, hate or call him overrated all you want, but you've got to give respect to Christopher Nolan for going this old school. Nothing like cardboard props for background soldiers, inspired by the silence films era with little dialogue, and going full practical. The attention to details with scope and intensity making the overall experience harsh, but masterfully well made. Nolan has made something extraordinary and proven why he's the best living film maker working today. All of his movies have this grand scale to it, but never feels hollow. Watching "Dunkirk" on the IMAX screen was such a overwhelming and frightening experience, but perfectly captures the terror of war those men faced. It got me pretty emotional towards the end. Gunshots sound like actual gunshots and the sound of bomber planes are like something out of a horror film. Every bullet that whizzed by made everyone in the cinema flinch (including me). It's one of the best movies I've seen so far this year. I would go as far to say it's the best war film in recent years & Nolan filmography.

My ears are still ringing from it, as I couldn't hear all that well after it ended.

The cinematography, the sound, writing, and direction are on so many levels of amazing. With Han Zimmer score being his best work yet. Being both phenomenal and hunting, leaving me cold at times. It's no surprise all the tense parts are through Hans score who puts weight to these difficult moments in the movie. And it's only the sound of a ticking watch. I've found new respect for Harry Styles after this. Because he actually delivered a pretty good performance. Very impressive since it's he's first role and had a lot of screen time than I expected. Same thing with Fionn Whitehead, who's plays another young solider was also fantastic. The rest of the cast like: Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, and Cillian Murphy were all terrific. Not a weak performance in the movie. Now people have been complaining about the lack of information with these characters or no real main character to feel for them. I really don't think these people understand that isn't the point of the film. You understand these characters just by actions and decisions. All of this is based on how they act in a situation. No corny or cliché dialogue. It's visual story telling at it's finest. No has time talk about their back story or how they need to get back home to their wife and kids. The time is ticking, the enemy is getting closer, and your stuck with complete strangers on foreign land. The film doesn't have protagonist and antagonist.

You never see the Germans in person, just bomber planes. It makes they presence more scary and tense every time another attack happens. Overall Rating: Please do yourself a favor and see this in IMAX. It really adds to the experience.… Expand

13 of 25 users found this helpful1312

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10

markydiscoJul 26, 2017

Incredible film!!! I viewed it in IMAX and it took movie watching almost to a whole new level. A roller coaster ride from start to finish, I was mesmerized and choked up all at the same time. Demonstrates the horror of war as well as anyIncredible film!!! I viewed it in IMAX and it took movie watching almost to a whole new level. A roller coaster ride from start to finish, I was mesmerized and choked up all at the same time. Demonstrates the horror of war as well as any other war movie classic by putting you right in the middle of it. I see that some critics/viewers criticize the film for lack of dialog...I just think that makes it more real since everything was all happening so quickly during this event on so many levels that most involved were probably just in a state of shock. Technically everything about this film is amazing and the soundtrack took my breath away. Highly recommend this movie!… Expand

18 of 29 users found this helpful1811

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8

imthenoobJul 26, 2017

From the opening scene alone, My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat. This is the emotion that I managed to hold through out the entire movie. Dunkirk totally captured my interest and everything else just kind of faded away.From the opening scene alone, My heart was pounding and I was on the edge of my seat. This is the emotion that I managed to hold through out the entire movie. Dunkirk totally captured my interest and everything else just kind of faded away. The way that Nolan told a story with so very few spoken words, Capturing the broad spectrum of emotion that these soldiers went through on the beaches of Dunkirk. It's absolutely mesmerizing. If he doesn't win the oscars for best director and picture, I'll stop watching them.… Expand

7 of 17 users found this helpful710

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3

RipandreadJul 26, 2017

My suggestion is wait until this movie is on cable TV next year instead of spending good money seeing this movie at the theatre. Trailers always show the best scenes of a movie, and in the case of Dunkirk, the trailer was the best part.

