--- title: "The Towering Inferno: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno" critics_score: 58 critics_reviews: 11 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Towering Inferno (1974): what the critics said Critics' score 58 from 11 reviews: 6 positive, 1 mixed, 4 negative. Most critics rate it as the best of Irwin Allen’s disaster pictures and among the strongest of the mid-seventies cycle, and the praise clusters on the fire itself: the effects, the stunt work and the cutting between several rescues at once. The set pieces are widely admired even by reviewers who dislike the rest, and the pairing of McQueen and Newman is credited with carrying a cast otherwise assigned to roles the reviews compare to seats in a lifeboat. The reservations fall on the screenplay. Nearly every review, favourable or not, finds the personal drama overwrought and the dialogue cheesy, and several object to the running time. The spread is wide, from raves to outright dismissal. The New Yorker’s Pauline Kael is the sharpest dissenter, calling it slick, empty and cynical, while The Hollywood Reporter finds it more ordeal than entertainment. Later reappraisals, notably Empire’s, are warmer than the reviews of the time. ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1973. The critic hails it as one of the greatest disaster pictures made and a personal and professional triumph for producer Irwin Allen, with a magnificent production that balances spectacle and thoughtful personal drama. The all-star casting strategy is said to pay off handsomely. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1973/film/reviews/the-towering-inferno-1200423119/) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1974. The critic calls it a brawny blockbuster and by far the best of the mid-1970s disaster films, praising its convincing special effects, stunt coordination and skillful interweaving of multiple action threads. He notes the strong performances and effective portrayal of high-rise fire dangers. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-towering-inferno-1974) ## Empire — Andrew Collins Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic views the film as a reassessed giant of the disaster genre, praising its expensive swagger, helicopter shot into San Francisco, and breathtaking set pieces despite cheesy dialogue. It stands out as rocking good superleague disaster adventure with top stars like McQueen and Newman. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/towering-inferno-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Eric Henderson Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 8 May 2006. It is the far more accomplished of Irwin Allen’s two major disaster epics, with better controlled pacing, stronger effects, and a classically tragic structure. However, its grim realism and lack of memorable characters or camp make it harder to love than its predecessor. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-towering-inferno/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 1974. The critic describes it as this year's best end-of-the-world movie and a first-rate visual spectacle with smashing special effects and old-fashioned Hollywood make-believe. He finds the personal drama overwrought and silly but praises the vivid, safe nightmare it delivers. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1974/12/20/archives/the-towering-inferno-firstrate-visual-spectacle.html) ## Time Out — MA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This is the disaster film which set the style for the genre, with a starry cast in roles that are more like places in a lifeboat. Director Guillermin handles the mounting disasters efficiently, though some rescues become desperate and outlandish. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-towering-inferno) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating C. 19 August 2009. The best moments come early with impressive action sequences, but the nearly three-hour film boils down to a flavorless stew of star power and formulaic disaster elements. It feels like one type of big-budget mediocrity giving way to the next, despite some solid set pieces. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-towering-inferno-blu-ray-1798206745) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 1 February 1975. The film is a workmanlike disaster picture whose setup of the fire's slow build is more interesting than the later action sequences. It is ultimately harmless, overblown hokum relying on star power and escalating rescues. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=39) ## The Hollywood Reporter — John H. Dorr Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 16 December 1974. The film is more ordeal than entertainment, relying on massive production values and technical effects for its appeal rather than fresh ideas in the screenplay. It overwhelms viewers with visceral thrills from the burning skyscraper spectacle but offers little beyond formulaic disaster tropes. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-towering-inferno-movie-review-1974-1235954666/) ## The New Yorker — Pauline Kael Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 30 December 1974. The critic dismisses the film as a technically slick but empty disaster blockbuster that exploits horrific fire scenes for spectacle while recycling clichés from earlier Irwin Allen productions. She criticizes its dedication to firefighters and overall cynicism as earning it the 'Dumb Whore Award of 1974.' [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1974/12/30/a-magnetic-blur) ## Collider — Andre Dellamorte Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 25 August 2009. The film is bloated and mildly pretentious but modestly entertaining as an evacuation story with a revolving cast of archetypes. It lacks the narrative drive of The Poseidon Adventure despite strong stunts and star power. [Read the review](https://collider.com/dragonball-the-towering-inferno-and-my-cousin-vinny-blu-ray-reviews/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno.md