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Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

List Price: $19.94
Your Price: $14.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant memorial
Review: Plain and simple,this film is an incredibly accurate tribute to the men of the Rangers and delta force. The film stays very close to Mark Bowden's best seller which is a no BS account of the combat actions in Mogadishu. With Ridley Scott one can expect nothing less than a beautifully filmed, visually stunning piece of film art. Throughout the film one might feel as though they are watching live combat camera footage rather than some violent, and silly action movie. In the end I found Black Hawk Down to be a tribute to America's bravest warriors as well as a great memorial to the soldiers lost on that terrible day.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: War
Review: this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The effects and the scenes are perfect. It gives you the feeling that you are actually in the war or watching it from outside live. the things that you see while watching the movie are not the things we see in our world but the movie gives us the idea that there is a totaly different world out there that we have to understand how lucky we are.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Will leave you proud to be an American
Review: This was a great movie. I agree that they didn't "build up" any particular characters (said another reviewer).....but if you have enough sense, you will realize the movie isn't about "characters", it's about the heros that are on our Armed Forces & the true events that went on those 2 days in Samalia. There is no reason to "build characters" in this film...they are all US Troopers...they are ALL protecting us and fighting to make the world a better place. This movie has tons of action, and is up there with Saving Private Ryan in ratings...a very good film. GO SEE IT!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: BHD
Review: First, see this movie. I personally was amazed at how many young girls (15 - 81) were in attendance when I saw it. A very good effort by this crew. I am disappointed in the comments of some "international" raters about the event this film relates. They are child-like, xenophobic and generally anti-USA. No, I'm not a simpleton. I myself am a naturalized US citizen. I also graduated from the US Army's Ranger School in the mid-70's and have served in a variety infanty and special operations assignments. I have 2 friends...one was in the 75th Regiment (Ranger) and one is still in SFOD-D...and both were involved in the operation this film relates. This movie gives the general public a mere glimpse of what special operations put on the line every day. This movie tried to explain the American fighting man and why we fight. There were subtle points, too. Little points made included the discipline in how we fight. The film shows the only automatic firing done by the US fighters was (and still is) with machine guns or SMGs (3 round bursts). One target, one bullet. The amazing, genuine bravery of Sergeants Shugart and Gordon in their repeated requests to be able to go to ground at the second crash site for whoever might be there, was THE capstone of the movie for me personally. That type of knowing sacrifice is what has made the US the incredible nation it is today. Not limp-wristed Britons (and others) writing comments about the depiction of American bravery and idealism.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you are wondering - The movie is realistic!
Review: I was there, and the movie shows exactly what the fighting was like. If you want to know what it's like to risk your life for all of those who stay at home, watch cable TV, and eat at Denny's - watch this movie! I just wish the movie would have given some more credit to the Malaysians who, together with the 10th Mountain Division, deserve credit for getting us out. They took casualties too, and the convoy did not exist exclusively of armored personnel carriers, neither did it just appear out of nowhere in the morning, they had driven through this city, and taken fire all night long. Also, no one had to sprint after the convoy, and no one cheered for us.
All in all a good movie though, it brought back memories I had long tried to forget.
Brothers forever!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: OZYMANDIAS...............?
Review: Interesting - How will we be remembered? As a nation bringing enlightenment to other less fortunate nations or as warmongers, neutralizing unique national individual spirit and filling the world with soft drinks, muzac, and prozac?

Yep, folks. 'tis a noisy, flashy, bloody and disturbing movie and perhaps the enlistment figures will accelerate. BUT in some ways it does seem to be such a waste, more of a stirring of emotions and a whipping up of the national spirit - Yep! Again Hollywood showing us the "actual warfare" - but so much of the picture seems missing.......what about the civilians? Granted we lost a few good men, but what is the long-term impact of this work/deed? Then - naturally - I understand that there were a few character/script changes [one survivor is currently in prison], etc.

Not too accurate, but an interesting journey - interesting too to watch the movie with a young audience, and to listen to the comments, after the end credits roll.

Read or re-read Shelley's "Ozymandias" though........

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you haven't seen it get in your car and go NOW!
Review: The title says it all "If you haven't seen it get in your car and go NOW!". Easily the best picture this year a possibly the best war picture ever created. I am so sick and tired of hollywood glamorizing war just like in this past summer's "Pearl Harbor". Bruckheimer and Scott took out all the stops in creating one of the most riviting war movies that is in the ranks of "Saving Privae Ryan". Josh Hartnett, Ewen MacGregor, Tom Sizemore are just afew that made this movie so powerful. Not one person I have talked to has seed asingle negative thing about "Black Hawk Down". I saw the movie on Friday and then again on Saturday and will probably see it again in the next few weeks. I doesn't matter if you are afan of war movies or not, if you have an American spirirt inside of you these movie will change your life.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AMAZING!!!
Review: AMAZING!!! That is correct. Black Hawk Down is THE best war film of all time. Saving Private Ryan is a great movie, but move over Spielberg...Ridley Scott is in town and he has taken over.

