Black Hawk Down

Rating:
Summary: Black Hawk Down
Review: This has got to be one of the most intense movies I have ever seen. Take "Saving Private Ryan's" first 20 minutes and extend it for 2 hours. The intensity levels stays with you throughout the movie. I read the book and it depicts the scenes right out of the book hardly missing a beat. It is rare that the story line follows the book. It did in this case. Great book, great movie. Definitely a must see. The fact that this actually happened makes it even more realistic. I left the theater feeling what those men must have felt being there.

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Summary: The feel-bad movie of 2001.....
Review: I spent most of Black Hawk Down's running time sitting in my seat with my fists curled in helpless rage....How could something like this happen?

The film details the true events that unfolded in Somalia when a "routine" mission to abduct a local Warlord's top men went horribly awry. A 30-minute, in-and-out, snatch-and grab turned into 16 hours of Hell on Earth, as American troops were stranded in hostile territory, surrounded by not only the local Militia, but thousands of heavily armed civilians as well. (While the "Bomb 'em all!!" mindset may seem overly simplistic, Somalia certainly seems in NEED of a good bombing.....)

Director Ridley Scott does his usual great job, delivering a well-told, great-looking film, told in unflinching detail. Anyone who thinks war is glamorous should see this film.

My only beef is the casting of several British Actors: Ewan McGregor, Orlando Bloom, and Jason Isaacs all delivered their lines with very unconvincing accents, and it took you out of the "world" the film had created. On the other hand, Aussie actor Eric Bana was superb as the quiet, driven Delta Force operative, Hoot.

This is an important piece of American Military history that all Americans should learn a little bit more about.

Rating:
Summary: Gut Wrenching
Review: This is an important movie in the aftermath of 9/11. It is not a "patriotic" movie that glorifies US military might, it strips away politcs and paints the true picture of american soldiers as individual heros.

As the choppers lift off, I felt like I was in my F14 on the cat, but the exhilaration was short-lived. This movie is emotionally gripping and exhausting, its chaotic action is horrific, the individual vignettes heartbreaking and inspiring. Don't expect to follow the details of the story precisely, this movie is about close-combat action as it happens, just let your heart and stomach do your thinking for you. I will now get the book to read it for details. I have never felt such awe and pride for our soldiers. I cursed the idiots who conceived the mission, mourned every US casualty, felt the camaraderie, cheered countless individual acts of heroism and felt the emptiness and exhaustion when the battle was over. SEE THIS MOVIE.

Rating:
Summary: "Only the dead escape War" .... Plato
Review: Ridley Scott's "Black Hawk Down" begins ominously with the above quotation from Plato.
It is Somalia, 1993 and President Clinton has ordered the US Rangers into Somalia to capture Aidid and his lieutenants who have thus far killed 300,000 of their own people; both by cold blooded murder and by starvation.
The United States troops are so confident of a quick victory that they take only hand and automatic rifles and very little else to what was predicted to be a 45 minute skirmish which ended up being a 16 hour street war. The US are woefully under-weaponed and under-staffed as the Somalians proceed to fell 2 Black Hawk Heliocopters... hence the name of the film. The US troops underestimated the ferocity with which the rag-tag Somalians would defend their city and after approx 19 of our men are killed...we pulled out, retreated really from Somalia.
This is the first of what I will call the "Modern" War films, in that Heliocopter video cameras catch all of the action while General William Garrison (Sam Shepard) calls the shots from a base outside of Mogadishu, based on these video pictures. He's a God-like figure manipulating fate from a place up high and removed from the action. It's like a real-life, real consequence PlayStation2 game. Heretofore, and think of any war film before this one, whether it be the Civil War, WWI,WWII, or Vietnam...war communication was conducted by hand messages, telephone, telegraph on maybe still pictures. "Black Hawk Down" begins the era of the new film war...the first real war film of the new Millenium.
Even though Josh Hartnett is given top billing and he does a fine job, he is only part of a superb ensemble of which Eric Bana, Tom Sizemore, Ewan McGregor, William Fichter and Enrico Murciano are standouts.
As with all Ridley Scott films the physical production is first rate: camerawork, use of color, sound and music are extrememly effective. The tone of "Black Hawk Down" is very much like "Apocalypse Now" in that both films have an over-riding sense of impending doom and futility. Yet BHD also reminds me very much of another Ridley Scott film, "Gladiator" especially in regards to the nobility and perserverence of the human spirit.

