Ann-Margret,
Oliver Reed,
Roger Daltrey,
Elton John,
Eric Clapton
... see more 
Tommy (Roger Daltrey) is a "deaf, dumb and blind kid" who retreats into himself after the death of his father. His mother, Nora (Ann-Margret), and stepfather Frank (Oliver Reed) take him to see a spec... read more
Directed by: Ken Russell
Release Date: March 19, 1975
DVD Release Date: September 21, 1999
Stats: 1,717 reviews
This is one of the oddest musicals of all, but it's also pretty cool, and has a lot of good music from the Who. Plus, there are a lot of stars in it.
The strangest and most interesting musical I have ever seen. Keith Moon's scene is by far the most interesting part, along with Ann-Margret's charisma and style.
Composed as a "rock opera" by The Who, this is a weird tale of a boy struck deaf dumb and blind by a traumatic event. He becomes a "Pnball Wizard" and at the same time a Messianic-like figure. The music is great, the film just freaky.
A very odd story and musical, that made me laugh all the way, not because it was a comedy, but it was pretty amateur stuff and seeing Ollie Reed singing like that really couldn?t have done his hard image any good.
A decent movie version of the Who album; it all makes sense with images applied, but ruins some of the mystique of the original songs. It gets damn cheesy in parts, applying literal symbols to some of the concepts. I didn't understand all the religious messages they were getting ... read more
The Who obviously wrote some classic songs, but Ken Russell's self-indulgent and trashy "rock opera" is just plain ugly and irritating. And it's got Phil Collins in it.
I love the album! The movie has some interesting visuals and Tommy becoming something of a messiah makes for some deep metaphors. However, seeing the story performed like this was disconcerting. I couldn't really connect with all the twisted psychedelic images. Oliver Reed an... read more
As an album Tommy succeeds due in part to the fact that we aren't lambasted by blatant visual metaphors like we are here. Townshend successfully tip-toes the line between a kind of pseudo-religious commentary and open-ended space for listener contemplation. However, (and this is ... read more
Ok people in the know tell me that Pink Floyd's the wall is the movie that'll just freak you out if you watch it on acid. This movie kind of freaks me out and I've never done acid in my life. Really cosmically trippy and so hard to watch and not smirk. Still, great music and Ann-... read more
Trippy rock opera with drug references and sexual imagery. Full Review
The core essence of Tommy lies in the quivering carriage of Ann-Margret and her heroic personification of Russell's funhouse directorial approach. Full Review
Emphasizing the sensual and musical elements of the rock opera, Ken Russell brings his excessive visual flourishes to the material and also get good performances from Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed, resu... Full Review
Quite the gaudy mind-blower.
It becomes tiresome and runs out of gas way before the conclusion. Full Review
It is an extravagant musical curiosity, or Baby Boomer time capsule, if nothing else. Full Review
I know how nearly every shot was done by this point, but that hasn't dimmed what is to me the essential magic of the movie. Full Review
Quirky, although not altogether successful, cinematic reading of The Who's rock opera.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.
Explore | Movies | Actors & Actresses | Photos | Theaters | News | Lists | Quizzes | Best Movies | Blog | Reviews | Mobile
More Info | Copyright, Privacy Policy, Terms of Service | Ad Choices | About Us | Jobs | Advertise | Twitter | Flixster SuperReviewers
Copyright © 2010 Flixster, All Rights Reserved Trademark Use Guidelines
