# The General (1926) — Celluloid fact sheet

Source: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/face-off-1997/
Last reviewed: 2026-07-24

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Celluloid Score | 81% |
| Critic Score | 93% |
| Audience Score | 82% |
| Metascore | 82/100 |
| Letterboxd | 3.7/5 |
| IMDb | 7.3/10 |
| Director | Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton |
| Genres | Comedy, War, Romance |
| Runtime | 79 min |

## Quick answer

The General (1926) earns a 81% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Woo’s identity-swap action fever dream is peak Cage — still the meme-to-masterpiece pipeline. Metascore 82/100. Directed by Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton.

## Critics consensus

Woo’s identity-swap action fever dream is peak Cage — still the meme-to-masterpiece pipeline.

## Synopsis

During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

## Cast

Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Frank Barnes, Charles Henry Smith, Joe Keaton

## Where to watch

Global: Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+
the United States: Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+
the United Kingdom: Prime Video, MUBI
Indonesia: not currently streaming
India: not currently streaming
Turkey: not currently streaming
South Korea: not currently streaming
Japan: not currently streaming
PH: not currently streaming
ZA: not currently streaming
MY: not currently streaming
TH: not currently streaming
AE: not currently streaming
NG: Prime Video

## Critic reviews on Celluloid: 1

## Common questions

**Is The General worth watching?**
The General holds a 81% Celluloid Score. Woo’s identity-swap action fever dream is peak Cage — still the meme-to-masterpiece pipeline.

**What is The General about?**
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

**Who directed The General?**
The General (1926) was directed by Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton.

**What is the Celluloid Score of The General?**
81% — the average of five public sources: critics 93%, audience 82%, Metascore 82/100, Letterboxd 3.7/5, and IMDb 7.3/10.

**Where can I watch The General?**
The General is streaming on Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+; on Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ in the United States; on Prime Video, MUBI in the United Kingdom; on Prime Video in NG. Availability varies by region.

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Reviewed and scored by Celluloid · Editor: Kaiser Khan (https://celluloidscore.com/author/kaiser-khan/)

Markdown mirror: https://celluloidscore.com/movies/face-off-1997.md