Rating: 
Summary: Compelling, profound look at modern warfare
Review: Black Hawk Down is an important film to watch in these times of war. It vividly and brutally portrays what war is like in an era of computers, helicopters, far range missiles, and select highly trained soldiers, without ever losing it's touch with the human side of the story or falling back on cliché. The film often feels like you're watching jazzed up news footage, with shaky news-camera type shot framing; the information always given bluntly through officers and soldiers giving orders. Thus, the profundity is taken from the visual cues, characters, and the chain of events of the story itself. The movie is extremely intense, the action and violence rarely stopping, yet unlike a lot of war films, it never feels gratuitous (shooting-for-the-heck-of-it-with-no-cinematic-reason), and the violence, special effects (crashing, building destruction, explosions) and gore don't look fake and are probably the most realistic fighting scenes I've ever seen. It all just adds to the realism and psuedo-documentary feel of the film. Suprisingly enough, it all helps the storyline as well. You must pay attention or lose track of the storyline and characters (hint: keep an eye on their helmets, their names are written on the helmet band, and it proves VERY useful in keeping track of the characters). Unlike some war films, the many characters, despite their fairly divided and limited amount of screentime, endear themselves to the viewer, and the actors showcase some excellent acting. This isn't an acting film whatsoever, with very little scope, time, or material for the actors to create memorable characters, but this film seems to overcome that, and the acting is one of the shining points of the film. In one bloody and intense scene (and my favorite scene of the film), a young soldier (who we're inconspicuously acquainted with earlier in the film) is seriously wounded, and the ensuing scene, though intensely bloody and not 'mushy', is also highly emotional. Scott and the actors just let the scene roll scene honestly and let it play out. The film is full of many such scenes, but it never once tries to manipulate your emotions. It is brutally honest and technical, sometimes confusing, but it was the news, is the stories of these men, and will one day be history. But even more than the freshly conceived look at the human cost of the war and the amazing street fighting sequences, probably the most compelling and exciting aspect of the film is learning about what happened in Mogadishu and seeing how modern wars are fought. I had known almost nothing about it, but the film very clearly lays out what happened, and shows the tactics and dangers that modern soldiers face while going into hostile territory. This film is an important look at modern life that will be a very important source for people in years to come, to see what modern combat is like. Ironically enough, a year after it was made, the world is seeing, live on the news, what modern war is made of. Hopefully it will shed some perspective on the dangers that our soldiers face on a day to day basis. It also shows how great filmmaker can still take an old subject and make it fresh and new, but most importantly, the film brilliantly shows that through the years human cost, bravery, suffering, and sacrifice hasn't and will not change.
Rating: 
Summary: A Cautionary Tale
Review: Black Hawk Down is the film adaptation of Mark Bowden's mesmerizing chronicle by the same name. It recounts a 1993 incident involving U.S. Special Forces in Somalia, a routine half-hour mission that turned into the longest sustained firefight involving U.S. forces since the Vietnam War. A mixed group of helicopter-borne Rangers, Delta Force, and a few SEALs, supported by air cover and a convoy of ground vehicles, converged on a busy marketplace in downtown Mogadishu in a lightning raid to capture two top lieutenants of renegade warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. The raiders were blindsided when literally thousands of Somali fighters emerged from the surrounding neighborhoods with machine guns, rockets, and other sophisticated weapons. Two blackhawk helicopters were quickly downed by rocket-propelled grenades, the ground convoy got battered and lost its way repeatedly trying to rescue the downed crews, and the entire force on foot found itself under seige until it was finally rescued the following morning. The casualties included 73 U.S. fighters wounded and 19 killed, as well as 500-1000 Somalis dead. Black Hawk Down has by and large received excellent reviews, and it deserves them. For one thing, the film balances a lot of difficult things well. It memorializes the heroism of the American fighters without glamorizing their struggle; it captures the savagery and squalor of the fight in paradoxically beautiful cinematography; and it conveys the confusion and complexity of the battle while making it (mostly) apprehensible. A note about that last point: it's still a good idea to read the book before seeing the movie if you have the luxury of doing so. Before