Rating: 
Summary: Anti-war without being anti-war
Review: This is a film that, at first glance, seems a straightforward account (a very docu-like account) of a battle most forgot. On closer inspection, however, it is also a subtle indictment of war in general. Ridley Scott shows us--rather than tell us--the horror and uselessness of war without downplaying or patronizing the heroic actions of the men who fight wars (big difference between the men--and women--who fight them and those that start them). It is a horrifying, grim, engrossing account of something that is too often romanticized in films.There wouldn't appear to be much room for character development, but it is done, if only to a minimal degree. We actually care about these men, not because they are American, or because we pity their situation, but because we grow to like them and want them to survive. Hartnett, one of only a few twenty-something actors/actresses who ISN'T playing teenagers in crap that patronizes teenagers (Kirsten Dunst and Scarlett Johannsen are two others), is great in the "lead", if you can call it that, since no one seems to be the main character. Eric Bana (also good in "Chopper"), in a breakout role, is also very good, especially in the scene where he explains politics as relating to war. The film is depressing, and there's nothing wrong with that, because most films that illuminate the troubles in society are depressing (which says more about the society than about the art that comes from it). But, if you're looking for something which reaffirms your belief in the overall good of humanity or something, don't look here. Go see "Pay it Forward" instead.
Rating: 
Summary: THE BEST WAR MOVIE EVER!
Review: Black Hawk Down, directed by Ridley Scott, produced by The Master of Action & Special Effects Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun, Con Air, The Rock) and Winner of 2 Academy Awards is not only the best war movie ever, but also probably the most accurate "Based on an Actual Event" movie so far.
Somalia (East Africa), 1992.
Years of warfare among rival clans causes famine on a biblical scale. 300,000 civilians die of starvation. Mohamed Farah Aidid, the most powerful of the warlords, rules the capital of Mogadishu. He seizes international food shipments at the ports. Hunger is his weapon.
The world responds. Behind a force of 20,000 U.S. Marines, food is delivered and order is restored.
April 1993.
Aidid waits until the Marines withdraw, and then declares war on the remaining U.N. peacekeepers. In June Aidid's militia ambush and slaughter 24 Pakistani soldiers, and begin targeting American personnel. In late August, America's elite soldiers, Delta Force, Army Rangers, and the 160th SOAR are sent to Mogadishu to remove Aidid and restore order. The mission was to take 3 weeks, but 6 weeks later Washington was growing impatient.
Sunday, October 3rd 1993.
After the American military receive an anonymous intell that some of Aidid's top officials and likely Aidid himself, are to have a meeting in a specific building in Mogadishu, the Delta Force and the Rangers are immediately ordered to prepare for a mission to take over the location and arrest the individuals. Several UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters are sent out to drop-off the soldiers with Delta Force executing the take-over of the building and the Rangers covering the perimeter. The Black Hawks are then to provide a cover from above while on-the-ground Humvee convoy is to pick-up the prisoners and extract the unit. The whole mission is to take no longer than 30 minutes. Everything goes according to plans until 2 of the Black Hawks are shot down and the Rangers and Delta head out to rescue the downed pilots. Surrounded by armed civilians, including women and children, and thousands of heavily-armed Somali militia, the soldiers quickly find themselves outnumbered and outgunned in a city gone mad.
The mission that was to last no longer than 30 minutes, turned into a 16 hour life and death battle. The biggest and bloodiest battle since Vietnam. 19 American soldiers and over 1000 Somalis lost their lives.
A true story re-created by an outstanding director, producer, and cast, Black Hawk Down is an extremely accurate and dramatic masterpiece, portraying the unbelievable courage and determination of the American soldiers and the sad but true inhumanity that takes place during times of war. LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND!
Rating:
Summary: For duty , for the man next to them , they sacrificed.