13 of 28 users found this helpful1315

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9

Muskrat147Jul 26, 2017

Dunkirk, Nolan's latest entry in his expansive filmography, is as powerful and important as one would expect. The story - 400,000 men stranded on the beaches of the city, with the Nazi's slowly pushing in and surrounding - makes for anDunkirk, Nolan's latest entry in his expansive filmography, is as powerful and important as one would expect. The story - 400,000 men stranded on the beaches of the city, with the Nazi's slowly pushing in and surrounding - makes for an incredibly tense thrill ride. The entire film feels like a ticking time-bomb, ready to burst in a shower of flames and death at any moment. The characters - all of whom we learn nothing about - are, surprisingly, very interesting. You automatically feel for each and every one of them, and the thought of "lack of characterization" never comes to mind. The realistic, gripping action rivals that of Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, Hans Zimmer's score is unbelievably effective, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the direction is flawless. Dunkirk is not just a film, but an experience, and one that every history buff - and Nolan fan - must see.… Expand

8 of 17 users found this helpful89

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7

Hawkeye_LoriJul 26, 2017

Considering his body of work, this movie is only middling, in my opinion and not worthy of a 94. There is no emotional connection with the characters except perhaps 1 or 2. The timing linkages between the 3 stories was brilliant. I wouldConsidering his body of work, this movie is only middling, in my opinion and not worthy of a 94. There is no emotional connection with the characters except perhaps 1 or 2. The timing linkages between the 3 stories was brilliant. I would wait to see this when is released later. Save you money.… Expand

6 of 14 users found this helpful68

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9

gxm143Jul 26, 2017

A breathtakingly excellent film, riveting from beginning to end. I only had one criticism. Nolan should have used CGI to show more soldiers on the beach; you never had the sense that there were hundreds of thousands of men there. But most ofA breathtakingly excellent film, riveting from beginning to end. I only had one criticism. Nolan should have used CGI to show more soldiers on the beach; you never had the sense that there were hundreds of thousands of men there. But most of the drama is close up and personal, and it is exceptionally well done.… Expand

7 of 16 users found this helpful79

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1

kingdodeeJul 25, 2017

If you want a 2-hour long extended version of its trailers, go see Dunkirk. If you have seen even one of them, you have already seen this movie. It is so dull and uninteresting that the best thing about this one is that it is not 2,5 hoursIf you want a 2-hour long extended version of its trailers, go see Dunkirk. If you have seen even one of them, you have already seen this movie. It is so dull and uninteresting that the best thing about this one is that it is not 2,5 hours like Nolan's other movies. It really fails on every level: it does not entertain (even the intended 'suspense' scenes are so cliché that they are a pain to sit through), it does not appeal to your senses (even Hans Zimmer's score is bad), it does not give you any sense of relief or achievement, nor does it paint a cruel and realistic picture about the horrors of war. If you want the story of Dunkirk, go with any of the documentaries, and forget about The Overrated Movie of the Century.… Expand

33 of 59 users found this helpful3326

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10

SIYDLFILLYJul 25, 2017

Christopher Nolan has done it again with Dunkirk. So intense and pulse bounding I was shaking after I left the theater. One note it would be realistic if it was rated r with blood but it's amazing with a war movie that's all about theChristopher Nolan has done it again with Dunkirk. So intense and pulse bounding I was shaking after I left the theater. One note it would be realistic if it was rated r with blood but it's amazing with a war movie that's all about the meaning,"War". Nothing else. No time to talk about each character, just get into each character is wasting time, these men need to go home and escape. THIS IS A WAR MOVIE.… Expand

