One Man's Hero

Rating:
Summary: A great story told badly
Review: The story of the San Patricio battalion and the Mexican-American war is a compelling one - a group of American soldiers (primarily Irish) end up joining the Mexican army, largely due to the anti-catholic sentiment in the US at the time. The movie One man's Hero does a reasonably good job of getting the basics right, although many layers and details of the story are altered or left out.

Unfortunately, the movie fails as a movie and the story isn't enough to save it. There are some good performances by some of the supporting cast, who outshine the primary actors. Tom Berenger sleepwalks through the picture, mumbling in an affected Irish brogue. Daniela Romo, a female lead thrown in because somebody felt a love interest was necessary, manages two facial expressions - a worried smile and a worried non-smile. Some of the other primaries may have talent, but it's difficult to say as they are drawn as caricatures and not allowed to show any depth (General Taylor's character being a notable exception).

The battle and fight scenes are boring, seeming out-of-place and disconnected from the rest of the movie. The movie as a whole is ridden with cliches; you can see the plot "twists" coming well in advance. The personal relationships pop up with little or no explanation, I guess Riley (Berenger) must fall in love with Marta (Romo) at first sight because there's darn little leading up to it (yes, she nurses him back to health but he was unconscious at the time).

I am interested in this aspect of the Mexican-American War and had done some reading and research on the topic prior to seeing One Man's Hero. I sat down to watch the film ready to enjoy a great story; the story is a good one and would probably make a great movie, unfortunately One Man's Hero isn't it. Anyone interested in the San Patricio battalion is probably better off skipping this movie and reading one of the several books on it (including one by Michael Hogan, who was a consultant for One Man's Hero).

Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: The United States was guilty of aggression and guilty of taking advantage of Mexico's political chaos at the time, but this film is full of sad anti-US drivel. It also is guilty of playing Mexicans into a tired old stereotype. ... One could debate history on this all day but this movie fails as history and as a film (bad script etc.). The love triangle is passionless. ...

Rating:
Summary: Yawn...
Review: The United States was guilty of aggression and guilty of taking advantage of Mexico's political chaos at the time, but this film is full of sad anti-US drivel. It also is guilty of playing Mexicans into a tired old stereotype. ... One could debate history on this all day but this movie fails as history and as a film (bad script etc.). The love triangle is passionless. ...

Rating:
Summary: Ouch
Review: This boring movie tells the story of a group of Irish Immigrants who joined the United States Army only for the sake of getting the citizenship. Once they did, they betray this very army because "they're" discriminated on religious and ethnic views.

A smart man once said "Believe nothing what you hear, and only half of what you see". Apart from historical dates, I don't think any of what we've seen in this movie actually happened. It possibly couldn't.

If Oscars were given for the bad movies - this one surely would get at least 10.

Don't waste your time on this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Ouch
Review: This boring movie tells the story of a group of Irish Immigrants who joined the United States Army only for the sake of getting the citizenship. Once they did, they betray this very army because "they're" discriminated on religious and ethnic views.

A smart man once said "Believe nothing what you hear, and only half of what you see". Apart from historical dates, I don't think any of what we've seen in this movie actually happened. It possibly couldn't.

If Oscars were given for the bad movies - this one surely would get at least 10.

Don't waste your time on this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Liberty and Justice for All?
Review: This movie is by no means an example of film making excellence with its sub-par acting and props and sets indicative of a parsimonious budget. However, it successfully conveys the message that the United States wasn't the bulwark of liberty, justice, equality, freedom, and other human virtues we were all led to believe it was while attending history classes in school. Without a distinctive anti-American "flavor", this flick displays the pervasive human flaws of prejudice, discrimination, ignorance, and hypocrisy that unfortunately were ubiquitous in the United States Army during that period of time. It indeed has a story to tell; of the little-known band of immigrants who initially risked their lives for the United States, but defected to Mexico to fight for the other side after being victimized by the cruelties inflicted on them by the American Army. Unless you have a genuine interest in the period of history depicted in this picture, you probably won't find this film too interesting.

Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: This was a great movie, the fact that displayed the mexican-american war does not mean is anti-american, and should not be a way to be anti-american. It is just lessons to be learned to avoid doing the same mistakes over and over.

Rating:
Summary: Not up to Berenger's previous period pieces
Review: Tom Berenger obviously has a keen interest in U.S. Military History. With works like Platoon, Gettysburg, The Rough Riders and now One Man's Hero, it is easy to see where Berenger's interests lie. Whether it is a poor script, a small budget, or a story told from only one side, this work is not up to par with any of his previous pieces.

The movie tells the true story of the San Patricios, the St Patrick's Brigade, a group of U.S Army soldiers of mostly Irish descent who fled to Mexico prior to and during hostilities between the U.S and Mexico. Whether you view this as desertion or principle, the movie is not up to telling the story in an even remotely compelling or interesting way.

The budget is obviously scant, and with that comes compromises on the sets and scenery, especially the battle scenes, which have a TV-like quality to them. Also lacking is any real passion from the cast. Here lie a group of men who should be agonizing over their fate; are they deserters, traitors, heroes? Instead, we are treated to a silly hide and seek romance between Berenger and a local villager who also happens to be the "woman" of the local Pancho Villa-like rogue.

However, why this movie misses the mark, is it's complete lack of interest in telling a balanced and hisotrically accurate story. The greatness of any art is not measured so much by whether or not you agree with the characters actions, but whether or not you can be sympathetic with their course. The constant anti-American drumbeat was hard to take for 2 hours.

The movie portrays the war as the fault of naked aggression and expansionist motives by the U.S. In fact, both sides had an opportunity to avoid hostilities. Did the U.S see our march to the Pacific as Manifest Destiny, of course? But the Mexicans also harassed Texans for nearly 10 years after they won their independence and steadfastly refused to recognize the Rio Grande as the rightful border. The U.S also paid Mexico $15M after our victory. Also, the vast majority of Irish did not desert or leave the U.S Army. In fact, most stayed and fought. You would not know this from the movie.

In all, a sub-par effort, but not entirely without some value for historical film buffs.

Rating:
Summary: The truth hurts... don't u think so?.... :o)
Review: Traitors?... Honourable men?... This is a question than touchs inside our patriotic feelings... unfortunately in the both sides the true history is covered by their convenience or by fears to our "friendly" northern nearby country.
The fact is than the history related is true, the files exists, but U know... the winner always tell the story at their own convenience. Those infamous war was one of the firsts in all over the world yankee invasion.
I hope many mexican see this film, and begin to consider at their real size to the american (by the way... all of us are american, the U.S.A. ones are GRINGOS) to despise their way of life and maybe to feel sorrow for ther poor lifes with lack of familiar and personal values.
About the technical resources... yes, they are poor, but the feeling and performance is the important fact, but I know in USA market the important are not the contents, is the lights, efects and a big budget...
Thanks Mr. Hool and Mr. Berenger for having the courage to tell the true story.

Rating:
Summary: Hokey-Pokey History
Review: Why spend so much money on falsh information. Any San Patricio that was branded deserted before May 13, 1846. General Taylor Didn't set foot into Mexico until May 18.You see the deserters leave the army in Mexico. Why wasn't O'Riley Hung? You read the true history.