| Good Reviews | Average Reviews | Bad Reviews |
| 4.5 |
"a gorgeously lensed, well-structured audience-pleaser that harks back to classic Hollywood blockbusters of the '50s and '60s."
- Variety |
| 4.5 |
"is hands down one of the BEST films to come out of Bollywood Cinema in one time and is a film that commands respect while arousing patriotic feelings in full blast without being jingoistic."
- AllBollywood.com |
| 4.5 |
"Powerful, impassioned, seductive, moving - if there's room in your life for only one all-singing, all dancing, satirically-inclined, lavish historical adventure, make it this one. "
- Channel 4 |
| 4.5 |
"Cut down by about a half an hour, it would be unstoppable. Even at this slightly bloated length its an electrifying testament to the unstoppable power of the individual to make a difference."
- Chud |
| 4.0 |
"is another addition to an already impressive oeuvre of films out of Bollywood this year."
- Naach Gaana |
| 4.0 |
"suits the term 'landmark cinema' and has all it takes to help Bollywood take a giant step into world cinema with pride."
- IndiaFM |
| 4.0 |
"The pieces of the puzzle may not be sharply etched. And yet, three hours later, they somehow manage to fit."
- Rediff |
| 4.0 |
"Audiences put off by the concept of a very long Bollywood romantic-musical-comedy historical epic will be gripped by this one."
- Shadows on the Wall |
| 4.0 |
"is not only an enjoyable Bollywood drama made with one eye on the Western market, but also a political story with a very contemporary subtext."
- Film Exposed |
| 4.0 |
"has its moments with a superb climax but overall it lacks the passion that would bring tears to our silly eyes."
- MTV India |
| 4.0 |
"Mother India, Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Gadar, Lagaan - now add Mangal Pandey to the list of the aforementioned all time classics."
- IndiaGlitz |
| 4.0 |
"A perfect way to celebrate this year's Independence Day."
- Smash Hits |
| 4.0 |
"is tight, moving from one scene to the other effor-tlessly and keeping the viewer interested."
- Hindustan Times |
| 4.0 |
"It really is excellent."
- Telegraph India |
| 3.8 |
"Despite the epic canvas and colossal production value, it fails to make its mark as the classic it was expected to be."
- Planet Bollywood |
| 3.5 |
"While the period epic is enjoyable and has a patriotic soundtrack complementing it, it lacks character development and an element of realism in certain scenes."
- South Africa Daily News |
| 3.5 |
"proves that warfare mixed with winking sexpots can be a bloody good show."
- NY Times |
| 3.5 |
"Despite its flaws, an interesting if entertaining take on Imperialism, Allegiance and Freedom."
- Future Movies |
| 3.5 |
"It is two and half hours hours of pure, engrossing entertainment. Worth a watch."
- BBC |
| 3.5 |
"Designed to be an epic tale of heroism and friendship, The Rising doesnt quite reach those heights."
- South Africa Sunday Times |
| 3.0 |
"Mehtas narrative is flat. So is the movie."
- RadioSargam |
| 3.0 |
"All manner of entertainment is here"
- The Guardian |
| 3.0 |
"has everything going for itbest cinematography, excellent performances, meticulously done up ambience but still it lacks a soul."
- B4U |
| 3.0 |
"turns out to be a finely made movie, but not exceptional."
- ApunKaChoice |
| 3.0 |
"is going to be one of Aamir Khan's chef d'oeuvres. And the movie is bound to touch the hearts of many."
- Full Hyderabad |
| 3.0 |
"succeeds in entertaining and educating audiences about an important turning point in Indian history. However, where it stumbles is in its inability to engage on an emotional level."
- BBC Films |
| 3.0 |
"is a spiky epic about a sepoy soldier who inspired the first Indian Mutiny against British colonial rule in 1857. But the moral is as abrasive as broken glass."
- Times Now |
| 3.0 |
"It is engaging but sadly fails to move the emotions."
- Time Out |
| 3.0 |
"A rousing, if melodramatic, history lesson although it does require you to bite the Bollywood bullet."
- Empire |
| 3.0 |
"as a must see if only for the powerhouse comeback of Aamir and to remind todays young generation of their glorious history and how the struggle for independence was started by one man."
- IndiaTimes |
| 2.8 |
"the film will delight Bollywood fans but likely will fail to capture mainstream audiences with its melodramatic style and jarring combination of stirring action, brutality and musical numbers."
- Reuters |
| 2.5 |
"its a modern-day Kranti only Aamir Khan makes the difference. The film is worth it only for him the actor of the year."
- Mid-Day |
| 2.5 |
"Though the film carries messages about freedom and peoples' rights it doesn't strike a chord among all these happy-singing people."
- Deccan Herald |
| 2.5 |
"An average film, not bad, not good. Toss a coin to decide if you should see it."
- Teen Station |
| 2.0 |
"fails to create a lasting impression - but worth a watch! "
- Jam |
| 2.0 |
"is going to be a huge disappointment for all Aamir Khan fans especially after his 4-year-old sabbatical."
- Bollyvista |
| 2.0 |
"is too dull. You'd forget it once you walk out of the hall."
- Outlook India |
| 2.0 |
"A film that's more hysterical than historical, more corny than captivating."
- Glamsham |
