not just your average after-dinner movie...

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2001)

...this is the whole damn meal. "Reservoir Dogs" is about a crime gone horridly awry, and it makes no apologies for its violence, slurs, and language. It doesn't have to, because of its brilliant, gripping script and plot twists, acting that makes you think these people are real, and a flashy presentation of it all. Quentin Tarantino came on the scene not with a whimper but a bang with this story of a diamond heist which is foiled by an undercover cop--one of the criminals. The story unfolds backwards, beginning with Quentin Tarantino waxing poetic on Madonna's "Like a Virgin", and manages to cover Tim Roth writhing around in Harvey Keitel's backseat with a bullet in his stomach, Michael Madsen with a straight razor and a bound & gagged cop, Chris Penn crying rape in his father Laurence Tierney's office, and other insane, violent, and/or hilarious plot lines leading to a dazzling end. The soundtrack adds just the right amount of style and superiority, which you'll understand immediately when the Dogs walk in slo-mo to the tune of "Little Green Bag". This movie can only compare to "Pulp Fiction" with its brilliance, otherwise, it is completely and utterly a unique experience.