Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: An excellent example of its genre, with Pennebaker capturing the excitement of what was a very special, emotion-charged occasion. Read more
John Anderson, Newsday: Purely as document, D.A. Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars could not be a more ruthless portrait of a time and a music. Read more
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: The result miraculously resurrects a seminal moment in rock history, elevating Ziggy Stardust into the landmark cultural event it always should have been. Read more
John Patterson, L.A. Weekly: Somehow poor pacing and this lack of visual variety manage to make a great show seem boring -- which is, I suppose, an achievement of sorts. Read more
Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Bowie knew how to play his audience, and the documentary shows him as a fiercely concentrated performance artist on and offstage, who micromanaged everything from his makeup palette to the length of his kimono sleeves. Read more
Dave Kehr, New York Times: For fans familiar with the material ... Ziggy Stardust should be a satisfyingly nostalgic experience. Read more
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: The concert remains more of an historical curiosity than a must-see rock film. Read more
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star: Freed of the unflattering contemporary distractions offered by This Is Spinal Tap, Pennebaker's Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars captures Bowie at perhaps his purest, punkiest rock 'n' roll peak. Read more
John Gill, Time Out: While the likes of 'Oh You Pretty Things' and 'All the Young Dudes' still raise a smile, the presiding image is of those flesh-crawling glam-rock costumes and stage antics. Go for the music, or not at all. Read more
Mike D'Angelo, Time Out: The entire movie, save for a handful of stolid backstage interludes, looks as if it had been shot by a determined group of fans perched on the shoulders of their buddies. Read more
Richard Harrington, Washington Post: Looks like a bootleg concert video made by a gifted fan. Read more