Rating: 
Summary: Real Life Drama Done Almost Documentary Style
Review: "Every soldier hopes for a major war in his life time. This one was mine." Former SAS sergeant Andy McNab could have sold his best selling true story of the Gulf War to Hollywood. He opted for less money from the BBC for reasons of creative control. He has a writing credit on the script and served as technical adviser, drilling the actors on weapons handling and tactics. This is the film's strength. Everything looks right, especially for a low budget effort. Stock footage of aircraft and Scud missiles is used in places to give background information, but watching the actors preparing for their mission and patrolling in the field feels very real. The soldier's banter is also pitch perfect and often very funny. This realism, however, is also a weakness, especially for an American audience. Much backstory has been omitted, so those viewers unfamilar with the SAS and the highly celebrated exploits of this particular 8 man patrol may find it hard to keep the characters and the story straight. Americans may also have problems with the British slang, technical military jargon and working class accents. Of course, the wonderful thing about DVD technology is that one can always use close captioning to help figure out what were gobbed off about the while making a brew. This is a story about leadership when everything goes wrong. It is about keeping your head, and your sense of humor, when encountering both the absurdity and the terror of a war were one side plays by horrifying rules. It is not a film for everyone. There are scenes in the later part of the movie that are uncomfortable to watch and close attention has to be paid to the dialog because of the jargon. But if you have the patience to stay with it, Bravo Two Zero is indeed, one ripping good story.
Rating: 
Summary: An Eye-Opening and Interesting True Story from the Gulf War
Review: Bravo Two Zero is a two-hour 1997 BBC film adaptation of ex-SAS Sergeant Andy McNabb's book of the same name, which documents his two-month experience behind enemy lines in Iraq during the Gulf War in 1991. McNabb was the leader of an eight-man SAS team sent disable both the Iraqi's scud missiles and their communication system. The crew, however, finds themselves with a disabled communication system of their own, and when things go terribly wrong, they have no alternative but to abort their mission and try to reach the Syrian border. In the process, the team must endure freezing temperatures, injury, separation, capture and torture. Sean Bean (Sharpe, Extremely Dangerous, Golden Eye) gives an absolutely first-rate and extremely convincing performance as Andy McNabb. Bean worked very closely with McNabb in order really to come to grips with the man and his coping mechanisms in the face of such extreme and terrifying conditions, and I simply cannot imagine a better portrayal by Bean or anyone else. (Just as a point of interest, McNabb himself has said that he thought Bean could have done the job in real life.) Though I am not generally speaking an aficionado of military/war films, I found this to be an interesting and eye-opening account. It is not a big-budgeted Hollywood production and therefore makes use of actual archive footage of bomber planes and soldiers in places. As a result the film may not look quite as slick in places, but don't let that deter you. It is nonetheless extremely well done--a quality production that is consumately acted by all involved. Recommended to fans of military/war films in particular, but also to fans of Sean Bean in general.
Rating: 
Summary: Modest recreation of true tale of Gulf War SAS patrol.
Review: British SAS soldier Andy McNab's gripping book "BRAVO TWO ZERO" was one of the biggest selling autobiographical books to come out of the 1991 Gulf War. McNab's book ( and if you haven't read it yet, then get it ! ) tells how his eight man SAS patrol was dropped into Northern Iraq to hunt out mobile Scud launchers, however from the point of insertion onwards, virtually everything went wrong, through a mixture of both ill luck and being poorly equipped. ( Also check out fellow patrol member Chris Ryan's book "The One That Got Away", and Michael Asher's controversial book "The Real Bravo Two Zero )
This 1999 telemovie by the BBC, does a fairly accurate job of illustrating life in the field for a special forces patrol, and wiry Sean Bean makes a great Andy McNab. The dour faced Bean comes across how many people would probably imagine a special forces soldier would look and act.....tall, lean, unconventionally handsome, courageous against the odds, resilient, resourceful and cold blooded. The other cast members, of whom I'm not familiar, do a solid job of their roles of recreating the other members of the ill fated patrol, however you have to pay keen attention to the English vernacular and slang expressions, otherwise you may miss a few of their humorous moments.