16 of 26 users found this helpful1610

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7

MixedMessageJul 25, 2017

Unquestionably a very good film and worth seeing, but doesn't live up to the hype. Many people knock the lack of characterization but I had no problem with that, it is plot driven and a conscious statement about the smallness of individualsUnquestionably a very good film and worth seeing, but doesn't live up to the hype. Many people knock the lack of characterization but I had no problem with that, it is plot driven and a conscious statement about the smallness of individuals in a the largest war ever fought. Starts strong with a sense of immersion in the moment but becomes needlessly complex and distant as it goes on. An IMAX war film about 400,000 soldiers trapped by the Nazis is by definition a spectacle, but it never looks like more than a few hundred people are on screen at one time, and the climactic scene has what looks like a few dozen boats. I never thought I would say this, but this movie could have benefited from some gratuitous CGI to give it a feeling of scale. Instead the IMAX screen is filled with mostly empty beach. It feels intense for a handful of people but hardly epic. Spielberg may have had the same number of extras to work with, but he put them all on the screen at the same time and conveyed the immensity of the struggle. In my opinion Spielberg is best as an action cinematographer, he could never have made Memento. But Dunkirk shows Nolan is too cold and abstract to make an epic. Dunkirk was a small film with a lot of empty space on the screen. Patton was 70mm and balanced intense small scenes with battle scenes that used the expanded screen space to purposefully convey the epic scale of war as a human activity. Dunkirk is a smart and meaningful film, but misses the mark at being something greater due to an overly complex structure that adds nothing to the experience and poor use of screen space to depict a genuinely epic event from real life modern history.… Expand

18 of 26 users found this helpful188

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6

BHBarryJul 25, 2017

“Dunkirk” is a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Kenneth Branaugh and Tom Hardy and a cast of thousands, or hundreds, depending on how much you take into account the Computer Generated Imagery's special effects. As most“Dunkirk” is a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Kenneth Branaugh and Tom Hardy and a cast of thousands, or hundreds, depending on how much you take into account the Computer Generated Imagery's special effects. As most WWII buffs know, and certainly all Britishers, “Dunkirk” is the story of how scores of private British small boat owners traveled across the English Channel to rescue many of the British and French soldiers who were left stranded on this infamous French beach. This is indeed one of the most inspiring stories to come out of the war and yet, to my disappointment, the film manifests no heart or soul. Although there are plenty of dogfights in the air and strafings on the ground, the film dedicates most of its footage to one particular boat owner and three Spitfire pilots with confusing battle scenes filling the rest of the screen. Instead of the epic and awesome story that it attempts to convey, it is grossly lacking in depth and although Mr. Nolan receives a credit as the writer, there are probably more words written in this review than spoken in the entire film. Perhaps, by anticipating that the film would live up to the great story it tries to tell, my unrealized expectations created the letdown I felt after I left the theater. I give this film a 6 and suggest that a better writer and director could have gotten to the truly great story that Mr. Nolan unfortunately left stranded somewhere on the French shore.… Expand

6 of 14 users found this helpful68

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10

BellaSwan1992Jul 25, 2017

Hands down the movie of the year. Incredibly intense, powerful, and moving, and packs an amazing amount of stuff into a lean 100-minute runtime (doubly impressive considering how little dialogue there is). Massive props to Christopher NolanHands down the movie of the year. Incredibly intense, powerful, and moving, and packs an amazing amount of stuff into a lean 100-minute runtime (doubly impressive considering how little dialogue there is). Massive props to Christopher Nolan for making a WW2 movie with an authentically British cast instead of doing the obnoxious modern forced-diversity thing, and for focusing on the courage and heroism of the Brits instead of demonizing German soldiers like Spielberg did in Saving Private Ryan.

For my money this is hands down the best WW2 movie I've ever seen, even better than Mel's Hacksaw Ridge last year. If there's any justice this will take Best Picture at the Oscars.… Expand

40 of 69 users found this helpful4029

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10

dangersJul 25, 2017

I have seen a surprising amount of great blockbuster films this year but none of them has been like Dunkirk. Giving a 10/10 to Dunkirk isn't enough. It's another flawless masterpiece from Nolan and such a unique experience. Easily the bestI have seen a surprising amount of great blockbuster films this year but none of them has been like Dunkirk. Giving a 10/10 to Dunkirk isn't enough. It's another flawless masterpiece from Nolan and such a unique experience. Easily the best movie I've seen all year and among the best films I've seen that were made in the last 17 years.… Expand

125 of 158 users found this helpful12533

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1

Victor11Jul 25, 2017

Nolan you bore me tediously to death! I wasNolan you bore me tediously to death! I was zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzStay with Batman.… Expand

11 of 25 users found this helpful1114

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10

MastacraftJul 25, 2017

Flyers drift into the streets dropped from above urging the Allies to surrender after they had been absolutely decimated instead many soldiers literally wiped their ass with it.*

