Rating: 
Summary: Mogadishu Under Siege
Review: Get ready to experience director Ridley Scott's exceptional war spectacle with "Black Hawk Down: 3-Disc Deluxe Edition". Like its previous release, this powerful action-packed film is presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains an extraordinarily flawless picture quality with stunning detail and great sharpness. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is definitely engaging with dynamic surround effects, but a DTS audio track should have been included in this edition. This stunning 3-Disc edition features audio commentaries by filmmakers and Task Force Ranger veterans, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, in-depth historical look in the events in Mogadishu and theatrical trailers. With an impressive DVD presentation and amazing supplements, "Black Hawk Down" is a must-have addition to any DVD collection and certainly scores an "A".
Rating:
Summary: Spectaculous
Review: I had doubts on this movie, I thought it would be another one of those stupid war movies. I ate those words for sure when I decided to watch this flick. It was a true event and it didnt have some sappy love story on the side like what Pearl Harbor had. Right when the movie starts all the way till it ends is action and war, many things you think might happen in the movie end up being the total opposite which is nice because you wont know what will happen next. There were alot of small time and big time actors in this movie, actors that I have seen before in other movies in the past that were in this one, such as Jeremy Piven who played in the ambiciously college movie "PCU", and a couple of actors from Pearl Harbor as well. Over all the movie was terrific, great acting, special effects, and directing. You will reget not watching this, thats just in my oppinion. Borrow it from a neighbor or rent it and you will see what I am talking about. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: A Special Operation
Review: It's about time! Sony Pictures finally got around to releasing a deluxe edition DVD of director Ridley Scott's magnificent fact-based war thriller "Black Hawk Down". Fortunately, it's well worth the wait; sporting three discs with every concievable extra feature, it could well be the best DVD package I've ever seen.Possibly the finest of all pure war pictures and unquestionably the best movie ever made about the Special Forces, "Black Hawk Down" recounts the fierce battle that ensued in Somalia on October 3, 1993 during a mission by the Army's Rangers and elite Delta Force operators to capture two lieutenants of a repulsive warlord. The film presents a raw, vivid dramatization of the fight, with graphic depictions of violent death on both sides. The difference is that Scott, unlike many of his contemporaries, mostly manages to steer clear of sentimentality, preachiness and jingoism (no small feat when you're making a war movie). Understanding the need for occasional breaks in what is essentially a two-hour-long battle scene, Scott also injects a little comic relief in the form of three lost Rangers and some other great little moments (my favorite is the part where Sgt. Eversmann, played with surprising vigor by Josh Hartnett, has to pause in the middle of battle to pull a scalding-hot spent shell casing from inside his uniform; little details like that are cinematic gold). The first disc has the film along with three outstanding audio commentaries: one from Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer; one from screenwriter Ken Nolan and Mark Bowden, author of the original book; and, most interestingly, another by four actual veterans of the battle, who expand on true elements of the story and comment on some of the film's technical innacuracies ("This scene is really cool - too bad it never really happened"). Disc two features a 150-minute "making of" featurette that explores just about every facett of the production, including technical accuracy, CGI effects and footage of the actors at Ranger boot camp. Disc three has two absorbing documentaries about the battle from the History Channel and PBS's "Frontline". There's also a feature that allows you to watch the fast-roping insertion scene from multiple camera angles and some Q & A sessions with the filmmakers and actors. There's a nice moment in one of these sessions in which Jason Issacs, who plays the aptly named Capt. Steele, comments on how "BHD" actually made him a better person: "After knowing what these soldiers went through, you feel a bit embarrassed complaining about the size of your trailer." "Black Hawk Down", simply by virtue of its adherence to telling the story as it happened (as much as is possible, at least, within the confines of a 2 1/2 hour movie), is much more military-friendly than many of the artsy war pictures that depict soldiers as victims or, even worse, as psychopaths. It's also a far cry from the simplistic "super soldier" flicks of the 1980s that stressed a comic book mentality over respect for what real American warriors have endured over the centuries. "Black Hawk Down" is a profoundly patriotic movie, but its patriotism is more subtle, mature and real. The only American flags you really see are patches sewn onto the right shoulder of the troops' uniforms. The flag is backwards, so that the stars are closer to the soldier's heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Captivating
Review: I'm not a fan of war movies, in fact, I usually can't stand them, but this one was good. The mood is just as it should be, somber but not too sad, and the filming is excellent. The movie is mostly in earthy camouflage colors, greens and yellows and browns. The stunts and special effects are all realistic. The soundtrack is also very fitting, sounding very eerie in the sad parts. The acting is all superb, even that of minor characters. The sense of camaraderie between soldiers is portrayed well. This movie is too gory for children to watch, or those who dislike seeing gore or violence, but I enjoyed it, so I would recommend it even for those, like me, who don't normally like war movies. I don't really know how it compares to other war films since I haven't seen many, but it is a good movie and my guess is that it ranks on up there.
Rating:
Summary: An experience that hits close to home
Review: This film is moving. And it relates to my family in a very personal way. Seeing it was something of an experience. My aunt is married to one of the little bird pilots in this mission, Keith Jones,(he actually has a line in the movie) and he happens to be the father of one of my only 2 cousins. He flew the helicoptors for this film and they wanted him to go to Hollywood to stunt pilot helicoptors. Instead he finished his service in the military and moved with his wife to Lawrence, Ks so she could be closer to her family. I have so much admiration for these men and everything they have done for our country and I believe this film honors these men in any way it can. I am so proud of my uncle and everything he has accomplished. And I am happy to have him here, close to his family in Kansas.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the wait
Review: I refused to buy the first edtiion of BLACKHAWK DOWN and I am glad I waited. This 3 disk set is loaded with extras inclusing two documentaries on the actual event, production notes and other extras. This is not a proud moment for the political leadership in this country, but it is an exception moment for the Rangers and Delta force soldiers. The action in Mogadishu was the largest firefight since Vietnam. Ridley Scott's movie captures the essense, the valor and heroism of what took place. It also makes the point that Task force Ranger was not permitted to finish the job. Perhaps, if they had, history might have been different. This is a must have edition to your collection of military and war movies.
