La Bamba
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: July 24, 1987 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
EmpireWilliam Thomas
A dedicatory, sometimes sombre recreation of the career of 50s teen-throb Richie Valens, which feels like a personal project by director Luis Valdez. Read full review
60
Washington PostHal Hinson
La Bamba is a puzzle -- a real mixed bag. Some of it, like the braying, cock-and-bull performance by Esai Morales, is just plain awful. But other bits, like the performances by Rosana De Soto and, as Ritchie's agent, Joe Pantoliano, are unexpectedly vibrant. Read full review
60
Time Out LondonNigel Floyd
An enjoyable if slightly innocuous biopic based on the brief life and short-lived fame of teen rock'n'roll idol Richie Valens. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
The film is rich with period flavor, and Phillips is superb as Valens, but the rags-to-riches story (even if true) is maudlin and overfamiliar. Read full review
40
Tampa Bay TimesHal Lipper
Writer-director Luis Valdez's movie is an example of just how tedious a bio-pic can be. [24 July 1987, p.3D]
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