Let us begin with the way the story is shown by directorFlyers drift into the streets dropped from above urging the Allies to surrender after they had been absolutely decimated instead many soldiers literally wiped their ass with it.*

Let us begin with the way the story is shown by director Christopher Nolan which is simply incredible and gives way to the imagination of what was coming for the British and French army. Dunkirk gives this eerie feel to the elephant in the room; Hitler & the axis powers who are not shown on screen but leaves any viewer with some historical knowledge aware the Germans are looming over 400,000 soldiers who nervously wait hat in hand for their fate, all Hitler has to do is snap to cease the existence of Britain as we know it on the jaws of Dunkirk. Instead of taking the typical Hollywood route Nolan focuses on the evacuation, the imagery, the sheer enormity of the task at hand and leaves towering figures such as the likes of Churchill (who recently had his own terribly inaccurate biopic told for the tenth time) as merely a mention – this is a soldier’s story, a people’s story.

Hans Zimmer brings back renditions of the Dark Knight with the soundtrack piercing into your eardrums as the skies roar above with the spray of spitfire bullets hitting the Luftwaffe like rattling drums. One cannot help but feel nervous and uncomfortable with the soundtrack and in a movie depicting such a terrible event and time there is nothing more fitting.

Dunkirk makes you feel as small and helpless as every soldier felt that fateful day and effortlessly avoids pitfalls nearly every war movie makes to glorify the victory while hammering home the evil of Nazi Germany which takes away from the big picture that ALL war is evil. In war sides survive, nobody wins and seeing it depicted in ways like this goes along way for showing the humanity of one side to the other – imagine propaganda films in the early 1940’s showed a little more of that! Right in the cockpit is how one feels during one of several intense Dogfight scenes as we are kept up close. Just as impressive is historical accuracy keeping inline with what occurred as the real heroes of the RAF fought off the Luftwaffe much further away from the beach to allow the evacuations to even be a possibility and we stay focused on the evacuation not the full scale war.

Tom Hardy who can do no wrong lately (fresh from Taboo - go see it!) is the all-star in stellar cast who once again blends in effortlessly to the picture instead of controlling it and this movies momentum builds as every actor keeps stride. As a period piece it is important a movie looks the part and aside from the colouring of the dropped leaflets Dunkirk is absolutely on point from uniform, to locations to planes all of this attention to small details will keep the harshest historians happy.

Action is directed very smartly and replaces blood and guts with that distant feel and imagination asked of the viewer again and again. Darkly mesmerising is the only way to describe in my eyes the early bombing scene as a soldier cowers on the beach as each bomb hits, bam, bam, bam, boom till a soldier disappears near him and you are left to think of the horror laying just off screen, not see it.

In closing go see this movie and when your children are of age show them movies like this and let them understand what happened all these years ago. It is hard to imagine that this really was one of the major turning points of the war and has given way for you and me to be where we are right now. No one knows exactly why Hitler chose to not annihilate the British Army and hold back for three days some even believe he wanted peace with Britain but whatever occurred many sacrifices where made at Dunkirk and it is the job of every film maker and company to do these sorts of films justice (we’re all sick of Hollywood bs) and I can gladly say this certainly was a Victory.

5/5 pounds

*historical fact leaflets dropped made good toilet paper for soldiers something we all take for granted now … Expand

31 of 55 users found this helpful3124

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0

sassyJul 25, 2017

Obviously no one connected with this movie knows history! Dunkirk ia famous not for ships being blown up but by the thousands of ordinary British citizens who at great peril took their small craft to rescue the stranded army, What a greatObviously no one connected with this movie knows history! Dunkirk ia famous not for ships being blown up but by the thousands of ordinary British citizens who at great peril took their small craft to rescue the stranded army, What a great movie this would have been had they concentrated on several of those stories!!!!… Expand