Review: Josh Hartnett , Ewan McGregor , Jason Issacs , Willam Fitchner
and Orlando Bloom all star in this Ridley Scott masterpeice of a
day in modern warfare in the hellish bowls of Somalia,many came
home , 18 payed the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for the man next to them for some that would be the last person they
would ever see in the face of battle they leave no man behind. Somalia fall of 1992 , a growing epidemic on a biblical scale would claim the lives of 350,000 somali's men, women , children
and the elderly were not spared because of growing hunger in of
the region , Muhammed Idid weapon he would use against the many
starving people would be the very food the U.N. was sending to
help the Somali people instead Idid used the food to feed his
troops and fund his somali malitia , in the winter of 1992 this
time U.N. peacekeeping troops were sent to adress the growing problem but to many of the troops came home in body bags a
clear message was sent to United States that killing these U.N.
troops were the somali malitia's way to negotiate. Arriving in Summer of 1993 a group of Delta Force and
Rangers were assigned to go after somali warlords and wherever
possible Idid as well before a few failed attempts now Sunday
October 3rd they get a call that the warlords are in the bakara
market place deep in the heart of Somalia there mission to get
3 warlords of idid and get out as quick as possible, but then
something wen't horribly wrong a Black Hawk Helicopter is
shot down behind enimey lines and now a situation that should
have taken 90 minutes will now take 17 hours , under constant
enimey fire the somalia malitia blocks every entrence to the
town and surrond the american troops with 5000 somali malitia
sustaning heavy casuialtys another Black Helicoptor is shot down further ableing the somali's to give the american rangers and
delta operatives the most feirce and horribly brutal firefight since the veitnam war , but what kept these men alive was the
sense of duty and the man next to them and there well known
code of honor of leaving no man behind , in this fact based
true story for the battle of mogadishu. This movie is not a documentary in other words it does not provide info on every detail leading up to the war only a veiw
a portrait of how these soldiers were tested in the face of
battle and the courage and sacrifices for our country we must
never forget the bravery of these soldiers who risked there lives and died for america if this movie makes you think of that then this film from Ridley Scott had done it's job , in this
Deluxe edition tons and tons of extra features in this huge
3 - disk DVD, the most intresting thing is on the 3rd disk
two documentarys of the real Black Hawk Down and photo's ,
a two and a half hour film about the making of Black Hawk
Down and a great and amazing interveiw with some of the actual
rangers on a commentary tract , winner of two academy awards
it is an amazing film and an amazing DVD with features that
you will actually want to see great flim pick up the Deluxe
Edition you'll get your moneys worth and much more.
Rating: 
Summary: prepare to be depressed about our military
Review: It is saddening to think that this film accurately presents the culture and quality of our military fighting forces and the decision-making of its leadership. What is equally depressing is the realization (after seeing all the rave reviews) that the typical film viewer is actually inspired by the moronic command policy, "No one gets left behind". It's clear that the only reason U.S. forces don't routinely get ground to pulp is because of our amazing budget, equipment and technological resources. It's sad to know that american's won't serve or support their country's military without such sappy policy.
Rating:
Summary: Heart wrenching and Brilliant
Review: Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun) and director Ridley Scott are cinema geniuses. I have loved Ridley Scott since I saw Gladiator with Russell Crowe, and when I started to watch this movie and heard the soundtrack it all clicked. In fact, the brilliance of the movie is how fine the mesh is between the cinematography, and the music which is like a fine gold thread thru a priceless tapestry Yes, this is a blood and gutts, war is hell movie but war is hell and most people should know that!Anyone the least bit familiar with the horrid images of American troops under siege in the Somalian city of Mogadishu in October 1993, where our dead servicemen were being drug thru the streets, probably do not know about the mission that was supposed to be a 45-minute in and out mission but instead it turned into the most horrid and bloody 16-hour visit to bowels of hell. It all began with a war lord and rabid Moslem Muhammad Farrah Aidid and inter-clan fighting gripped Somalia, famine stalked the country killing 350,000 people by December 1992, and leading the United Nations to dispatch an American-led military force, Operation Restore Hope to assist in the distribution of food. But Aidid viewed the UN operation suspiciously. But it would be the American service men who would pay the highest price. October 3, 18 American soldiers were killed after launching an attempt to capture Aidid which left 300 Somalis dead and Aidid still at large. President Clinton abandoned the hunt for Aidid called for a speedy American withdrawal from Somalia. Something all Americans should reflect upon now that we are in a war situation in Iraq. This is a must see movie for any person who cares about the harms way we send our young men and women into.
Rating:
Summary: Action, effects and great insight into a bodged mission.
