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Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi ... see more see more... , Lawrence Tierney , Quentin Tarantino , Kirk Baltz , Randy Brooks , Edward Bunker , Suzanne Celeste , Tony Cosmo , Craig Hamann , Linda Kaye , Laurie Latham , Stevo Poliy , Robert Ruth , Michael Sottile , David Steen , Burr Steers , Maria Strova , Rich Turner , Steven Wright , Lawrence Bender , Nina Siemaszko

In 1992, Reservoir Dogs transformed Quentin Tarantino practically overnight from an obscure, unproduced screenwriter and part-time actor to the most influential new filmmaker of the 1990s. The story l... read more read more...ooks at what happens before and after (but not during) a botched jewelry store robbery organized by Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney). Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) is a career criminal who takes a liking to newcomer Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) and enjoys showing him the ropes. Mr. Pink (Steve Buscemi) is a weaselly loner obsessed with professionalism. Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) has just gotten out of jail after taking the rap on a job for Cabot; he's grateful for the work but isn't the same person he used to be. While Mr. Blonde goes nuts during the heist, the thieves are surprised by the sudden arrival of the police, and Mr. Pink is convinced one of their team is a cop. So who's the rat? What do they do about Mr. Blonde? And what do they do with Mr. Orange, who took a bullet in the gut and is slowly bleeding to death? Reservoir Dogs jumps back and forth between pre- and post-robbery events, occasionally putting the narrative on pause to let the characters discuss such topics as the relative importance of tipping, who starred in Get Christie Love!, and what to do when you enter a men's room full of cops carrying a briefcase full of marijuana. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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93% liked it

381,822 ratings

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96% liked it

49 critics

R, 1 hr. 40 min.

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino

Release Date: January 21, 1992

Keywords: action, gangster, crime, heist

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DVD Release Date: November 5, 2002

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Stats: 30,933 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (30,933)

  • fb1664868775
    March 26, 2012
    fb1664868775
    Tarantino blasted on the scene with his directorial debut, this macho crime caper reinvented the genre.
  • fb1463751009
    March 10, 2012
    fb1463751009
    Reservoir Dogs is incredibly engrossing. The screenplay was well written (not as well as Pulp Fiction) but there seemed to be something lacking from this movie: The characters weren't as uniquely diverse like Pulp Fiction but man, this movie is riveting, entertaining, and very we... read morell made. A must see
  • paulkoh110
    February 11, 2012
    paulkoh110
    Slow, Strong, and Intense, Reservoir Dogs is an instant classic and an achievement in independent films. After writing scripts in Hollywood, Quentin Tarotino makes his first film one of his best. From the best acting role for Michael Madsen and other great roles from Tim Roth, St... read moreeve Buchemi, and Harvey Keital, Reservoir dogs is an instant classic
  • fb1576983399
    February 4, 2012
    fb1576983399
    A great directorial debut from a great director. Tarantino writes and directs this ultra vulgar/violent film and the cast puts on a great performance. This film (about the aftermath of a heist, not the heist itself) tests the trust and loyalty between nine suave criminals. This i... read mores one of the best indies of all time.
  • fb733768972
    January 5, 2012
    fb733768972
    This is Quentin Tarantino's first film, this is the start of a new generation in filmmaking. "Reservoir Dogs" follows a group of men after a robbery, and how all of their lives are affected after their insane plot. You feel every emotion that each character feels, every scene mak... read morees you feel like you are in the room with them as one character is killed. You feel the pain of Tim Roths' character in the warehouse as his character is dying throughout the entire film. Most importantly, there is not one frame that I would have changed. Quentin Tarantino definitely knows how to make a movie! "Reservoir Dogs" is probably one of the best crime films that I have ever seen, or will ever see. Simply breathtaking!
  • jamers2011
    January 4, 2012
    jamers2011
    Not Tarantino's best film, but a brilliant directorial debut from a director who's among the best of all time. Perfectly acted, well written, and stylish, RD is a film that cannot be missed. A lot of this film reminded me a lot of 12 Angry Men...much of the film focuses on men ta... read morelking in an empty warehouse, but yet each scene was intense. Great dialogue scenes. And of course, a Tarantino film must have great quotes...

    "Are you going to bark all day little doggy, or are you going to bite?"

    "Why am I Mr. Pink?...Because you're a f***ing fag!!"

    A great Tarantino flick that cannot be missed!
  • CreedsDelight
    November 29, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    One of the best movies in American cinema. This is the film that jumpstarted the spectacular career of Quentin Tarantino. I'm classifying this as a career because it's basically a job to be as good as Tarantino, considering that he's my favorite director next to Kevin Smith.

    In ... read morethis multi-detailed review, I am going to depict and dissect a variety of the characters, and the amazingness of the actors that played them. I'll start with Mr. White, played by Harvey Keitel. I wasn't a huge fan of Keitel until I saw this film. But whenever he's on screen: BAM, he's fantastic. The way he cares for Mr. Orange is both realistic and touching.