Rating:
Summary: It Blew Me Away...LITERALLY!!!
Review: This film has all the makings of BEST PICTURE for 2002. It is the best film I have seen since 2000. It tops everyone I saw in 2001. If you liked "Saving Private Ryan", you'll love this even more. "Ryan" was a Hollywood war movie. "Black Hawk Down" is so real you think the footage was taken from actual combat. Every actor is a star. The realism is chilling and meanigful. It captures the reailties of war. This 135-minute film is the best war film I have seen. What makes it so unique in this genre is that every character becomes real...like your friend or brother. The sound track is spectacular, and the editing is a masterpiece. I didn't see a flaw in the transitioning from scene to scene. If the DVD had been on sale in the foyer of the theatre, I would have purchased it on the spot. I'll be shocked if it doesn't get nominated for Best Flick of the Year...and it's only the second week in January. DON'T MISS IT!

Rating:
Summary: a great film
Review: this movie was of ot the best moves i have ever seen. the war shots were awesome and the acting was supurb. josh hartnett did a wonderful job, along with ewan mcgregor. there were many actors from the movie pearl harbor, and i personally think the actors gave a great depiction of the movie. the best movie of the year

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Summary: war: what is it good for?
Review: Currently, Black Hawk Down is only playing at four theatres nationwide. I was lucky enough to find one of them. I was not, however, lucky enough to score a ticket. Did I let that stop me? I think not. This is a brilliant movie, summed up perfectly by its epigraph: "Only the dead have seen the end of war." This movie is so good, I want to post Ridley Scott the 8 bucks I should have paid to see it. It was refreshing to see a war movie that didn't resort to hokey sentimentality but still had heart and humanity.

As an added bonus, this film is a veritable who's who of young up-and-coming British actors (if you like that sort of thing - I know I do), featuring Ewan McGregor (sigh), his Trainspotting costar Ewen Bremner, Ioan Gruffudd, Orlando Bloom, and others. It's fun to listen to them attempt American accents, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. I'm easily amused, in case you haven't figured that out.

Josh Hartnett also proves he is more than eye candy. The boy can act! I hereby forgive him for Pearl Harbor.

I could go on and on, but there's no need. All you need to know is that it's amazing.

Rating:
Summary: In the Action
Review: "Black Hawk Down," is not a message movie, but Ridley Scott does manage to squeeze a few thoughts (though not many) into his magnificently choreographed movie. Plato serves as Mr. Scott's intellectual anchor with a quote as to the inevitability of war, and we get to see that "war is hell," but idea wise it's down-hill from there. But, as idea free as it may be, this is an astounding movie. It's essentially two hours of action in a two and a half hour film, and it is unrelenting, thrilling, and as good a depictation of combat as you will ever see. Every frame is filled with danger, and the tension of completing a mission through the fog of battle is palpable. "Black Hawk Down" is bound to reap a few Academy Awards, and Tom Sizemore may even get a nod for "Best Supporting Actor," but the awards won't be in the acting category as most of the boys in this all-boy flick were adequate to their roles but nothing special. This is a masterful action flick, and if you like war movies you'll love "Black Hawk Down."

Rating:
Summary: Best war/action film in years!
Review: Not since "Platoon" have I left a theater with the feeling that I was going be shot at on the way to my car. This film is both shocking, and beautiful. From the sound of the helicopters taking off, and round after round of bullets screaming, you are there. Ridley Scott, as well as every cast member, make every frame of this over two hour war movie into a pure, and emotional glimps of what life is like to be a special forces ranger in battle. This movie comes at a great time, and no matter what you hear, see this film. You will always remember it. Expect it to be a classic. As 'The Matrix' benchmarked sci-fi films, 'Black Hawk Down' shatters all molds for war films. Bloody, and loud, it's not a movie everyone may like, but damn it's good! Not once did I sit waiting for the bite of action, instead, I sat motionless while every cinematic frame pounded me into my seat. A great film. Best action / war film in many years. To Ridley Scott and all involved.. thank you for a beautiful film!

Rating:
Summary: Gritty stuff!
Review: If you're looking for a stellar directory performance by Scott, you won't find it in this movie. Much the same non-plussed feeling that 'Hannibal' gave its Scott fans. If you're expecting hoorahs when the cavalry comes to the rescue, mind you it comes too late for that. This is a gutsy and graphic depiction of modern warfare. Fortunately we are spared the depiction of our fallen comrades' bodies being dragged through the Somali streets, but little else is spared in this retelling of the fateful Special Forces mission.

'Saving Private Ryan' gave us good character development which gave the film a special quality. 'Blackhawk', however, does not offer this. The characters, although performances are quite good, are too well blended in the storyline to stand out. What it does offer is a look into the brotherhood that our troops commit to when under fire. And it does this well. Scott gives us a memorable film, to say the least. Just, not a great one. It's still worth the price of admission.

The visuals are difficult to watch, the viloence is relentless and sometimes overwhelming.