Takes numerous influences and moulds them into something superb...

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2002)

With "Reservoir Dogs", Tarantino created a heist film of spectacular impact. The audience is thrown straight into the action and through clever dialogue quickly becomes attached in some way (even if it be hate) to the characters. We learn much of what we are shown before we are shown it, but our interest is not diluted because of Tarantino's proficiency at his craft. Credit must also go to the fantastic ensemble of actors who breathe life so vividly into their characters.
This effort supercedes all that Tarantino has done up until the time of writing. Its curious and seemingly contradictory blend of amateur style shooting (No doubt caused by the seediness of the warehouse as the main locale) and yet ultimately professional final production make this a more INTENSE watch than "Pulp Fiction" et al. It's less about trying to be 'cool', and more about trying for naturalism, with 'cool' nevertheless still being the inevitable result.
A film that's impossible to ignore if you have any love for cinema as a medium. You may hate it, but it would be foolish to deny that it deserves its place in film history as being a monumental surprise when it was released.
In my opinion, this is classic film-making from the modern era.