Critic Reviews

Raising Arizona (1987) Rank 5 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give Raising Arizona (1987) a score of 2.9572 out of 4

based on (29) reviews

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

Excellent

(8)

Very Good

(16)

Good

(5)

Fair

(0)

Poor

(0)

Reviews by Score:

JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")

A perfect film which improves with age, this movie takes all the various elements needed to create an ideal motion picture and nails them right on the head! Let's start from the top. Delivering a story like nobody's business. This is a wonderfully rich ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")

eFilmCritic.com (Carina Hoskisson)

One of the funniest movies ever. Do not attempt to argue with me. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Carina Hoskisson)

filmcritic.com (Eric Meyerson)

It's said that two-thirds of Americans don't even bother to get a passport. While foreigners and Ivy Leaguers snicker over this as evidence of Americans' incuriosity about the world, I've always suspected that something else is at work. Even in an age ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at filmcritic.com (Eric Meyerson)

EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

In a shrewdly calculated move to show their versatility, the Coens made this madcap comedy right after Blood Simple. If their debut was slow and spare, this one has breathneck pacing and hopping banter by terrific Holly Hunter and Nicolas Cage. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

H.I. (Cage) is an habitual, incompetent criminal, specializing in convenience store robberies, where he gets caught but receives light sentences because his gun is never loaded. Ed (Holly) is the prison officer who takes his picture every time he enters ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

Kevin Patterson

More grins ensue, mostly deriving from the banter between Cage and Hunter and from the performances of John Goodman and William Forsythe as two hilariously inept escaped criminals. And the Coens' talent for visual comedy makes for some of the movie's ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Kevin Patterson

Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

A very funny spoof about a colorful couple who must have a child and will try to get one by any means possible. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)

Ted Prigge

"Raising Arizona" deals with a group of hick arizonians (duh): H.I. (Nicolas Cage), pronounced "Hi;" and Edwina (Holly Hunter), who goes by "Ed." Both are pretty much either side of a pole he a smalltime and incompetent crook, she an officer of the law ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Ted Prigge

Netflix (James Rocchi)

[T]his kidnapping farce from Joel and Ethan Coen is a deft nod to classic screwball comedy. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)

Empire Magazine (--)

Has all the classic excesses of a Coens movie -- brilliantly crazed characters, apparently nonsensical dialogue and some fantastic camera shots. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Empire Magazine (--)

At-A-Glance Film Reviews (--)

It's a love it or hate it kind of film, and unless you're as twisted and warped as the Coen brothers, you'll hate it. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews (--)

A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

It's a funny, good-natured film that's definitely one of the best from the Coen brothers. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)

DVD Verdict (Sean Fitzgibbons)

A comedy beyond belief. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at DVD Verdict (Sean Fitzgibbons)

Movie Reviews UK

The lengths that some people will go to to acquire a kid are blown up into a weird and wonderful story, by the Coen brothers, which takes the usual stereotypes and pushes them into new dimensions. In an extended voice-over (used to book-end the movie) ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Movie Reviews UK

Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

If you don't like much else about this movie, you'll still like these guys! ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)

The Digital Bits

When movies this quirky come out on disc, I'm a happy guy. For me, these are the happy days -- the salad days, as they say, of DVD. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at The Digital Bits

Film Frat

Raising Arizona's nearly sacharrine sentimental ending will show you that despite their challenging art-house facade, the Coen brothers have a heart of gold. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Film Frat

BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

A Coen brothers comedy that's woven out of deliciously loopy characters ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)

Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

A big departure from any of the other films of the Coen brothers. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)

Edinburgh U Film Society (Sarah Woolner)

Its a riotous, colourful, offbeat film that shows just what the Coens are capable of. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Edinburgh U Film Society (Sarah Woolner)

Time Out

Starting from a point of delirious excess, the film leaps into dark and virtually uncharted territory to soar like a comet. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Time Out

Movie-Vault.com (Vadim Rizov)

Raising Arizona delivers on its promise to be the last great screwball comedy. It's certainly not Utah. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Vadim Rizov)

Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

Raising Arizona is one of the most original and funny films of 1987. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)

not coming to a theater near you (Rumsey Taylor)

Raising Arizona is a favorite of many in the Coens' catalogue. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at not coming to a theater near you (Rumsey Taylor)

Washington Post (Rita Kempley)

The Coens are coming from the New Left-Field with this zany answer to the alarmist milk-carton-kids campaign, a send-up of endearing dolts, desperation and disposable diapers. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Washington Post (Rita Kempley)

Sync: The Regent Journal of Film and Video (Timothy Wright)

Raising Arizona is filled with imagery both intriguing and thought-provoking. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Sync: The Regent Journal of Film and Video (Timothy Wright)

DVD Talk (Chris Hughes)

The lack of extras and the non-anamorphic transfer make this a much less attractive DVD but if you're a fan of the film you won't be disappointed with the clean, widescreen presentation. I'm inclined to speculate that there will be a special edition ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at DVD Talk (Chris Hughes)

New York Times (Vincent Canby)

Like Blood Simple , it's full of technical expertise but has no life of its own. ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at New York Times (Vincent Canby)

Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

I have a problem with movies where everybody talks as if they were reading out of an old novel about a bunch of would-be colorful characters. They usually end up sounding silly. For ...read the complete Raising Arizona movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)

from $8.24