Review: This film meets all the criteria to make it great. It has great special effects that both show the reality of the situation and also grip the viewer's attention. The action scene is basically the latter 3 quarters of the movie, it doesn't let up, it just gets more intense. The acting is second to none, all the actors do a great job (I go from what I see, not what I know of the actual situation). All these features come together to make a truly awesome representation of what happened that dark day in Somalia. This movie shows why Soldiers everywhere deserve respect. These guys are out there in foreign lands protecting people they don't know, helping people they never met, trying to do what's right. What the movie lacks is information. It doesn't tell us why US troops are in that area, it doesn't tell us what are causing the problems in that area. It shows us lots scenes of starving people and lots of natives killing each other but it doesn't tell us why. It's a typical Hollywood action/drama in that respect, American's like to see there troops on the big screen winning battles, it doesn't seem to matter what reasons for the battle are. The actual soldiers portrayed in the movie are done so with respect and accuracy. People expect soldiers to be infallible, that they are programmed to fight and when conflict erupts around them it doesn't effect how they do there job. This isn't the case with war, the explosions, the bullets ricocheting close to your head, this effects everyone, and how much is down to professionalism. The US Army Rangers are some of the best regular infantry the US has, and that day they showed it. Whether the mission is right or wrong, the soldiers do their job regardless. 4 Stars.
Rating: 
Summary: A Decent Action Movie, But Typical Hollywood
Review: If you're looking for just action, this is a decent enough film, but if you're looking to learn anything about why US troops were in Mogadishu as part of a UN operation and the factors that led to this battle, you need to look elsewhere. The opening minutes of the film only begin to touch on the situation the US Rangers are facing in Mogadishu by showing Mohammed Farah Aidid's men taking food from the local population while a US helicopter watches powerlessly. After a few minutes of obligitory character setup which seems to exist just so you know the pecking order of the characters, the film rapidly moves on to setting up the mission and getting to the action. From this point it's typical Hollywood fare, using the special effects first seen in Saving Private Ryan to wow the audience with visual effects. While it certainly includes the salient issues of the story and does a wonderful job depicting them in the high standards of Hollywood special effects, it doesn't touch on any of the issues surrounding this battle. Who is Aidid? Why is the UN there? Why is the US there? The Army's Ranger units are elite units unto themselves, yet this film makes them look like nervous adolescents who forgot their training and don't know what to do and are saved only by the presence of Delta force members. While the movie is a great action film and does a good job depicting the events of this particular engagement, it's placed in a void that most viewers probably can't fill in themselves. If you just want a film to sit and watch some action while eating popcorn, this is a good film. But if you want to understand anything about the situation these men were in, you'll need to look elsewhere. I'd suggest A&E's excellent documentary entitled The True Story Of Black Hawk Down. Through the stories of the men who actually fought in the battle you get a much better idea of the situation and it actually makes a better story with more tension than this film.
Rating:
Summary: Based on single disk version...
Review: Personally Black Hawk Down is my favorite war movie thus far. The first time I saw it in the theaters I was blown away by the history based facts behind it and of course the soundtrack. But the story took me many watches to separate the Delta boys and the Rangers, and bring the whole story into one. (What can I say, I'm slow!) ;) I was a little disappointed by the lack of extra features, but now there's a 3 disk set, which I haven't yet gotten to see, but will ASAP. The cast is great, and Ridley Scott once again amazes me with his genius. Truly a great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Scott gets the look, as usual
Review: [This review speaks mainly to the film, not the 3-disc special edition release] Black Hawk Down is a tough movie to qualify. It's visually amazing--this is some of the best combat I've seen in a movie. It's thrilling, it's realistic, it's exciting. I wouldn't exactly call this an anti-war film because it depicts war as the ultimate thrill, a real game of real bullets and blood. Yes, it's hell, but with Ridley Scott directing it looks like a very, very good video game. I don't know why this movie was made. There is no political leaning, there is very little context. It's a blow by blow account of what happened when over 100 Army Ranger and Delta Force soldiers were stuck in a hostile part of Mogadishu, Somalia in late 1993. The enemy, as to be expected from a Jerry Bruckheimer film, is given no identity. They are throngs of Africans, many of them kids, firing round after round and coming like swarms of bees even as they get cut down by the superior US firepower. The