What is the iRankMovies score for Empire of the Sun?

Name: Empire of the Sun
Director: Steven Spielberg
Genre: drama, history, war
Released: 1987
Duration: 2 h 33 min
Rating: 7.7

Empire of the Sun has an iRankMovies score of 73.2/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Empire of the Sun (1987)

To survive in a world at war, he must find a strength greater than all the events that surround him.

Release:1987

Runtime:2h 33m

Country:United States

Director:Steven Spielberg

Language:English

Genre

DramaHistoryWar

See the best drama movies →

Keywords

Based On Novel Or BookShanghai ChinaAtomic BombStadiumBraveryPeasantWorld War IiPrisoner Of War

iRank73

Empire of the Sun rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.7/10· 142K votes

Rotten Tomatoes75%

Metacritic62%

TMDb7.507/10· 2K votes

With 75% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.7/10 on IMDb and 62/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been positive.

About Empire of the Sun

Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

Cast of Empire of the Sun

Christian Bale
as Jim
John Malkovich
as Basie
Miranda Richardson
as Mrs. Victor
Nigel Havers
as Dr. Rawlins
Joe Pantoliano
as Frank Demarest
Leslie Phillips
as Maxton
Masatô Ibu
as Sgt. Nagata
Emily Richard
as Jim's Mother
Rupert Frazer
as Jim's Father
P
Peter Gale
as Mr. Victor
Takatarô Kataoka
as Kamikaze Boy Pilot
Ben Stiller
as Dainty

Empire of the Sun facts

Budget: $35M
Box office: $66.7M

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Steven Spielberg crafts epic war drama with child protagonist perspective
•Wartime bravery and atomic bomb elements create historically significant narrative
•Novel adaptation achieves strong critical and audience appreciation consistently