Rating:
Summary: War movies
Review: I'm not a soldier, and have never had to experience combat. I write this review strictly from the perspective of a movie fan, particularly of war based films. This is a great film as it creates the chaos of war, and although the BHD has been criticized for lack of character development. I believe a lot of these soldiers remain emotionally distant as depicted in this film exactly because of the random way death chooses a soldier. In the end it is the camararderie of the shared experience of staring death in the face and doing your job that bonds soldiers beyond even a husband and wife at times. Great movie, and it solidifies my deep respect for all the men and women who serve and have served our country in times of peace and war.
Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk Down
Review: Great, realistic movie, but a lot of misunderstandings. Task Force Ranger consisted of Army Rangers and Delta, Navy SEAls, and Air Force Para Rescue personnel, NOT marines. This movie is about actual events. MASH, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, Three Kings, etc are fiction with minimal facts thrown in. Saving Private Ryan, another great movie, did not have any lame references to other film makers. Private Ryan was based on the book D-Day, by Ambrose. The soldier walking the beach carrying his own arm was an actual event. BHD was not racist. If anything it showed the Somalis in a better light than they deserved. The majority of the Ranger deaths occured while the Somalis were using women and children as shields and the Americans held their fire. And, if you act like animals its not racist to be portrayed the same, regardless of your race. Its a fact that Special Operations Forces are made up of primarily, but not all, of middle class white males. It is the only place in the military where standards have not been dropped for politically correct reasons. Although it is tragic that 18 americans died, several friends of mine, that fact does not take away from the flexibility and courage shown by those on the ground.
Rating:
Summary: Battle, Pure and Simple
Review: When the word Mogadishu is mentioned, any American with knowledge concerning military history winces. It was in a third world hellhole where America faced one of its most humiliating military defeats. The capital of Somalia, we are told, is a land of marauders and warlords, where young men high on khat think nothing of spilling innocent blood with their AK-47's bought for 20 dollars. It is a tragedy of colonialism, a land that the rest of the world forgot. Mark Bowden?s book does a wonderful job of setting this seen, and the imagery used in Ripley Scott's combat masterpiece frames the idea in the viewers mind. In Somalia, Americans witnessed several of their own combat dead dragged through the streets by ferocious mobs, a sight quickly glossed over by the powers that be. Black Hawk Down does a fantastic job of telling the story of how this came to be, through the eyes of the young men who fought that day in Somalia. Black Hawk Down tells the story of a simple operation. US forces in 1993 were desperately seeking Muhammad Aidid, the self styled President of Somalia whose well armed gangs ruled the capital city. Aidid spent most of his time harrying UN efforts to deliver food to the starving people of Somalia, an effort through which he could better control the increasingly desperate populace. In response, a US task force made up of Army Rangers and the super secret organization known as Delta Force was organized and assigned to take out Aidid. Numerous attempts were made, narrowly missing the warlord. Finally, an operation was organized which would capture Aidid once and for all. Around two hundred soldiers would go into the heart of the capital, grab Aidid and his aides, and race out, with helicopters circling. It would go smooth. Of course, in their infinite wisdom, the higher ups in DC decided to overrule the wishes of the commanders on the ground and limit the amount of firepower at the Army's disposal. This would be the first in a long line of missteps, which the movie does not shy away from. The operation hits the fan quickly. Somali fighters using Soviet RPG's manage to shoot down a US Blackhawk helicopter, which creates a chain reaction of confusion. Units are separated, out of contact, isolated in a city gone mad. The scenery for this movie is excellent, you truly get the feel for a world gone insane in the mold of Mad Max. Surrounded in this sea of violence are units of the 75th Ranger Regiment and Delta Force, who must fight their way out. Their bravery is unbelievable, and the combat is intense. When watching this movie, you have to just shake your head, because it is a true story. Anyone who criticizes this movie for being unrealistic has not read the book or knows little about the operation. If anything, I thought, the movie tunes down the amount of violence highlighted in the book. Scott doesn't try to create some kind of backstory with this movie. There are no really in-depth roles or haunting love stories, it's just a story about regular men in combat. The acting is good however, with notable performances coming from Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, and Ewan MacGregor. Black Hawk Down centers on the battle scenes, and this are done in just a magnificent manner. The viewers senses are just bombarded with action, so that you really feel mesmerized. It is far from a video game however, as we are regularly reminded that people die in these kind of engagements, often in really horrible ways. That is why I truly treasure Black Hawk Down, its honest enough to admit that it is a pure battle story, intent on showing the viewer just how chaotic and violent urban combat can be. At the same times, it shows the inhuman bravery that some men can display when their buddies depend on them.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I have watched this movie about 20 times and read the box twice. I have got both the original DVD and the most recent special edition. What can i say. The most authentic war movie to date, with most of those ranger who took part in the battle contributing alot to the movie and infact the pilot of the little bird that (Star 41) Keith Jones ,who landed on crash site one and rescued a wounded air crew, flew the little bird in the actual movie. I disagree with the politicians who had to withdraw the rangers from Somalia, after Oct 3. Like one ranger said ' We trust the politicians not to risk our lives for so little !! '. I guess Dubya would have kicked some ass. By the way this is Dubya's best movie .
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