My only criticisms against the film are in two parts : Firstly, the film was obviously made on a modest budget and that is glaringly obvious throughout many stages of the recreation ( cheap special effects, the laughable insertion sequence aboard the helicopter, the freshly laundered look of the Iraqi soldiers in the desert, etc. etc ) Secondly, and I won't ruin it for those that haven't yet read McNab's book, the tale of what happened to McNab and his patrol has been shoe horned into a compressed story, and for those who have read the book, it all seems to rush by very swiftly and to be missing great chunks of McNab's story.
Granted it's always very difficult to shoot autobiographies page for page, however I was a bit disappointed with the end result, but it was still an enjoyable film for fans of the war genre.
Rating:
Summary: War is Hell
Review: Even in these days of smart bombs and smart weapons and being able to kill a man without having to look him in the eye, war is still a horrific thing. I think that's the message behind "Bravo Two Zero", a BBC production about an elite group of British SAS commandos who lose radio contact behind enemy lines. One of them is killed, 6 are captured and one manages to cross the border. I'd read the book Chris Ryan (the guy that escaped) wrote and was interested in what happened to the other fellas. But for some reason, the book "Bravo Two Zero" was quite hard to find here. Thankfully, "Bravo Two Zero", the movie, was on cable the other night. In my opinion, it is one of the grittiest, most brutal films about war ever made. I really appreciated this because when most people think of the Gulf War, they don't realize the human aspect of it. They think it was all smart bombs and technology. This is why I am recommending "Bravo Two Zero" feverishly to any war buffs out there. You won't think of Desert Storm the same way again! Read the book too, if you can get it. I haven't but I'm sure it's quite close to the film. Hm anything else to say about the film. Oh yeah, it can be quite harrowing, be forewarned. The dentist scene in particular.
Rating:
Summary: SAS are simply the best! And there British of course!
Review: Everyone knows that British forces are the best in the world. This mission was a failure but only by a few small things. They walked 300 miles in the desert where it's freezing at night and boiling hot in the day WITH the ocasional gun battle where they were outnumbered by a hell of a lot. This film is almost entirelly accurate and is well worth buying. If you like the military, whatever regiment you like, this film will keep your oil burning.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling Modern War Story
Review: For those who have read the book, the film is a bit of a disappointment. So many details and anecdotes had to be trimmed to make a two hour film that you are left with a totally different impression of the patrol's experience. Having said that, I still think the film is well done (considering the budget) and quite entertaining. The tactical scenes in particular are outstanding and show how proper execution of immediate action drills can win firefights. It is a must own for fans of the genre. For those who have seen the original BBC version, you are in for a couple surprises. First is that this DVD release includes additional footage not seen in the UK release. Mostly minor character building fluff, but it does help you to tell the lads apart. The other big surprise is that almost all of the original music is gone. The omission of "London Calling" from the opening sequence is absolutely unforgiveable. Also, the UK DVD includes a "making of" documentary showing the actors training with McNab that would have been nice to include. I should also mention that the film was originally shot very dark and fuzzy and this transfer reflects that. It is difficult to pick out details in several of the nighttime scenes. Finally, as for the ongoing discussion about what really happened on the patrol, the basic facts are not in dispute: these eight men were operating alone 300 miles behind enemy lines, fought several engagments where they were absolutely outnumbered, and finally either survived captivity in absolutely unimaginable conditions or walked 120 miles without food or water to safety. A remarkable story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not very enjoyable
Review: I bought this DVD with high expectations and was very disappointed. The video quality is very poor--even for a movie made for television. What I expected was a fast paced military adventure film;not a thinly veiled propaganda screed. Another gripe I have about this particular film is that the British actors speak so quickly and with such accent that I lost alot of the dialogue. I have a very high regard for the star , Sean Bean , from the Richard Sharpe series of about 10 years ago , but in this film he winds up looking like a serving of hamburger helper from all of the beatings he absorbs in Iraqi captivity. Not a pleasant film to view , and DEFINITELY not for younger viewers. I have never reviewed a film in a really negative manner before , but unfortunately , this one desereves it. Barely 2 stars. Not recommended.Save your money on this one.
