Reservoir Dogs

Quentin Tarantino is one of my favourite directors, I adore Pulp Fiction, so it was only a matter of time before I finally watched his debut, Reservoir Dogs. It’s true that Quentin’s genius is not manifested as strongly as in his later works, but this one is still a brilliant, harsh and entertaining film. Reservoir Dogs is very verbose, but Tarantino’s dialogues are something I can listen to again and again, even though I may be missing more than half of the references. 80% (09/14/2008)

Back in the day, I rated this movie highly, and after revisiting it today, I wouldn't change a thing about it. Many genres come to mind, but at its core, it's essentially a chamber movie. With almost all the characters (except one cop in uniform) falling on the negative spectrum, I didn't really have anyone to root for. Yet, it gave me the freedom to mentally pick what kind of ending I wanted for each bastard. Mr. Blonde, being a murderous psychopath, would have gotten the worst from me because I've got zero sympathy for that type. It seems Tarantino's films don't lose their appeal for me over time, and a big part of that is thanks to the stellar cast. In this movie, it really clicked, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the dialogue and the performances of the star-studded cast. / Lesson learned: If you enter a slippery slope, don't act surprised when you start slipping. (11/11/2022)

A truly unique and unrepeatable film. Firstly, with its gore, stylish directness and brutal amount of catchphrases in the space of one single room, secondly, with the brilliant opening dialogue in the restaurant, which still ranks among the top of Tarantino's work, and finally, because it’s the feature debut of the most iconic director of our time. Reservoir Dogs is not as thought-provoking and broad as Pulp Fiction, and there are two or three places where Quentin squeaks and creaks a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that only he can make a thriller this entertaining and sophisticated. The team of elite actors complement each other perfectly with emotions flowing during their quarrels, the setting of an abandoned warehouse perfectly intensifies the tense atmosphere and the very simple plot is sketched in an original and unpredictable way, so that the viewer can't get their eyes off the screen for a second. A special tribute to Keitel and Buscemi, who steal the show mainly for themselves, and I add a fifth star for the excellent final scene, which not even Pulp Fiction can boast. (02/13/2013)

Paradoxically, Reservoir Dogs was my "last Tarantino movie". I got exactly what I expected, and given that those expectations were high, I found absolutely no fault with it. A typical Quentin mosaic, great music, dialogue (it's just cool) and a foreshadowing of future Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown style of flicks to come. (05/22/2009)

I've seen that movie several times already and every time I feel like I discover something new, or rather, I become even more aware of how brilliantly the entire script is thought out. You can praise Tarantino for his dialogues, but you can also praise him for the whole structure of the story, which is absolutely fantastic, even despite the simplicity of the whole premise of the damn action. The master is simply a master. (11/28/2015)