93
Metascore
26 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Los Angeles TimesSheila BensonLos Angeles TimesSheila BensonStirred up impassioned debate everywhere; it would seem the greatest compliment that could be paid a stunning entertainment. [30 June 1989, Calendar, p.6-1]
- 100Chicago TribuneGene SiskelChicago TribuneGene SiskelThis is a sumptuous work, from its unconventional title sequence of a woman dancing hard in the streets to its provocative ending with conflicting quotes from Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr .[30 June 1989, Friday, p.A]
- 100Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIt comes closer to reflecting the current state of race relations in America than any other movie of our time.
- 100San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleHas more originality, nitty-gritty humor, spirit and spunk than all the summer blockbuster retreads combined. Underneath the jousting and jiving, there's a sharp, uncompromising look at the anatomy of a race riot in the movie. [30 June 1989, Daily Notebook, p.E3]
- 100The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyA remarkable piece of work. [30 June 1989]
- 100Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonThere's no doubt about the film's sheer power and taut originality.
- 88The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenThe Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenLee has forged a work of art in the classic sense -- art that delights and instructs.
- 80VarietyVarietyCombines a forceful statement on race relations with solid entertainment values.
- 70The New RepublicStanley KauffmannThe New RepublicStanley KauffmannThere's a great deal in black America that has yet to reach the screen, and Lee is a prime candidate, in gift and gall, to help fill the gap. [July 3, 1989]
- 60TimeRichard CorlissTimeRichard CorlissTo accept the film, though, one must first understand its point of view, and that is maddeningly difficult. All we know for certain is that Do the Right Thing is not naturalistic. [July 3, 1989]