Rating:
Summary: A True Tale of Bravery Under Fire
Review: I gather that this is a well know story in The UK, yet I, for one, didn't know anything about the mission until seeing the film on Showtime recently. It is one compelling tale, and a highly realistic treatment of modern warfare, especially as practiced by special forces units in both the British and US military. It centers on a secret SAS mission early in Desert Storm. Sgt Andy McNab's unit is helicoptered in to the middle of nowhere in Norther Iraq, with orders to reconnoiter Scud Missile sites. It is supposed to be less than a 24 hr hour quick-in/quick-out assignment. Yet from almost the time they are dropped off, they lose radio contact with command. Then things start to really deteriorate. They find themselves exposed in what is essentially open desert, badly outgunned, and in a country extremely hostile. Eventually, after inflicting an amaziing number of casualties on their enemy, all but one of the seven man unit is either captured, or killed. What happens to McNab and his comrades in Iraqi custody makes the Turkish prison scenes in MIDNIGHT EXPRESS look like a trip to Club Med. It's by far the most graphic, brutal depiction of prisoner interrogation I've ever seen. It really verges on over the top at times, but one is reminded that this is a true story. I don't know where this movie was made, but it's actually rather amazing that the filmmakers could get this large a cast of middle easterners to reenact some of these war and prison scenes. Rather like the logistical problems that faced the creators of BLACK HAWK DOWN, which was filmed in Morocco. I notice on IMDB that the country of origin is South Africa, but that only confuses me more. It's a BBC production, so they usually find a way, TRAFFIK, being a good example. I've seen several reviewer complaints about the poor quality of the DVD transfer. I watched it on Cable, so can't comment on that. The print that I saw had no problems. The cast of Bravo Two Zero is uniformly (no pun intended) excellent. Sean Bean, known to most American audiences for his role of Boromir in THE LORD OF THE RINGS, delivers as usual. I thought he was great in THE BIG EMPTY recently, as well. Tom Clegg, a veteran director of British Television, does a yeomanlike job of keeping it real here. What struck me in the final alaysis is how McNab downplays his ordeal. He expresses no lasting bitterness towards his captor/torturers. He says they were doing their duty, as well, though perhaps enjoying it just a bit too much. He also jokes that he didn't immediately turn tree hugger after getting back home. He and his men were just being soldiers, and what soldiers they were/are! They should not be forgotten. This movie is unforgettable as well. BEK
Rating:
Summary: Fairly Good Movie, but accurate?
Review: I have seen both this movie and "The One That Got Away" (the story of Chris Ryan's escape from the Bravo-Two-Zero debacle). All in all, it's an okay action movie. Sean Bean plays a good role, and the banter, mannerisms and attitudes protrayed in the film are fairly typical of UK servicemen. The story does seem a little slow in places, but in general I thought it was a better production than "The One That Got Away". Definately a movie for guys. However, whether the story is a true representation of events will probably never be fully known. Chris Ryan paints a different picture of McNab and events surrounding the mission, and an excellent book, titled "Eye of the Storm" (by Peter Ratcliffe, the RSM of 22SAS during the Gulf War) gives yet another and uncomplimentary view of both McNab's and Ryan's versions.
Rating:
Summary: Fairly Good Movie, but accurate?
Review: I have seen both this movie and "The One That Got Away" (the story of Chris Ryan's escape from the Bravo-Two-Zero debacle). All in all, it's an okay action movie. Sean Bean plays a good role, and the banter, mannerisms and attitudes protrayed in the film are fairly typical of UK servicemen. The story does seem a little slow in places, but in general I thought it was a better production than "The One That Got Away". Definately a movie for guys. However, whether the story is a true representation of events will probably never be fully known. Chris Ryan paints a different picture of McNab and events surrounding the mission, and an excellent book, titled "Eye of the Storm" (by Peter Ratcliffe, the RSM of 22SAS during the Gulf War) gives yet another and uncomplimentary view of both McNab's and Ryan's versions.
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