Critic Reviews

• Richard Kuipers, Variety

  Kokoda is long on the muddy-bloody details of jungle warfare and short on fleshed-out characters.

• Colin Fraser, FILMINK (Australia)

  It's a remarkable feature for so many reasons, not the least of which is the haunting tension that fills every shot of every scene.

• Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald

  The movie is half a great film about Kokoda.

• Jim Schembri, The Age (Australia)

  One of the great strengths of Kokoda is the unflinching honesty with which it recreates the nature of the fighting. The film brims with detail that is physically, emotionally and psychologically authentic.

• David Stratton, At the Movies (Australia)

  The film deserves absolutely top marks for really re-creating this nightmare -- the rain, the mud, the dysentery, the horrors and it is almost like a horror film at times, as the Japanese get so close to them.

• Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies (Australia)

  First time director Alister Grierson is excellent at recreating the physicality of the Kokoda Trail but misses an emotional factor so that the film, while convincing, is not as moving as you would want or expect.

• Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile

  The film is at times harrowing, but how can it not? But for Australians, it is a stirring and valuable tribute and a fine piece of cinema.

Read all 7 critic reviews