Ned Kelly (1970) Critic Reviews

Expertly combining the personal and the epic, Jordan has crafted an excellent historical saga that doesn't collapse under the weight of too much history.Read the full review

An impressively staged, dark-toned revisiting of the life and times of Australia's boldest and most charismatic outlaw.Read the full review

A boggy mix of fact, fiction, and changeable wigs and beards worn by Heath Ledger in the title role, manages to shrink the grandness of the myth without clarifying our understanding of the man. Read the full review

The storytelling is choppy and abrupt, and the filmmakers rely heavily on voice-over narration to announce themes that are never brought to dramatic life on screen. Mr. Ledger, his heartthrob charisma camouflaged behind a heavy beard, gives a stiff, hesitant performance. Read the full review

The movie, which has a rusty photographic veneer, is monotonous and drags toward the end.Read the full review

Since Ned Kelly -- which is not terrible, just too often dull -- has a no-expense-spared feel to it, this Focus Features release can be regarded only as an opportunity missed. Read the full review

There's something in Ned Kelly' that's lost in the translation from Australia to America, and the overly emotional film score is just a symptom.Read the full review