81
Metascore
7 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- For once, a script perfectly suited to its director and star and one of the most lyrical children's classics ever made.
- 90Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe production values are incredible; in both drama and visuals, I'd put this sea tale up against the unsinkable "Titanic" any day. It's emotionally engaging too, though it's a different kind of love story. Director Victor Fleming (before "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind") makes chopping fish heads seem romantic. [04 Mar 1999, p.F18]
- 80The New York TimesFrank S. NugentThe New York TimesFrank S. NugentWith its rich production, magnificent marine photography, admirable direction and performances, the film brings vividly to life every page of Kipling's novel and even adds an exciting chapter or two of its own.
- 80Orlando SentinelOrlando SentinelThe 1937 movie excels with outstanding performances by child star Freddie Bartholomew and Spencer Tracy. [20 Jun 1999, p.56]
- 75The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerThe A.V. ClubJesse HassengerOn either end of Harvey’s adventure, Captains Courageous goes on a bit too long; the circumstances of his boarding-school transgressions are needlessly overcomplicated, and the emotional denouement is less than concise. But the seafaring section that makes up the majority of the film is well-crafted and gives way to surprising emotion.
- 70The New YorkerPauline KaelThe New YorkerPauline KaelOne of M-G-M's powerhouse moralizing "family" entertainments, it's beefy and rousing, with almost guaranteed tears and laughter for children.