A Few Good MenMovie Reviews

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Avg. Critic Score: 62 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
16 Iffy for 16+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 100
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    That the performances are uniformly outstanding is a tribute to Rob Reiner, who directs with masterly assurance, fusing suspense and character to create a movie that literally vibrates with energy. Read full review

  • 91
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Like all courtroom dramas, A Few Good Men is gimmicky and synthetic. It's also an irresistible throwback to the sort of sharp-edged entertainment Hollywood once provided with regularity. Read full review

  • 90
    The New York Times | Vincent Canby

    A big commercial entertainment of unusually satisfying order. [11 Dec 1992] Read full review

  • 90
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Expert story construction and compelling thesping and direction make all the narrative elements pay off as if calculated by a precision instrument in which all the parts are working perfectly. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    An entertainment to be seen and appreciated in momentum. As such, it is constantly gripping Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    Pace and performances dominate, with popped salutes going to Keifer Sutherland, Kevin Pollack, Kevin Bacon and especially Nicholson's smiling barracuda. [11 Dec 1992] Read full review

  • 70
    Washington Post | Rita Kempley

    About as understated as a 21-gun salute... What's missing is anything of Reiner himself. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    The film doesn't make us work, doesn't allow us to figure out things for ourselves, is afraid we'll miss things if they're not spelled out. Read full review

  • 60
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    The film's plot...is more contrived than creditable, motivations are not always clear, and some characters, for instance Kiefer Sutherland as a praise the lord and pass the ammunition Marine, are not very convincingly acted. [11 Dec 1992] Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Edward Guthmann

    Slick, overly deliberate and brimming with hammy performances...directed by Rob Reiner with glistening, uninspired competence. [11 Dec 1992] Read full review

View more reviews for A Few Good Men on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Complex military whodunit. For mature teens+.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this film's lack of gory violence or explicit sex makes it a relatively good choice for those who like political thrillers. However, the plot might be too complex and slow-paced for all but the most mature teenagers. There is some strong language and a graphic oral sex reference.
  • Families can talk about the duties of a citizen to their family and their country. Was the death of the marine justified in favor of national security? Does Col. Jessup's military record automatically make him qualified to hold his position? How does the trial cause Lt. Kaffee to question his own values?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Many characters are seen taking political expedient but morally ambiguous actions.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Gore is at a minimum but the movie begins with two marines forcibly tying up another and then blood is seen staining a bed.
  • sex false3 Sex: No nudity, but one scene discusses oral sex quite explicitly.
  • language false5 Language: Several F-words and a graphic oral sex reference.
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false0 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Not an issue
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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