Gran Torino

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: December 12, 2008

8.0	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 867 Ratings

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User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

DeanD.Dec 26, 2008

Eastwood playing Eastwood......and not very well. His facial expressions limited to a scowl and and grrr. The supporting cast, ostensibly Hmong natives, would have made most high school theatricals look good. All the Hollywood tropes are Eastwood playing Eastwood......and not very well. His facial expressions limited to a scowl and and grrr. The supporting cast, ostensibly Hmong natives, would have made most high school theatricals look good. All the Hollywood tropes are dragged out: an embittered veteran lovable enough for neighbors and priests to seek his redemption, despite being constantly insulted by his racial and religious slurs. The ending everyone expects in an Eastwood movie has a twist, which some may find moving but I thought was contrived and implausible. The best laughs came out of the racial slurs....the audience howled....which makes me wonder about us in this age of Obama.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful

JenBFeb 15, 2009

I simply cannot understand why this movie has garnered such favorable reviews from both critics and fans. It is one of the most ham-fisted pieces of dreck I've ever seen. Do you find it insulting to have the plot spoonfed to you? Would I simply cannot understand why this movie has garnered such favorable reviews from both critics and fans. It is one of the most ham-fisted pieces of dreck I've ever seen. Do you find it insulting to have the plot spoonfed to you? Would you rather watch actors act, rather than have the character development firehosed down your throat in the first 5 minutes? Did you feel manipulated after you watched 'Million Dollar Baby'? You'll hate this one too. Someone needs to revoke Eastwood's lifetime pass.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful

PeteMar 1, 2009

Giving this movie a 1 was generous, but I thought they deserved a point for working out how to turn the camera on! The first movie I have ever walked out on; the lack of strength in plot, sceenplay, or acting was cringe-worthy at best.

1 of 5 users found this helpful

JesseM.Jan 2, 2009

Contrived writing, poor acting and terribly paced. An overall disappointment. Eastwood has consistently been one of the most generous and rewarding directors in Hollywood for some time, but this trite is the sort of stuff that unfortunately Contrived writing, poor acting and terribly paced. An overall disappointment. Eastwood has consistently been one of the most generous and rewarding directors in Hollywood for some time, but this trite is the sort of stuff that unfortunately stains a career. The only clever, endearing, and ultimately redeeming part of this film is its ending, but it can only pack so much punch. And any force it had was totally suffocated by the embarrassing exitlude sung by Eastwood himself.… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful

DavidCJan 5, 2009

Give me a break, this movie stinks. Probably the most overrated movie I remember seeing in the theaters. What's the worst part about Gran Torino? The acting, story line, script, director, characters...take your pick.

1 of 5 users found this helpful

PaulS.Jan 1, 2009

I just don't understand movies nowadays. The movie was terrible. The story line was horrible. The acting was a joke. This movie was horrendous.

1 of 6 users found this helpful

PhilAApr 10, 2009

All the previous comments by "3 or less" pretty much sum it up. I told my wife I wish I could have those 2 hours back. What a waste of time.

1 of 6 users found this helpful

JasonB.Jan 26, 2009

Horrible!!! The acting was terrible, Eastwood was over the top, several times growling as if he was going to "hulk" out, the racial slurs really got old by the second half. The story felt like a hallmark tv movie.

1 of 6 users found this helpful

PatG.Dec 12, 2008

We all love Clint, but he should have made a better choice to showcase his acting skills. This movie is the work of a first-time screenwriter, and it shows. It is often amateurish, cliched, and sentimental. I've seen better made-for-TV We all love Clint, but he should have made a better choice to showcase his acting skills. This movie is the work of a first-time screenwriter, and it shows. It is often amateurish, cliched, and sentimental. I've seen better made-for-TV movies. Some good moments, yes, but overall it is a big disappointment. Clint--you can do better!!!… Expand

1 of 6 users found this helpful

KastianOct 17, 2010

The acting was forced. The only natural sounding actor in the movie was Clint Eastwood. The message was ham-fisted and flat out handed to audiences at the end. The script was incredibly contrived.

Overall, I felt that movie suffered from anThe acting was forced. The only natural sounding actor in the movie was Clint Eastwood. The message was ham-fisted and flat out handed to audiences at the end. The script was incredibly contrived.

