Rating: 
Summary: A life-changing experience
Review: "Bataan" came out when I was an impressionable boy of 11 or so. I will always remember the performance of Lloyd Nolan, who exhibits a combined rough, G.I. cynicism and controlled softness towards the young sailor (Walker's outstanding screen debut}. His character also presages the martial arts convention by beating, stabbing and strangling enemy soldiers in a mostly silent sequence that made us kids in the theater hear our own hearts only that much louder. A scene worthy of any director. The sub-interests are expertly suggested, such as the officer @ the nurse having a relationship, the Latino boy nuts about music @ the black private routinely digging the graves. The past between Sgt. Dane @ Pvt. Burns, subtly written, evokes the Army life I knew. The sound stage set is forgotten when one watches the intricately choreographed and energetic action sequences - unmatched for their sense of desperate, savage self defense until Pvt. Ryan. Many military veterans cite "Sands of Iwo Jima" as a motivation for voluteering for military service. Mine was "Bataan", the best combat movie ever.
Rating:
Summary: Very Memorable!
Review: "Bataan" is a very good movie about a small American unit digging in and fighting the Japanese. Robert Taylor is outstanding and is a good model of a leader in his portrayal of the Sergeant. He is in charge of an interesting mix of American troops with various strengths and weaknesses. It is a grim story but very worthwhile.
Rating: 
Summary: A vivid portrayal of the courageous defense of Bataan
Review: "Bataan" provides the viewer with a vivid portrayal of the courageous defense of the Bataan Penninsula from the perspective of front line troops holding out against the advancing Japanese. The circumstances on Bataan were bleak, and this film does an excellent job describing those circumstances, even though it was filmed during the war on a soundstage and before an accurate analysis of the Battle could be made.That the characters represent an odd assortment of soldiers from various non-combat units only demonstrates the dire circumstances faced by the defending forces. The film also realistically depicts the sickness, hunger and fear experienced by all Bataan defenders. My only gripe is that the film doesn't showcase any other aspects of the Battle, such as the Death March. Though the opening scene shows US-Filipino troops and refugees moving towards Bataan, nearly the entire film takes place in a jungle alcove overlooking a bridge that must be defended at all costs. I would have prefered an overview of the entire Battle. Hopefully, a film will be made sometime encompassing all aspects of the Battle of Bataan. Until then, "Bataan" does an excellent job describing the rugged tenacity and frustrations of those who fought on Bataan. Watch this film! The Battle of Bataan must not be forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: A vivid portrayal of the courageous defense of Bataan
Review: "Bataan" provides the viewer with a vivid portrayal of the courageous defense of the Bataan Penninsula from the perspective of front line troops holding out against the advancing Japanese. The circumstances on Bataan were bleak, and this film does an excellent job describing those circumstances, even though it was filmed during the war on a soundstage and before an accurate analysis of the Battle could be made. That the characters represent an odd assortment of soldiers from various non-combat units only demonstrates the dire circumstances faced by the defending forces. The film also realistically depicts the sickness, hunger and fear experienced by all Bataan defenders. My only gripe is that the film doesn't showcase any other aspects of the Battle, such as the Death March. Though the opening scene shows US-Filipino troops and refugees moving towards Bataan, nearly the entire film takes place in a jungle alcove overlooking a bridge that must be defended at all costs. I would have prefered an overview of the entire Battle. Hopefully, a film will be made sometime encompassing all aspects of the Battle of Bataan. Until then, "Bataan" does an excellent job describing the rugged tenacity and frustrations of those who fought on Bataan. Watch this film! The Battle of Bataan must not be forgotten.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable
Review: As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable
Review: As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable
Review: As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best War Films
Review: Bataan has to be one of the best war films I have ever seen. Robert Taylor is the sergeant leading a small group of men in the Philippines trying to hold off the Japanese by destroying a bridge that the Japanese keep rebuilding over and over. There's a sense of doom as you watch the film, since there is no way this motley crew of men can hold of the Japanese forever, and it does take on an "And Then There Were None" quality as the men fall one by one throughout the story. But the fighting is tough, brutal, and realistic, and all of the actors play their roles with conviction, with particular praise going to Taylor and Robert Walker. I would highly recommend this film to fans of war and action movies.
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Best War Films
Review: Bataan has to be one of the best war films I have ever seen. Robert Taylor is the sergeant leading a small group of men in the Philippines trying to hold off the Japanese by destroying a bridge that the Japanese keep rebuilding over and over. There's a sense of doom as you watch the film, since there is no way this motley crew of men can hold of the Japanese forever, and it does take on an "And Then There Were None" quality as the men fall one by one throughout the story. But the fighting is tough, brutal, and realistic, and all of the actors play their roles with conviction, with particular praise going to Taylor and Robert Walker. I would highly recommend this film to fans of war and action movies.
Rating:
Summary: War as it should be portrayed (by the propagandists)
Review: Bataan is one of those films that any fan of WWII films cannot miss. Although it was made after the Allies had started their comeback, the impact of the film is not diminished. The effect of Pearl Harbor was still an open wound. The portrayal of the Japanese as cold-blooded sub-human killers is chilling. As a rallying point for the campaign in the Pacific, it's perfect. Robert Taylor, well-known by this time as a handsome and suave leading man, steps out of his image to play a tough, cynical and thoroughly American hero. The final scene of this film says alot about the American attitude at the time, and about Americans as a national entity. This is a really cool war movie.
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