Renegades
Performance & Direction: Renegades Review
Last updated: January 26, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Renegades (1989) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 5.2/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Action.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Action is often anchored by its ensemble, and Renegades features a noteworthy lineup led by Kiefer Sutherland . Supported by the likes of Lou Diamond Phillips and Jami Gertz , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
In summary, our editorial assessment of Renegades (1989) is mixed. With an audience rating of 5.2/10, it stands as a decent one-time watch.
Story & Plot Summary: Renegades
Quick Plot Summary: Renegades is a Action, Crime, Thriller film that delivers highly intense sequences and pulse-pounding confrontations that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Ending Explained: Renegades
Ending Breakdown: Renegades attempts to tie together its various plot elements. The finale presents its approach to action resolution.
The final reveal recontextualizes earlier scenes, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the action themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of Renegades reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Renegades Real vs. Reel: Is it Based on a True Story?
Renegades incorporates elements from real criminal cases. As a action, crime, thriller film, it navigates the space between factual accuracy and narrative engagement.
Historical Context
The film takes creative liberties to enhance dramatic impact. Core events maintain connection to source material while adapting for theatrical presentation.
Creative interpretation shapes the final narrative, focusing on emotional truth over strict chronology.
Accuracy Assessment: Renegades adapts its source material for dramatic purposes. The film prioritizes thematic resonance over documentary precision.
Who Should Watch Renegades?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Action films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Box Office Collection: Renegades
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $16.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $9.0M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Renegades Budget
The estimated production budget for Renegades is $16.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: Renegades
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Where to Watch Renegades Online?
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YouTubeRenegades Parents Guide & Age Rating
1989 AdvisoryWondering about Renegades age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Renegades is 105 minutes (1h 45m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 5.2/10, and global performance metrics, Renegades is classified as a AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 1989 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Renegades worth watching?
Renegades is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Action movies. It has a verified rating of 5.2/10 and stands as a AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Renegades parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Renegades identifies it as R. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Renegades?
The total duration of Renegades is 105 minutes, which is approximately 1h 45m long.
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Critic Reviews for Renegades
They trusted no one. Until they had to trust each other. It suffers from the pitfalls of many other 1980s action films, such as plot holes, silly twists and predictability of formula, but there is a very good action film here that's more than a time waster for the so inclined. Young Guns (1988) stars Sutherland and Phillips (by now firm real life friends) team up again, this time in Phioladelphia with Sutherland as a maverick copper working undercover and Phillips as a Lakota Indian. The two of them are thrown together by fate when a case Sutherland is working on goes bad and Phillips' brother is killed and a sacred Lakota lance is stolen in the process. They are complete polar opposites as characters and struggle to get on with each other to achieve their respective goals. We know they will find a happy ground and kick ass, and with the actors chemistry well founded, it works real well as a buddy buddy action piece. Director Jack Sholder (The Hidden) has a good knack for action construction, be it shoot-outs or punch-ups, but the highlight here is a blunderbuss extended car chase through the city that wouldn't be out of place in a far bigger budgeted blockbuster. However, with the more character based sections of film the director is not so adept, struggling to get much out of Robert Knepper's villain and letting Jami Gertz wander in and out as a love interest type without any real rhyme or reason. But if frantic action is what you like, you get it here by the bucket load, just enjoy that ride and forget any hope of depth elsewhere. 6.5/10
***Crime thriller in Philadelphia featuring Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips*** On a case to nail a bad cop, an undercover cop in Philadelphia (Kiefer Sutherland) teams-up with an AmerIndian (Lou Diamond Phillips) to get back a sacred Lakota lance stolen during a diamond heist. “Renegades” (1989) is a crime drama/thriller that mostly takes place in the working class districts of the big city. There’s one brief scene on a reservation and a longer nighttime sequence at a wooded ranch outside the city. Some of the action scenes are a little overblown to the point of being eye-rolling, but the troubled partnership between the two protagonists is decent. Jami Gertz is on hand in a small role. Log this under decent but underwhelming big city cop/crime thriller. Every Dirty Harry movie is a superior choice. But, if you favor the actors, check it out. The movie runs 1 hour, 46 minutes and was shot in Toronto and Camp Samac Oshawa, Ontario, with I presume some establishing shots of Philadelphia. GRADE: C+/B-
"Renegades" is a routine film at every predictable twist of the unimaginative story. There is lots of wholesale destruction on offer to excite the easily excitable, but unfortunately there is very little else to engage the average viewer. The film also struggles to flesh out the running time and instead of developing a more in depth story with vividly drawn characters what we are left with is the spectacle of Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips constantly quarrelling and being at odds with one another before realising the only way they are going to make any progress is if they co-operate and play nice. This is an unimpressive film overall and there is no reason to believe anyone will ever have cause to remember it never mind entertaining a burning desire to actually sit down and watch it.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
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