Overall, I felt that movie suffered from an unfortunates messiah complex and was unintentionally racist. An white, angry, growling old man has to save everyone else because they can't take care of themselves.… Expand

1 of 8 users found this helpful17

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VanceBJan 17, 2009

The grand lesson of this movie is that the way to really defeat evil people is to allow them to kill you. Because maybe, just maybe, they might have to spend a few years in prison--boy that will teach 'em! This movie is the ultimate The grand lesson of this movie is that the way to really defeat evil people is to allow them to kill you. Because maybe, just maybe, they might have to spend a few years in prison--boy that will teach 'em! This movie is the ultimate result of a culture that has become completely pacified and sissy-fied. It was a good movie up to the end. It made some valid commentary on our over-offended society (friends throw ethnic insults at each other without getting offended--unthinkable!). I love Clint Eastwood as an actor, but he has completely sold out to this pacifist mentality--the best way to teach bad people a lesson is to let them hurt you.… Expand

0 of 6 users found this helpful

KJan 5, 2009

Highly disappointing. Slow and poorly written. Basically a sermon on "kids these days".

0 of 1 users found this helpful

BillyS.Jan 9, 2009

Seriously? A Best Picture contender. You're kidding, right? Really. A Best Actor nomination for Clint. Come on, for Gran Torino? Where he plays that Archie Bunker guy who growls more than Learch and puts the fear of God in every ethnic Seriously? A Best Picture contender. You're kidding, right? Really. A Best Actor nomination for Clint. Come on, for Gran Torino? Where he plays that Archie Bunker guy who growls more than Learch and puts the fear of God in every ethnic gang in Detroit by his mere old white man presence, that Gran Torino? Seriously Clint, it's time to put Dirty Harry to bed. Oscar? Only if they award one for Best Achievement In Cliche!… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

DesmondJan 16, 2009

This plays like a MADTV parody of Clint Eastwood. Still gets a 2 because I enjoyed laughing at the poorly executed cliches.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

JimmyB.Jan 26, 2009

Someone ought to file a lawsuit for plagiarism. The whole film was practically copied from Alan Smithee's collective works, the Ultimate Anthology of Prosthetic Plot Points. If you like your drama spoon fed to you with a predictability Someone ought to file a lawsuit for plagiarism. The whole film was practically copied from Alan Smithee's collective works, the Ultimate Anthology of Prosthetic Plot Points. If you like your drama spoon fed to you with a predictability factor running off the scale and if you can stand Eastwood doing a poor grizzly imitation while impersonating a fossilized plank of wood throughout the entire film, I guess this movie is for you. I guess the joke's on the fan boys again.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

bobbsywNov 13, 2010

Slow pacing, poor acting and an unbelievable script make this film bad enough, but the continued suggestion that casual racism is acceptable if the other person accepts it "good natured banter" beggars belief.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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Delta_AssaultSep 28, 2011

Well, this left me disappointed. The Hmong actors were **** terrible. Specially that Toad guy, him screaming to get out of the basement at the end was laughable. "Walt! Waaaaaaaalllllt!" Cmon, that was just the worst scene in the movie. AndWell, this left me disappointed. The Hmong actors were **** terrible. Specially that Toad guy, him screaming to get out of the basement at the end was laughable. "Walt! Waaaaaaaalllllt!" Cmon, that was just the worst scene in the movie. And how the hell could a **** like him even have a driver's license to drive the Gran Torino? It was inexplicable.

It was strange, this film was trying to show us to be nicer to our neighbors and more accepting of foreign cultures... but then they go out of their way to show us that the Hmong are really weird and freaky. Like... no touching the tops of people's heads? An actual **** voodoo witch doctor? Cranky old woman spitting out a bunch of weird brown fluid? But hey, it's all good cause their food's really tasty, right? Right? Heh...

The padre was just annoying me throughout the entire film. Not badly acted, but his character just came off as a sanctimonious prick. Mission accomplished if that was what they were aiming for.

Clint was good as usual. But that ending... just didn't work for me. I know they were setting us up for a more traditional ending and then went for an unorthodox approach, but still... I wanted that traditional ending. Instead, they gave us Walt committing suicide, essentially. Very disappointing ending.… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

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JumpmanJan 4, 2016

This movie is unbelievably terrible i wish i had never seen it. I shouldn't have even started reviewing it since i have to say other than it is terrible

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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RhysTawtonNov 3, 2020

Truly baffled by the positive reviews for this film. I saw it on release in the cinema and thought it was terrible - a trite story, stilted dialogue badly acted, distractingly bad camera work and an insulting message behind the script as aTruly baffled by the positive reviews for this film. I saw it on release in the cinema and thought it was terrible - a trite story, stilted dialogue badly acted, distractingly bad camera work and an insulting message behind the script as a whole. Thinking that I may have just been in the wrong mood when I went to see it the first time, I watched it again recently and, no, it's just a bad movie. Very disappointing work from a talented and thoughtful director.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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