Grizzly Man

Name: Grizzly Man
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Released: August 12, 2005
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 87
Cast: Amie Huguenard, Timothy Treadwell

2005

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 152 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 152 Ratings

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Grizzly Man

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Movie Details & Credits

Lions Gate Films | Release Date: August 12, 2005 | R

Starring: Amie Huguenard, Timothy Treadwell

Summary: In his mesmerizing new film, acclaimed director Werner Herzog explores the life and death of amateur grizzly bear expert and wildlife preservationist Timothy Treadwell. [Lions Gate Films]

Director: Werner Herzog

Genre(s): Biography, Documentary

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Sterritt

Brilliant, poetic, and utterly unique. Read full review

100

Sean Axmaker

It's Treadwell's contradictions and controversies that fascinate Herzog the filmmaker, inspiring him to create this enthralling documentary portrait, his best film in years. Read full review

100

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

Herzog is primarily interested in Treadwell the filmmaker, but you'll likely be fascinated with him as a human being. Read full review

Chris Kaltenbach

There's an element of the nature film to Grizzly Man, and those passages are truly stunning, offering an up-close look at these magnificent animals. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Actually three movies in one: a wildlife film about how grizzly bears behave in their natural habitat, a character study of an eccentric environmentalist, and a chilling, voyeuristic narrative of how death stalks that man. Read full review

Joshua Katzman

This is an engrossing look at obsessive behavior gone terribly awry. Read full review

Stanley Kauffmann

The film is repetitious. Herzog has varied the original footage with some interviews that he conducted with a former Treadwell girlfriend and some other friends and observers. Still, an hour of it would have been more effective than the present feature length. Read full review

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User Reviews

Selina

Aug 6, 2009

Undoubtly, this film was AMAZING. Grizzly Man shows the ideal footage of a man whose courage and determination got him his calling. He proved that bears are not killers, and brought some brilliant footage in the making. This truly is a beautiful nature film, and I recommend it for any Undoubtly, this film was AMAZING. Grizzly Man shows the ideal footage of a man whose courage and determination got him his calling. He proved that bears are not killers, and brought some brilliant footage in the making. This truly is a beautiful nature film, and I recommend it for any nature lover. Although, yes, Timothy was somewhat loony, but I respect his decision in life. I know that there's a one and a million chance that someone will survive thirteen years without weapons among one of the most dangerous animals on this planet. I enjoyed this film and admired Treadwell's skill, devotion, and humor. This film is truly a masterpiece. The stuff he captured is simply wonderful. HOWEVER, I do not respect Herzog. I think he twisted it around a bit. Some directors do that. He probably made Tim look more than he was. We don't care about his opinion- at least I don't. I wish that this movie was more about the nature and beauty Treadwell captured rather than the stupid opinions of Herzog.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

andrewj

Dec 31, 2005

With the non-critics (i.e. impatient phillistines) this is a polarizing film -- it seems like some viewers decided halfway through that they were either too annoyed or disgusted with treadwell to give this film a chance and discover all the beauty it has to offer. it's their loss -- With the non-critics (i.e. impatient phillistines) this is a polarizing film -- it seems like some viewers decided halfway through that they were either too annoyed or disgusted with treadwell to give this film a chance and discover all the beauty it has to offer. it's their loss -- content and visuals like these are pretty much why camcorders were invented. sure, treadwell is annoying, delusional, ridiculously flamboyant, and desperate to make his life important. while he obviously has way more critics than sympathizers, this story becomes universal with the exploartion of one man's pursuit of a legacy. we all want to be remembered for something after we're gone; this emotional man-child thought he had finally found meaning and a goal for his life. herzog did a wonderful job editting the footage and editorializes only at a few key moments when he must draw a line between reality and treadwell's sentimentality. gorgeous ending, awesome film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KenK.

Feb 17, 2006

I thought Grizzly Man was a brilliantly skillful piece of filmaking which evoked a huge range of emotional responses. However, it does not surprise me that some people found the whole enterprise ridiculous, as I left the cinema I overheard one woman simply state that Thredwell was an I thought Grizzly Man was a brilliantly skillful piece of filmaking which evoked a huge range of emotional responses. However, it does not surprise me that some people found the whole enterprise ridiculous, as I left the cinema I overheard one woman simply state that Thredwell was an 'idiot'. And this is the beauty of the film, he was irresponsible, he was childlike, he was a fantasist, but he was also noble, brave and totally unselfish. Herzog provides no pat answers, this is not a Disney film, what you get is a complex, haunting, hilarious (the scene with the Bumble Bee) and absolutely beautiful film drenched in the pathos of one man's mortality.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

pgmark

Dec 16, 2010

Almost a guaranteed hit story here to start with lol.... Guy goes out to remote bear infested place, stays there for months for 3yrs, gets 15mins of fame, then gets eaten by bear .... along with being slightly nuts and a borderline social outcast ?? Come on how can you lose. Well....Almost a guaranteed hit story here to start with lol.... Guy goes out to remote bear infested place, stays there for months for 3yrs, gets 15mins of fame, then gets eaten by bear .... along with being slightly nuts and a borderline social outcast ?? Come on how can you lose. Well.... Herzog's commentary was hit and miss and some holes for sure

but I was entertained solid 7

PS - background music was interesting also… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

RayP.

Feb 4, 2006

I liked Herzog's commentary, but who really was Treadwell? No background on why he became involved with the bears in the first place. What was the real danger to the bears - who was he protecting them from? What did he do when he wasn't living with the bears? Dedicating 10 mins to I liked Herzog's commentary, but who really was Treadwell? No background on why he became involved with the bears in the first place. What was the real danger to the bears - who was he protecting them from? What did he do when he wasn't living with the bears? Dedicating 10 mins to some background would have made this a more complete documentary.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

JoelK.

Sep 15, 2009

This documentary is the biggest waste of time. I'm 15 and honestly i think that Timothy Treadwell wasted those 13 years of his life, which eventually ended up in his death. What was the point of him going into a protected environment or government reserve to protect bears? They This documentary is the biggest waste of time. I'm 15 and honestly i think that Timothy Treadwell wasted those 13 years of his life, which eventually ended up in his death. What was the point of him going into a protected environment or government reserve to protect bears? They don't need protection. In my view all the drugs and alcohol he part took in resulted in him coming out of the situation being as one of the pilots described him 'mentally retarded'… Expand

0 of 3 users found this helpful

Adam

Sep 13, 2005

Nothing in the movie makes any character remotely interesting--excepting their eccentricities, which by no means make them worthwhile characters unless one is watching a doco on wack-jobs and not one portraying mans quest into nature. I did not like this film, I did not like Herzog's Nothing in the movie makes any character remotely interesting--excepting their eccentricities, which by no means make them worthwhile characters unless one is watching a doco on wack-jobs and not one portraying mans quest into nature. I did not like this film, I did not like Herzog's subjective narration. Treadwell himself was irritating and distracting. And his ex-girlfriend and the coroner were simply horrific--making me only wish they had been with him when he died. This is not a film about man's obsession with nature and trying to overcome it, it is an example of man's inability to deal with his own troubles. He was not a fool for doing what he did, he was simply too weak to confront his own life.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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