Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Back to Bataan

      Released May 31, 1945 1 hr. 37 min. War List
      86% 42 Reviews Tomatometer 62% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score This World War II film sees American army colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne) stationed in the Philippines with much of his military support forced out of the region by Japanese troops. Despite the grim situation, the tenacious Madden attempts to rally Filipino guerrilla fighters to continue assaults on the Japanese. Among Madden's band of soldiers is Captain Andres Bonifacio (Anthony Quinn), who struggles with the burden of being the grandson of a war hero. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered May 07 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      Back to Bataan

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent Back to Bataan on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Back to Bataan

      What to Know

      Critics Consensus

      Well-intentioned, albeit occasionally clumsily so, Back to Bataan is a rousing war picture featuring an array of fine performances.

      Read Critics Reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (49) audience reviews
      Trent K Great older movie if you love history. It has some fictional characters and elements but the truth is true. The Japanese were ruthless to the the Philippine people and worse to the American soldiers during the Batan death march. We must remember our history or we are doomed to repeat it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/10/23 Full Review Trent M I love John Wayne and war movies, however the two often don't mix well and this is a particularly bad example. Boring and overwrought, it never gets off the ground. The Duke doesn't seem himself and the war sequences are underwhelming. Overly patriotic Filipino school children and cringe worthy special effects made it almost unwatchable for me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/05/23 Full Review william d The combat scenes are pretty standard WWII action fare. What makes the movie interesting is that Wayne and the Americans are not front and center the whole picture. This is really told from the Filipino point of view, although not in a historically accurate sense (Anthony Quinn's character, the supposed grandson of Philippine national hero Andres Bonifacio, never existed; Bonifacio never fought the Americans as intimated in the movie, he died in 1897). Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review james g In 1945, I think John Wayne reached his peak as far acting and looks (always a nice, 2020 stubble in this movie, cool looking, right off a GQ cover). IMO, later Wayne seemed to turn into an over-the-top character of himself. This film is full of action, as expected. Perhaps just a tad xenophobic, but I'm not that familiar with WW2 action in the Phillipines. Still, watch it just for Wayne's performance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie. John Wayne is the man Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/20 Full Review Audience Member An overly tough, and surprisingly serious, (all be it a little too much so), addition to John Wayne's list of remarkable War classics. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      75% 63% Flying Leathernecks 100% 64% The Lost Patrol 79% 73% G.I. Joe 100% 75% Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo 86% 72% Objective, Burma! Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Back to Bataan photos

      Back to Bataan

      Back to Bataan (1945) Back to Bataan (1945) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (42) Critics Reviews
      Mildred Martin Philadelphia Inquirer There are excellent and exciting battle sequences, as well as one throat-tightening, laudably un-Hollywoodized, glimpse of the infamous Death March. And there are also numerous good performances under the firm, capable direction of Edward Dmytryk. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Ida Belle Hicks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com The picture, which drew its vitality from the front pages of the newspapers, goes deeper than the headlines and delves into the human story behind the guns and bayonets. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Jack Karr Toronto Star As films of this type go, the R.K.O. production ranks above average. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Virginia Wilson Modern Screen Back To Bataan has more excitement per reel than anything you've come across in some time and explodes the theory that war pictures are necessarily dated. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Ethel Hoffman Buffalo News The picture's strength is its fast action. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Harold V. Cohen Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Back to Bataan is a bang-up show and a bitter . memory, its hair-raising thrills tempered by its aching terrors. Feb 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis This World War II film sees American army colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne) stationed in the Philippines with much of his military support forced out of the region by Japanese troops. Despite the grim situation, the tenacious Madden attempts to rally Filipino guerrilla fighters to continue assaults on the Japanese. Among Madden's band of soldiers is Captain Andres Bonifacio (Anthony Quinn), who struggles with the burden of being the grandson of a war hero.
      Director
      Edward Dmytryk
      Distributor
      RKO Radio Pictures
      Production Co
      RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
      Genre
      War
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      May 31, 1945, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Aug 11, 2008
      Most Popular at Home Now