I was very surprised with this. Yes, there are some writing issues, mainly with the villain and there's pacing issues at the beginning and parts of the 2nd act but wow, the mythology and idea was great and really entertaining. The acting was mostly pretty good and I thought the VFX looked really good for a movie that's 30 years old. If the rest are similar, I look forward to watching more

Michael P

Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer

The first half hour is interesting and fast paced, with small parts for characters that are nevertheless believable. Then suddenly almost instantly the movie degenerates into the worst kind of hackneyed characterizations we've seen a thousand times, overlong and unnecessary takes and a simplistic plot that reminds one of Ron Howard at his worst. I guess someone decided they had to appeal to eleven year old boys to assure a decent box office and the beginning was a trifle too intelligent to assure that. To paraphrase Twain's description of golf, it was a good movie spoiled.

kevinosborne_99

IMDB Reviewer

generally considered to have aged well with impressive practical effects, a solid score, and strong performances from Kurt Russell and James Spader. It serves as a nostalgic, action-packed, and visually impressive sci-fi origin story that sets the foundation for the expansive franchise.