problem is that the movie goes to very impressive lengths to play out this story. The production is huge--the battle scenes, the city scenes (filmed in some bombed-out-looking part of Morocco apparently), the gunplay, etc. This is an expensive film, and I have to wonder why the money and resources go into something like this if there is nothing to say. Then it becomes pure entertainment, which is all the film turns out to be. That's fine, but again, once in a while it would be nice to inject some intelligence into a project that obviously commanded so many other resources and considerations. Why was America in Somalia? Granted, that is not the concern of the film, but some kind of context for the war, the rebels, the aims of the mission, the pov of Somalis who were killing to negotiate, as one Somali says in the only behind-the-scenes bit in the film, would have put the film over the edge and actually made the audience ::gasp:: think about why America fights where it does. There's also the obligatory war film clichés that are just hard to stomach when we know that these are real soldiers being trivialized for the popcorn crowd. Tom Sizemore, as a veteran and tough-as-nails McKnight, goes back into the fray to rescue more men and walks calmly through the street as bullets ricochet around him, like Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now. Modern movie special effects can simulate rockets blowing people apart, literally, and leg wounds being operated on with someone's bare hands, muscle and sinew and all. It is typical of Hollywood today: they have limitless resources, but those resources (being able to shoot a film as visually and technically impressive as this) serve a story that could use a bit more tweaking and humanization. But the filmmakers are
not interested in that angle. It would be nice to know why Mogadishu is hell on earth, with hordes of enemies tearing people out of helicopters and raining rockets on American soldiers. Yes, the soldiers were brave, they were highly trained, but the mission was a disaster, and it does the real story a disservice to portray it as just another chapter in American gung ho-ism. Also, the single most memorable bit of that real story was the body of an Army Ranger being dragged through the streets by an angry mob that spit on him, and much worse. That was a disturbing bit of footage for Americans to watch. Would that have been more tasteless than showing an RPG rocket stuck in someone's side? Massive, gaping wounds? Missing legs? Why clean up real events and their aftermath for the sake of a night out at the movies? Maybe they should put their mouths where the money is. Make no mistake--I couldn't turn this film off. It's exciting; it made me want to play Ghost Recon or one of those games. It also made me want to find out more about this grim chapter in President Clinton's tenure as Commander in Chief, even though it was his predecessor who landed troops there when he was a lame duck. Somalia was an embarrassment, an event that told America we were no longer willing to sacrifice men--18 as compared to over 1,000 Somalis killed in battle--in some foreign wasteland. The film is not enlightening in that regard. It's exciting, it's Jerry Bruckheimer, folks. Watch it and decide for yourself. It looks like they went to very impressive lengths to put this out on DVD, as expected with a production like this. Definitely worthwhile to pick up, as multiple commentaries, deleted scenes, and other goodies sweeten the deal.
Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk [Let]Down
Review: As far as I can tell, this "elite" group of 18 year olds who'd "never shot anyone" were ordered by the commanding officer on the scene (who later took responsibility for the botched operation) to raid a fortified enemy position to take prisoners. The "plot twist" is that they don't get out? I mean, we didn't see that coming from 178947 miles away? Like when they pulled the typist off the desk and gave him a gun? This film, and the circumstances, go from bad to worse, to just absurd, in like .000034 seconds. If this film didn't convince more people that the military are just out there doing who-the-hell-knows-what, I'm pretty sure military-loving must be genetic. There's certainly heroism in abundance, the cynic in me wonders how much of that is revisionist history, but backtracking about half a step we see that the military thumbed it's nose at the UN when it first undertook the operation to capture/assassinate the militant warlord "Aidid." Then, having made that grave misstep, demanded UN assistance to get their soldiers out. My question is, in the final scenes as the military have effectively abandoned 20-30 of their own to run behind the exiting tanks, why is it so very easy to run to "safe" territory? If it is so very simple and can be done with so little problem - why exactly didn't the civilian Somalians who wanted out from under the thumb of the dictator do so - just like these wounded exhausted military folks who in the closing scenes just limped out of this warzone? Assuming that's just a misrepresentation of the ease-of-escape from disputed territory to "safe" UN territory, the fact remains that the film leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly, a point. This film came highly recommended. I have some creative punishments to tailor.
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