Empire of the Sun

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: December 9, 1987

CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION

62	METASCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

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Critic Reviews

Critic score Publication By date

Jay Carr

Empire of the Sun is an imperfect film, but at its best it's grand and haunting in ways that only a movie can be. [11 Dec 1987]

Roger Ebert

Empire of the Sun adds up to a promising idea, a carefully observed production and some interesting performances. Read full review

EmpireDarren Bignell

Spielberg's technical ability is very clear, with much to appreciate on close examination. Read full review

100

Ted Mahar

Empire of the Sun is such a grand, successful blend of epic filmmaking and personal drama, it's hard to believe Steven Spielberg made it. [11 Dec 1987, p.G15]

James Berardinelli

Empire of the Sun remains a solidly engaging story of heroism in the face of adversity, as filtered through the eyes of a boy obsessed with planes and flight. Read full review

100

Martyn Bamber

While screenwriter Tom Stoppard supplies a literate script, it’s Spielberg’s peerless command of film technique that drives the film, with the director crafting a number of sequences that function as impressive examples of pure visual storytelling. Read full review

Hal Lipper

Spielberg's Empire of the Sun dispels with the sugar coating that turned Alice Walker's searing novel about racial and sexual subjugation into "The Color Purple: The Coffee Table Edition." Yet, Spielberg retains a sense of innocence in this ambitious, visionary tale. [10 Dec 1987, p.6]

Janet Maslin

A visual splendor, a heroic adventurousness and an immense scope that make it unforgettable. Read full review

Richard Corliss

Spielberg has energized each frame with allusive legerdemain and an intelligent density of images and emotions. Read full review

TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)

As Jim, Bale delivers a stunning performance; he appears in virtually every frame and truly seems to grow over the course of the film from a coddled rich child to a calculating, almost feral creature who will ally himself with whoever wields the most power in a given situation. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

It is up to young English thesp Bale to engage the viewer's interest, which he does superbly. Read full review

Julie Salamon

With an edgy, intelligent script by playwright Tom Stoppard, Mr. Spielberg has made an extraordinary film out of Mr. Ballard's extraordinary war experience. [09 Dec 1987]