11 of 28 users found this helpful1117

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8

TVJerryJul 25, 2017

This film revolves around a single event: the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk during WWII. It happens in a mashup of 3 time spans: a week on the beach, a day on the English Channel and an hour in the sky.This film revolves around a single event: the evacuation of British and Allied troops from the beach at Dunkirk during WWII. It happens in a mashup of 3 time spans: a week on the beach, a day on the English Channel and an hour in the sky. This unique approach usually makes sense, but is rendered slightly confusing by the dialogue, which is often hard to decipher (the accents and the music mix). Still, director Christopher Nolan has crafted a masterpiece of epic cinema with a continually tense undertone. Several POVs provide the human angle, but it's less about personal endurance and more about desperate survival. The action scenes are less explicitly violent than "Saving Private Ryan" or "Hacksaw Ridge," but still manage to create cringeworthy moments. An enthralling approach to telling a war story.… Expand

6 of 15 users found this helpful69

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6

ilumenJul 25, 2017

It was ok. All the most interesting and powerful scenes of the movie were in the Trailer, along with the great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

It's very slow paced, and the characters are pretty bland. As an audience, there's no emotionalIt was ok. All the most interesting and powerful scenes of the movie were in the Trailer, along with the great soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.

It's very slow paced, and the characters are pretty bland. As an audience, there's no emotional investment in any of the events that unfold or the development of the characters.

I don't mind slow paced, but the characters need to be interesting, or the story payoff has to be worth it.

It was nowhere near as good as I was expecting, and is probably the weakest Nolan movie I've seen so far.… Expand

5 of 14 users found this helpful59

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0

SRNathanfan279Jul 24, 2017

Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie),Figuring they're all expendable, a U.S. intelligence officer decides to assemble a team of dangerous, incarcerated supervillains for a top-secret mission. Now armed with government weapons, Deadshot (Will Smith), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Captain Boomerang, Killer Croc and other despicable inmates must learn to work together. Dubbed Task Force X, the criminals unite to battle a mysterious and powerful entity, while the diabolical Joker (Jared Leto) launches an evil agenda of his own.SUICIDE SQUAD IS A LIVELY COMIC BOOK MOVIE – ALBEIT ONE THAT IS UNDERMINED BY PLOT HOLES AND UNEVEN EXECUTION OF ACTION, CHARACTER, AND COMEDY.If Marvel has the best superheroes, so the prevailing geek-logic goes, then DC has the coolest villains. So it’s only sensible they’re finally placed front, centre and in the firing line. Filling its entire super-team with previously unseen antagonists, Suicide Squad represents a Flash-speed sprint of a catch-up for the rapidly forming DC Cinematic Universe. And, on that front at least, it’s a real hoot.… Expand

8 of 47 users found this helpful839

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9

JorgeLestreJul 24, 2017

Christopher Nolan continues to be one of the most fascinating directors in the world and he does so by putting himself deep into the matter of his movies.

7 of 15 users found this helpful78

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10

MAFIAxMaverickJul 24, 2017

It's hard to find words for just how amazing Dunkirk is. It's one of my favorite pieces of history adapted into just a phenomenal feature film. The best part about the movie, in my opinion, was the score. Mr. Zimmer you have done it countlessIt's hard to find words for just how amazing Dunkirk is. It's one of my favorite pieces of history adapted into just a phenomenal feature film. The best part about the movie, in my opinion, was the score. Mr. Zimmer you have done it countless times throughout your fabled career, and I think Dunkirk may be your best score yet. The acting was top notch. It was refreshing to see a war film from a very different perspective. This was about about survival and living to fight another day. The different perspectives of our main characters all made me feel like I was right there with them. What amazing film. Oscar for sure.… Expand

23 of 36 users found this helpful2313

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4

RatedRexJul 24, 2017

"Dunkirk" was a major disappointment, and a monumental missed opportunity. Christopher Nolan cannot seem to make a linear movie. Damned near everything he make switches from one time to another. Why not just make a friggin, straight-forward,"Dunkirk" was a major disappointment, and a monumental missed opportunity. Christopher Nolan cannot seem to make a linear movie. Damned near everything he make switches from one time to another. Why not just make a friggin, straight-forward, movie that tells the true story of Dunkirk. Show me the Germans closing in. Show me the panic and chaos. Show me the death and destruction. Then show me how the RAF and the English people on tugboats traveled to Dunkirk, against all odds, to save their brother, fathers, sons and neighbors from pending doom. Leave out all of the artistic BS, please. And furthermore, I only understood about 30% of the dialog. I can't believe that the critics and many of the Nolan's fanboys raved so uncontrollably about this movie. There were better war scenes in 'Wonder Woman", a comic book movie.… Expand