This movie is incredibly realistic with action and emotion. When I was in the theatres, I just felt for these guys...everything seemed so real...when someone died, you feel for them in a way as they're your friend.

I'm not a huge fan of Josh Hartnett. His role in Pearl Harbor was good (too bad Pearl Harbor was dissapointing though), but Hartnett had a great performance in BHD.

One of the Somalians says, "We don't want the democracy like the U.S. has...It's different on this side of the world, we kill to negotiate." It's terrible. It's just like what's going on now with the Afgans. They don't want to be like us...they don't want to have democracy, so they kill. This movie makes you open your eyes even more on how this world is so messed up and crazy.

Josh Hartnett says in the movie, "I'm here to make a difference." He is absolutely right. This movie makes you appreciate even more on what the military has done fo America and what they are doing for us now.

This is indeed a masterpiece by Ridley Scott...A classic in my book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: AMAZING FILM...
Review: 'Black Hawk Down' is an amazing film that is very factual and provides 2 and 1/2 hours of heart-pounding action. What these young men went through and triumphed over is unfathomable in my mind and I have so much respect for each and every man and woman in the armed forces. I read the book by Mark Bowden before seeing the film and i was worried it wouldn't be as factual and graphic as what I had read, but i was surprised that the film surpassed my expectations. I recommend anyone and everyone see this film because you will come out of the theatre touched and proud...(...)

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Your average run of the mill war flick
Review: First off, let me say that I have the highest respect for the men and women of the U.S. armed services. What they do is sheer bravery and courage, so it disappoints me to see a film like Black Hawk Down. From 2 of Hollywood's most overrated filmmakers (director Ridley Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer) comes this true life story of a botched operation in Mogadishu. Over 1,000 Somalis (or "skinnies" as they are so affectionately referred to in the film) and 18 U.S. soldiers lost their lives after 2 black hawk helicopters were shot down in the midst of thousands of angry Somali militia members.

About the only good thing this movie does is show in a not that graphic manner that war is indeed hell. It makes you sympathize with the characters, not because you get to know them, but because it places you right in the middle of the fighting with them. Indeed, there is ZERO character delevopment in this film. I've seen better character development in 20 minute episodes of Justice League. The only characters you care about are the actors you know and like. Eric Bana (soon to be playing Dr. Bruce Banner) was pretty cool as an uncaring super soldier, and it was refreshing to see Richard Tyson (Cullen Crisp in Kindergarten Cop) in another role...even if he hardly said anything.

Now I'm not gonna argue about the historical accuracy of the film. One because from all I've read, the film pretty accurately portrays what actually happened. And two, because I'm a film student, so I don't argue about what's accurate or not. Films are made to be dramatic and should help the audience engage in a willing suspension of disbelief. What Black Hawk Down did was leave the audience out of the whole process. The film stumbles from the start with odd bits of expostion and loopy and cliche dialogue. All you're meant to know is that all Somalis are bad. Plain and simple. Once the action kicks in (following the shots of the helicopters flying over the beach which was oddly familiar to the same scene in Predator), it's air ramps and blood packs for all! In all seriousness, this film is not that graphic. Sure, one guy's hand gets mangled, another man gets blown in half, and another soldier gets an RPG lodged in his abdomen, but because of Ridley Scott's flinching eye and cautious manner, hardly any of it is shown. The rest of the violence (i.e. the machine gun and helicopter mini gun hits) look like your average Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sly Stallone violence. It really detracts from the seriousness and overall dramatic impact of the film. And because much of it is shot in slow motion (not for effect as in Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line, or Three Kings, but simply because it looks cool), it makes it that much more unbelievable.

In my opinion, this film is no better than Pearl Harbor. You've got lots of pretty boy actors (none of whom you can tell apart, but not like you care who's who anyhow) running around acting like this is the greatest project they'll ever work on while serving up one campy line of dialogue after another. But like Pearl Harbor, this film does inform those who did not know about the incident. So at least it does some good. I'm sure all of you in the armed services who read this will curse me, but like I said, I respect you. I'm not arguing about the historical aspects of the film. I'm arguing about the "film" aspects of the film. Many reviews I've read complain about how all those who hate any war movie has never seen combat, and thus can't render an opinion. To those people, I say read my review. I offered up a disclaimer. I'm all for making films based on actual incidents, like Black Hawk Down. But while Black Hawk Down accurately portrayed a real tragedy, it ultimately failed as a film...Like Pearl Harbor (also produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and also starring Josh Hartnett...strange). About the only awards this should be nominated for are sound effects and sound effects editing.


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