The narrative perils are daunting in this little-known true tale of a bloody slave-ship rebellion in 1839 and its jumbled aftermath in the U.S. judicial system.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 9, 2018

'Amistad' may not be the first, or fifth, or tenth film people talk about when Spielberg's name comes up. But it has more moments that will put your hair on end than other filmmakers' best works, and that says something.

| Dec 15, 2017

| Original Score: C | Sep 7, 2011

Powerful story for mid-teens and up.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 21, 2010

In short, a wordy courtroom drama which seldom progresses beyond ciphers, stereotypes and salutary slogans.

| Jun 24, 2006

As with Schindler’s List, Spielberg allows his subjects to be remote and somewhat unknowable human beings, creating an air of documentary-like authenticity.

| Original Score: B+ | Jul 19, 2003

In Amistad, an admirable but disappointing effort...[Speilberg] veers between stoic political correctness and mushy Hollywood platitudes.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 18, 2002

Spielberg seems to be dividing his filmmaking output into two distinct halves: in the summer months cranking out no-brainer dinosaur flicks...in the winter season unveiling his serious artistic stuff to edify the adults and woo the Oscar crowd.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Apr 12, 2002

Brief moments of visceral fire allow glimpses into the rousing movie this could have been.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 17, 2001

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 1, 2000

What is most valuable about Amistad is the way it provides faces and names for its African characters, whom the movies so often make into faceless victims.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 1, 2000

As Spielberg vehicles go, Amistad -- part mystery, action thriller, courtroom drama, even culture-clash comedy -- lands between the disturbing lyricism of Schindler's List and the storybook artificiality of The Color Purple.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 1, 2000

Halfway into Amistad comes the point where Steven Spielberg pulls the lever, and the stink and horror and bestialities of slavery spill around our ankles. We can't look away.

Full Review | Jan 1, 2000

Amistad is prestige filmmaking bereft of inspiration -- sometimes even of the nuts and bolts of craft.

| Jan 1, 2000

However imperfectly, [Speilberg] has crafted another eloquent reminder that although goodness lives with a perpetual sense of weariness in its battle with the self-renewing power of evil, it can never retreat, never sleep.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 1, 2000

The best parts of Amistad are those that simply bring their pride, fear and outrage to life.

Full Review | Jan 1, 2000

| Original Score: C | Dec 12, 1997