Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal (1981)

  • 58% of critics liked it
    (26 reviews)

  • 67% of users liked it
    (37,945 ratings)

Inspired by stories from the fantasy graphics magazine Heavy Metal, this five-part animated feature combines the talents of hundreds of artists and animators from 17 different countries. A glowing green orb called Loc-Nar that contains the sum total of all evil in the universe travels through space… More

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In Theaters
Jul 29, 1981 Wide
Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    Initial segments have a boisterous blend of dynamic graphics, intriguing plot premises and sly wit that unfortunately slide gradually downhill.

  • Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

    Some of the animation is first-rate, particularly in the more modest comedy segments, and even the heavy set pieces have greater flash and dazzle than anything Ralph Bakshi mustered around the same period.

  • Derek Adams, Time Out

    Fantasies that are gratuitously sexist and Fascist (macho whoring and warmongering), and whose roots reach all the way back to post-hippie paranoia, feed the tangled plot-lines of a movie that... should disappoint even the teenage wet-dreamers.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    Heavy Metal has been animated with great verve, and scored very well, with music much less ear-splitting than the title would suggest.

  • Jeff Gilbert, Film.com

    Regardless of its dated stylishness (which still holds up remarkably well a decade plus later), Heavy Metal was a pioneering film in 1981 and remains a pivitol and infuential body of art today.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Spencer S


    Oh boy, does this movie have a reputation. That reputation varies from person to person. Whether it's its slammin' animation, the plethora of female nudity, or the amazing metal heavy soundtrack, this film appeals to many different people (mostly men) who either love it for… More

  • Anthony L


    The epitome of cult. It's an odd blend of so bad it's good sci-fi, tongue in cheek amnie and 'crumb' style pornography. Add to the mix an 80's rock soundtrack, popular 80's voices (John Candy, Eugene Levy, Harold Ramis) and some of the funniest dialogue… More

  • Luke B


    Heavy Metal is a bizarre animated anthology that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Which is probably why it's pretty awesome. Based on a series of stories from a magazine of the same name, Heavy Metal takes a number of different animated styles and creates some… More

  • Tim S


    Giving Ralph Bakshi a run for his money, the Canadian filmmaking team of Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and John Candy (among many others) got together to create Heavy Metal. Based on the graphics magazine of the same name, this rock and roll animated orgy of sleaze and… More

  • Jacob E


    This movie is bad. Seriously, it's really not that good at all. The animation hasn't aged very well, the voice acting ranges from good to terrible, and the plot is about as existent as the clothing on females in this film (and if you look at the poster, that should give you… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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Trailers & Clips