MC5*: A True Testimonial
Avatar Films | Release Date: April 23, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
10
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Boston GlobeJoan Anderman
MC5 is everything a rockumentary should be and usually isn't. Then again, MC5 was everything a rock band should be and usually isn't. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Wide-ranging and beautifully edited -- it's a vivid evocation of a moment when even the ugliest guitar feedback could be taken as a serious political statement. Read full review
80
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
MC5's mix of showmanship, hippie idealism, and brawling Detroit muscle makes it tough to categorize, and A True Testimonial carefully moves through each step of the progression. Read full review
80
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
The proto-punk warriors known as the MC5 left a dent that outlasts their mostly negligible record sales, and the director's curiosity is piqued by the group's sociological impact. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
An invaluable addition to the rock history cinema archives. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleJoel Selvin
The film is a touching, detailed portrait of an important and often overlooked band. Filmmaker David C. Thomas has done a wonderful job of stitching his filmed interviews together with the extensive vintage footage he scrounged. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Thomas does an excellent job exploring the incendiary environment that shaped the band in the late 1960s. His primary interest, however, is simply to express and explain the thrill the MC5 still inspires. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Should please die-hard fans as well as viewers who have never heard the band and its anthem, "Kick Out the Jams." Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
Draws on extensive archival materials to etch an absorbing portrait of a singular counterculture mini-phenom that will be manna to music fans. Read full review
70
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
Bravely bucks the "Behind the Music" arc, conveying a reality of constant flux, a sense of the band being jerked in many different directions. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
The music continues to speak for itself. Play loud. Read full review
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75 Critic Reviews

7.0 User Reviews

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