    Tim Roth is Mr. Orange, the main PROTAGONIST (it may not seem so at first but you'll see!), and he is phenomenal in a career changing role that is reminiscent of the greats from the early 30s. Roth is really good in this and proved his greatness yet again in Tarantino's next film 'Pulp Fiction'.

    Michael Madsen is freaking mind-blowing as Mr. Blonde (by the way, these names were all chosen for the characters due to identity safety). Madsen's performance is by far the least appreciated in it, and is usually classified as the "badass" of the movie, but his character has so many deep meanings that can only be uncovered after several viewings, and because I don't want to spoil anything.

    Chris Penn is kinda just in this movie. He doesn't stand out. This is definitely not my favorite performance from him, that would be his mind-fuck performance in 'True Romance', but it is undeniably impressive for one of his debut roles.

    Steve Buscemi is my absolute favorite in this film. It's very hard to describe the awesomeness. I'll start with my favorite line from him: "Mr. Pink: You kill anybody? Mr. White/Larry: A few cops. Mr. Pink: No real people? Mr. White/Larry: Just cops." I mean WOAH. That is simply brilliant. First off, it reveals so much about the character with his neediness for classifying any protagonist as a "different" person but the fact that most of his conversations are similar to dialogue like this. So Buscemi is genuinely a great actor, and this role is definitely his best performance EVER, even beating out 'Boardwalk Empire'. So... yeah, this is a fucking amazing performance. Best of the movie, and one of the best in cinematic history.

    Now, to finish it off; one of the greatest lines in gangster film history:

    Mr. Pink: I'm very sorry the government taxes their tips, that's fucked up. That ain't my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you ask me to sign something that says the government shouldn't do that, I'll sign it, put it to a vote, I'll vote for it, but what I won't do is play ball. And as for this non-college bullshit I got two words for that: learn to fuckin' type, 'cause if you're expecting me to help out with the rent you're in for a big fuckin' surprise.
  • fb619846742
    November 5, 2011
    fb619846742
    This enthralling action tale concerns a group of small-time criminals (led by Harvey Keitel) who suffer the nightmarish consequences after one of their gigs goes dreadfully wrong as one of them (the always dependable and vastly under-rated Tim Roth) risks bleeding out to death in... read more their hideout, while the cops are hot on their trail. There are so many good things to say about this film, but let's just start out with that this might be the best collection of B-grade actors in one film to ever grace the screen. You have Keitel as the sympathetic leader, Michael Madsen as the quiet yet dangerous sociopath, Steve Buscemi as the fast-talking and pessimistic weasel, Roth as the smooth-talking new guy, Chris Penn (brother of Sean) as the daddy's boy business man who has faith in the system his father (Lawrence Tierney) has run with these guys for quite some time.

    This is a fantastic movie, the best purebred gangster film of all-time outside of the first two chapters of "The Godfather", with a story in which loyalties are tested and lives are put at stake. While the language is indeed rough and the violence is tough to take (wait for Madsen to kick into gear), director Quentin Tarantino never seems to be overstepping his bounds. The ending is cold and unforgiving, seeing that Tarantino refuses to slam the door completely shut on to what all happens (if you hate ambiguous conclusions - this is not your movie). This is, undoubtedly, the best first-time effort by any filmmaker in history in my eyes. The fact that Tarantino not only directed, but acted in it and wrote the script, really shows how much this guy put into this project, and for it to have become not only one of the more respected crime thrillers in recent memory, as well as a cult classic, no one should be prouder than him. It is also admirable that Harvey Keitel, the lead star of the film, was willing to pitch some of his own money into the project in order for the movie to work out.

    Perhaps most importantly, 'Dogs' serves as a premier example of phenomenal teamwork between a cast and their director. A lot of things could have potentially derailed a script as out-there and vulgar as this, but instead what we have here is one of the most remarkable films captured.
  • fb712836066
    October 25, 2011
    fb712836066
    As the feature length debut of Quentin Tarantino it does its job. It introduces his gratuity, realism, grittiness, and intricate care of dialogue and characterization. Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, and so on shine throughout this film and are brilliant actors and many memorable s... read morecenes are to be found in this directorial debut, such as the infamous ear cutting/torture scene set to the counterpoint of "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Steelers Wheel. Unfortunately, the film is merely an hour and a half in length and fails to deliver much of the depth that many of his later films would provide (such as its immediate successor, "Pulp Fiction", and the latter "Jackie Brown"). Compared to Tarantino's own later films, and other like-minded films such as "The Godfather" and "Once Upon A Time in America", "Reservoir Dogs" provides little of the richly rewarding experience that these other films grant in their viewers. Overall, its a solid film, but not one which will make you ponder after viewing or one which will reward extra immediate viewings. But it did make possible Quentin's later great films for sure!
  • DreamExtractor
    October 12, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Reservoir Dogs is a incredible and character driven movie and proves that Quentin Tarantino was born to direct films. The plot is incredibly told and every minute is just so fun to watch and Tarantino somehow makes it just so entertaining to watch and it actually is cool seeing ... read moreall those different perspectives of a job gone wrong, but what makes this so great is the characters, I am serious I loved every one of the characters in this film, I think my favorite was Steve Buscemi's character Mr. Pink, if you have seen the film I think we can agree how hard it is describing how amazing the film and its characters is. The cast is incredible, Harvey Kietel, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi, Micheal Madsen, Chris Penn, and all the rest are just truly amazing in every way and they were just plain great actors. Reservoir Dogs is fun to watch over and over, and this movie is possibly one of the best cult films I have ever seen, anyone who has never seen the masterpiece that started Quentin Taratino's career needs to now.

