The General (1926)

The film is the perfect chase movie, never bettered. Keaton's stone-faced pursuit of his stolen train and fiancée features breathtaking set-pieces and stunts amid Civil War action and character comedy.

The film is the defining 1926 classic and perhaps the first action comedy, making great use of Keaton’s physicality, location work, and framed calamity in its train-chase setpieces that still hold up. It offers the best case for Keaton over Chaplin through its elaborate construction and visceral gags that build to something greater, marking its place in cinematic history and influencing modern action films.

The critic calls it one of the greatest screen comedies ever made and Keaton's magnum opus. They single out the perfectly choreographed gags, impeccable timing, and Keaton's nimble stunt work set against an authentic Civil War backdrop.

This is presented as a Criticwire Classic of the Week retrospective on the Buster Keaton film. The piece celebrates it as a landmark silent comedy with enduring appeal and technical brilliance in its action sequences.

The critic regards the film as Keaton's finest, praising its jitterbug pace and layered classic scenes. He singles out the energetic comic style and hazardous stunts for praise in this retrospective piece.

The critic calls the film a masterpiece of silent comedy and one of the greatest films ever made. He singles out the elaborate train chases and dangerous stunts performed by Keaton himself for praise.

The critic praises Buster Keaton's pioneering 1926 silent film as more or less inventing the action movie, with its epic ambition and startling athleticism, precision and comic timing still evident on re-release.

The critic hails the film as a masterpiece that is a farce, history, romance and triumph of movie art. He singles out Keaton's harmony with objects and the locomotive for praise in this re-release review.

The critic calls it almost certainly the funniest silent film ever made and widely considered Keaton's masterpiece, highlighting its virtuoso slapstick, unflagging momentum, intricate plotting and split-second perfect stunts and pacing.

The newly burnished look of this silent-cinema landmark on DVD demands a fresh gaze at Keaton’s least characteristic great film, which combines man-on-a-quest comedy with Civil War epic trappings and impressive pyrotechnics in its climactic sequences. It affirms the star’s heroic persona in solemn circumstances while lacking self-importance, with the restoration allowing appreciation of its visual clarity and historical poesy.

The critic finds the film a quiet and unassuming comedy that is altogether a pleasant relaxation. He singles out the novel treatment of the inefficient heroine who is subjected to indignities for note.

The critic finds the film far from fussy and calls the result a flop. He singles out the elementary chase built around the star as the principal comedy scene for complaint.

The review hails the film as a masterpiece of silent comedy, vast in scope yet subtle in execution, and essential viewing due to Keaton's ambitious stunts and performance. It notes the new 4K restoration makes it a perfect opportunity to appreciate the work.

The critic praises the restored print for restoring the film's original impact and grip on audiences through inventive chases and slapstick. Keaton is singled out for conveying emotion through his eyes and maintaining sincerity amid buffoonery and daring stunts.