Geronimo: An American Legend

PG-13

Released Dec 10, 1993

1 hr. 55 min.

History

Drama

List

50%

22 Reviews

Tomatometer

51%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Following the expansion of the United States into the Southwest, the Apache Indians are forced onto a reservation to live out their lives as lowly corn farmers. While many resign themselves to this fate, several Apache, including Geronimo (Wes Studi), refuse to go quietly. Hoping to quell a major rebellion, General Charles Crook (Gene Hackman) dispatches over 5,000 U.S. Cavalry soldiers, led by Lieutenant Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric), to hunt down Geronimo and his men.

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Critics Consensus

Geronimo: An American Legend fails to stir the soul, though its sweeping visuals and historical ambitions mark an intelligent change of pace for director Walter Hill.

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Dom

How is this a 50% on Rotten when Dances with Wolves is 85%? If anything. this is a more balanced representation of the Natives and the US Army than Dances with Wolves. Shows what society wants to learn instead at the end of the day. The movie's theme of no one winning at the end of a war is miles more Enlightening than another complaint of Matt Damon's acting. This is a pretty decent film. I thought both the Natives and the US Army were portrayed with great nuance. Damon's acting is a little unconvincing but is serviceable for the plot as a whole. The movie's a little slow at points though. The ending is a little contrived, but it is a good film overall.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

Full Review

David H

As is usually the case the critics are wrong because they are not intelligent enough to get it

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/07/23

Full Review

jelisije j

A great bio pic of one of the most famous Native American warriors of all time and the collapse of a culture that should never be forgot.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

aqsw d

One of the least known relics of Matt Damon and Robert Duvall. Overall a good movie - worth watching regarding American history. The history of Indians in America is of great importance. The term Indian is not a bad word - it's not politically incorrect. Part Cherokee, I love the word. There is a great respect of all Indians of America. What happened in the history of what is now America was unavoidable, unstoppable, inevitable. To all Indians I offer this small humble encouragement: You are loved by Americans. Your history is rich. You matter. An interesting aspect of America is that most states are Indian names, and Indian names are used throughout America - from states to city names to street names. That is a small bit of evidence of how important all Indians are to America.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A complex revisionist western without clear heroes or villains. As is typical to a lot of these types of movies from this era, the filmmakers were far enough removed from the past to not lionize it while also not so far ahead that they felt the need to deconstruct everything to pieces. Wes Studi is great here, giving Geronimo a quiet sadness that underscores his resolve.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It is sometimes the case that period films suffer through their use of big-name celebrities and contemporary mannerisms, as the Hollywood sensibility comes to mar the organic quality of the historical fabric. Such was the case with this film, which nevertheless touched me with its compassionate depiction of the Native American's heartbreaking struggle for freedom and autonomy. We see Geronimo as a captivating and quietly charismatic figure, dignified and formidable in equal measure. We find ourselves growing slowly immersed in the film's devastatingly inevitable developments, witnessing the tragedy of the frontier in a heightened state of reverence for all who were trapped in the middle of the struggle. Ultimately, I respected the film's intentions as well as its loyalty to its subject, yet found my experience undermined by certain modernistic aspects of the film's aesthetic.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Walter Hill

Director

Wes Studi

Geronimo

Jason Patric

Lt. Charles Gatewood

Robert Duvall

Al Sieber

Gene Hackman

Brig. Gen. George Crook

Matt Damon

Lt. Britton Davis

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

A film of great beauty and considerable intelligence.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Louis Black

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2.5/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

It’s impressive how Walter Hill’s Westerns consistently come from a place of critical revisionism towards the Hollywood standard of American exceptionalism.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 29, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A miscast Jason Patric tackles his role as a combination of a Brando impersonator and a guy who merely needs a nap.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 23, 2021

Full Review

Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Gerónimo attempts to combine the classical and the correct-with mixed results.

Feb 5, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Following the expansion of the United States into the Southwest, the Apache Indians are forced onto a reservation to live out their lives as lowly corn farmers. While many resign themselves to this fate, several Apache, including Geronimo (Wes Studi), refuse to go quietly. Hoping to quell a major rebellion, General Charles Crook (Gene Hackman) dispatches over 5,000 U.S. Cavalry soldiers, led by Lieutenant Charles Gatewood (Jason Patric), to hunt down Geronimo and his men.

Director: Walter Hill
Executive Producer: Michael S. Glick
Screenwriter: John Milius, Larry Gross
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG-13
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 10, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $18.4M
Sound Mix: Surround

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