Critic Reviews

Northwest Passage (1940) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Northwest Passage (1940) a score of 2.9650 out of 4

based on (10) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(4)

Very Good

(4)

Good

(1)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(1)

Reviews by Score:

TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

One of the greatest adventure films of all time, this Vidor classic owes much of its success to the rugged Tracy, who plays celebrated Indian fighter Robert Rogers, leader of Rogers' Rangers. ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide

TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)

Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

King Vidor's Northwest Passage, a terrific adventure film that's stood the test of time, follows the exploits of a ragtag group of soldiers called Roger's Rangers during the French and Indian War. Based on a novel by Kenneth Roberts, which had ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Movie Martyr (Jeremy Heilman)

Channel 4 Film

Ambitious American period piece about a young man (Young) thrown out of Harvard and then New England, who ends up following Major Rogers and his group of rangers as they head for Fort Wentworth in the untamed West. Tracy is tough and sympathetic as ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Channel 4 Film

Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics

Movie Mirror

In 1759 Hunk Marriner (Walter Brennan) is in the stocks for disloyal speech and is visited by artist Langdon Towne (Robert Young). Humphrey Towne (Robert Barrat) accepts his son's dismissal from Harvard. Langdon kisses Elizabeth Browne (Ruth Hussey), but ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Movie Mirror

Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

The reason Northwest Passage, which is set during the French and Indian War, doesn't have anything to do with finding a northwest passage is revealed in the theatrical trailer that appears at the end of the disc. Therein, the credits exclaim that the ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review

Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)

King Vidor's 1940 adaptation of Kenneth Roberts's book about Rogers' Rangers opening up a trade route and triumphing over fatigue, hunger, rage, insubordination, weakness, and even cannibalism as they slaughter Indians. (The grim violence and outright ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at Chicago Reader (Jonathan Rosenbaum)

filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Young and Brennan play agreeable enough characters, but they don't get mad so much as ornery, even though they are kidnapped, forced to hike miles with gaping wounds, and forced to march on an empty stomach. ...read the complete Northwest Passage movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)

Time Out (--)