7 of 18 users found this helpful711

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1

DrVarsimsJul 24, 2017

Not worth your time, let alone your money. You are better off reading the Wikipedia page, which has more information and is at least equally as entertaining if not more so. This movie lacks character development and characters for thatNot worth your time, let alone your money. You are better off reading the Wikipedia page, which has more information and is at least equally as entertaining if not more so. This movie lacks character development and characters for that matter. All of the scenes are very redundant showing: ships moving, ships sinking, people swimming, pilots flying, pilots crashing, people standing, people standing on boats, people running, people running off boats, people looking at each other and not saying anything, etc.. Just watch the last half hour of the movie if you think you really must see this.… Expand

10 of 24 users found this helpful1014

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3

rodreelJul 24, 2017

Many mistakes in the film; Fighter looses power with hundreds of men on the beach and by the time he lands dead stick there is no one. A fighter goes after a bomber and the scene shows a fighter. Many more errors.
Scenes switch in time andMany mistakes in the film; Fighter looses power with hundreds of men on the beach and by the time he lands dead stick there is no one. A fighter goes after a bomber and the scene shows a fighter. Many more errors.
Scenes switch in time and place with no logic. Forward and backward in time is confusing.
Very disappointing. Came out of the theater shaking my head.… Expand

13 of 28 users found this helpful1315

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9

badgerryan19Jul 24, 2017

Another great movie by Christopher Nolan. Pretty much now going into all his movies all you gotta think is it gonna be a 9 or a 10. He's pretty much that good. I think this movie is one of his bests. I was a little confused about the run timeAnother great movie by Christopher Nolan. Pretty much now going into all his movies all you gotta think is it gonna be a 9 or a 10. He's pretty much that good. I think this movie is one of his bests. I was a little confused about the run time when I first saw it (106 minutes) being this is a huge historical event, but now I understand. The entire movie from the opening shot is no stop action and the movie focuses more on the actual event than the build up and huge speeches from brave men. The movie was very enjoyable and its loud and thrilling as well. The score is superb and Hans Zimmer and Nolan always seem to work beautifully with each other. The dog fights are intense and it's no Hollywood dogfights with loud explosions and blaring gunfire no its real gritty realistic action. The movie doesn't have a lot of dialogue, but that is to be expected. During an event like this you aren't gonna be sitting around chatting about every day things, your gonna be frighten, scared and shocked of the situation. The one thing about the movie that does lack is the character development, which there is practically none. I understand though because like I said it's more about the event and not the build up. There are just brave men stuck in a bad situation. All in all Nolan gives us another great movie that everyone should see ion the big screen.… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

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8

djniceyJul 24, 2017

Its massively over-rated by the critics. That said it is a very good movie, just not the masterpiece of cinema that it is purported to be by some.

The story is epic and is well scripted and very moving, it makes you really appreciate howIts massively over-rated by the critics. That said it is a very good movie, just not the masterpiece of cinema that it is purported to be by some.

The story is epic and is well scripted and very moving, it makes you really appreciate how lucky we are to live in this day and age and how differently people had it a short while ago. The action sequences are taut and enjoyable, the story is believable throughout and the characterisation is very good, there aren't any over the top superhero type characters, just ordinary people being thrown into extraordinary circumstances.

It does however have something missing that makes it miss the mark, it didn't live up to expectations for me, maybe I was expecting a Forest Gump or some unique quality to set it apart from the multitude of other war movies. In years to come I don't think this will be seen as a classic.

The sound was also horrible in some places, I say sound rather than music as it is just horrible wailing noises over and over and over, its done to increase the tension but it didn't work for me, by the end of the movie it had become very overused and a distraction more than anything else. Great film, everyone should watch it to appreciate how lucky we are, but not a Classic IMHO.… Expand

3 of 9 users found this helpful36

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Dunkirk

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