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Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman
September 7, 2011
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Tarantino, in Reservoir Dogs, has made a nihilist comedy about how human nature will always undercut the best-laid plans. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
March 13, 2007
Todd McCarthy, Variety

Undeniably impressive pic grabs the viewer by the lapels and shakes hard, but it also is about nothing other than a bunch of macho guys and how big their guns are. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 13, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

It's unclear whether this macho thriller does anything to improve the state of the world or our understanding of it, but it certainly sets off enough rockets to hold and shake us for every one of its ... Full Review

Rick Groen
March 13, 2007
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

It's dynamite on a short fuse. Full Review

Ty Burr
February 27, 2007
Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly

You may not like the terms Tarantino sets, but you have to admit he succeeds on them. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A small, modestly budgeted crime movie of sometimes dazzling cinematic pyrotechnics and over-the- top dramatic energy. Full Review

Duane Byrge
October 15, 2002
Duane Byrge, Hollywood Reporter

Those who survive it emerge in a shell-shocked euphoria -- so good and so blunt is the writing.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie feels like it's going to be terrific, but Tarantino's script doesn't have much curiosity about these guys. Full Review

John Hartl
January 1, 2000
John Hartl, Film.com

It's extremely well-acted, written with flair and directed by a 29-year-old first-timer, Quentin Tarantino, who always knows where to put the camera, when to cut to a flashback and how to draw the bes...

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The writing is crisp and clean, providing line after line of snappy dialogue designed to leave the viewer alternately pondering and laughing aloud. Full Review

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Facts

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    • Mr. White/Larry: Joe, you kill that man you die next. I repeat: you kill that man, you die next.
    • Mr. Pink: I don't tip, I don't believe in it. She don't make enough money she can quit. I don't tip because society says I have to, I'll tip if someone really puts forth the effort. Tipping automatically is for the birds....She only filled my coffee cup 3 times, I want it filled 6 times.
    • Mr. Blonde/Vic Vega: What if she is too busy to fill your coffee cup...
    • Mr. Pink: Words, 'Too Busy,' shouldn't be in a waitresses vocabulary.
    • Mr. White/Larry: You're gonna be okay!
    • Mr. Blonde/Vic Vega: I don't like alarms, Mr. White.
    • Mr. Pink: I don`t tip because society says I have to.
    • Mr. Pink: And why am I Mr. Pink?
    • Joe Cabot: Because you're a faggot, alright?!
    • Mr. Pink: Why can't we pick our own colors?
    • Joe Cabot: No way, no way. I tried it once and it doesn't work. You get four guys, all fighting over who is going to be Mr. Black. But they don't know each other, so no one wants to back down. No way! I pick! You're Mr. Pink. Be thankful you're not Mr. Yellow.
    • Mr. Brown: Yeah, but Mr. Brown, that's a little too close to Mr. Shit.
    • Mr. Pink: And Mr. Pink sounds like Mr. Pussy! How about Mr. Purple? That sounds good to me, I'll be Mr. Purple.
    • Joe Cabot: You're not Mr. Purple. Some guy on some other job is Mr. Purple! You're Mr. Pink!
    • Mr. White/Larry: Who cares what your name is?
    • Mr. Pink: Yeah, that's easy for you to say: you're Mr. White. You have a cool sounding name. Look if it's no big deal for you to be Mr. Pink you wanna trade?
    • Joe Cabot: Hey, nobody's trading with anybody. This ain't a goddamn city counsel meeting you know. Now listen up Mr. Pink. There is two ways you can go on the job: my way or the highway. Now what's it gonna be Mr. Pink?
    • Mr. Pink: Jesus Christ Joe, forget about it. It's beneath me you know. I'm Mr. Pink. Let's move on.
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Reservoir Dogs Trivia

  • Which actor said this in "Reservoir Dogs": "You gonna bark all day, little doggy? Or are ya gonna bite?"  Answer »
  • Which of these actors was in Reservoir Dogs?  Answer »
  • In which movie does actor Steve Buscemi complain about being named "Mr. Pink"?  Answer »
  • Who directed these films? Reservoir Dogs Pulp Fiction Kill Bill vol. 1 Kill Bill vol. 2  Answer »
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