it was over, the battle sprawled over much of central Mogadishu - a large city - and encompassed several different groups of men in different sites. Director Ridley Scott does an admirable job of making sense of it all, but it will still be clearer if you read about it in stupendous (but fascinating) detail in Bowden's account. Having said the foregoing, let me warn you that this is not a movie for everyone - far from it. Black Hawk Down is an exceptionally violent film. Not grauitously so: the violence is entirely in keeping with the truth of the event, and supports the themes of the film. But it's not easy to watch, all the same. One scene involving battlefield surgery, especially, is probably a good opportunity for the squeamish to hit the concession stand for a while. With material like this, the ideal of character development and strong individual performances goes somewhat by the wayside. There are necessarily too many faces, and too many events going on, for the film to linger for any length of time on one individual. (If you want character development, check out A Beautiful Mind.) Still, the performances here are quite good given their limited parameters. Josh Hartnett comes fully into his own as the leader of a Ranger squad (a "chalk") who fights to keep his team focused on survival. Among the other performances, I liked William Fichtner as a Delta Force sergeant who takes initiative at a critical moment in the fight. You may know Fichtner from ensemble parts in other movies, such as The Perfect Storm, where he played the edgy outsider Sully. As a film and as a historical document, Black Hawk Down definitely deserves your attention.
Rating:
Summary: Leave No Man Behind
Review: Black Hawk Down ranks as one of my top ten favorite films of all time for its intensely honest and compelling depiction of the complex reality of war. It is a stunning reminder that small conflicts are just as tragic and devastating as large-scale conflicts. It is unrelenting and vehement in its portrayal of U.S. Ranger soldiers and Delta Force commandos striving to help each other live through the firefight while fighting for their own survival. It is a truly hard-hitting and extremely effective insight into what it means to struggle for survival.
On October 3, 1993, a force of U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force commandos were sent into war-torn, famine-plagued Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The UN had been providing humanitarian aid for the poor, ravaged country. But their humanitarian projects failed due to the actions of the country's corrupt warlords who were taking the food supplies for themselves and slaughtering any rioters who opposed them. The soldiers' mission: capture the key lieutenants of the head Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid and bring them to justice, thus providing much-needed relief for the populace of Somalia.
Their operation is met with opposition on the part of the Somali people, and they manage to shoot down two Black Hawk helicopters. What follows is a day-long firefight between the U.S. soldiers and the Somali militia. During the conflict, the soldiers learn firsthand the meaning of war, camaraderie, and courage as they struggle for survival and strive to live out their creed: Leave No Man Behind.
Every aspect of Black Hawk Down is superbly compelling, realistic, and profound. The actors are top notch in their portrayals of humans under fire. The point this movie wants to make hits hard and clear. Director Ridley Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have reconstructed that fateful, tragic day in a superbly honest and straightforward way. Also, one of my favorite aspects of the film is its choreography. The gritty, grainy, color-drained choreography emphasizes well the chaos and confusion of war. It gives viewers the feeling of actually being there. It grabs you and pulls you into the action and doesn't let go until after the end credits roll. The soundtrack to this film is also excellent; it is very unique in sound and style.
In conclusion, I highly recommend Black Hawk Down to anyone age 13 and up. It is a film you will never forget. 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: As real as it can get for TV
Review: Can't compare this to any other war movie except maybe "Platoon" or "Hamburger Hill". I see some "critics" compare this to "Pearl Harbor". Pearl Harbor is nothing but a love drama. How many people who think this movie sucked actuallt seen combat.
Rating:
Summary: Great War Movie
Review: I recently bought the DVD for this movie and I have to say that I'm blown away by the movie about the operation to capture Adid in Mogadishu, Somalia in October '93. This movie is very accurate in showing the realities of combat and I think that this is a movie that will really convey to people what it's like to fight and die not only for their country, but for each other. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to know about what it's like in the heat of combat and the courage and fortitude of our soliders.
Rating: 
Summary: Stay Down
Review: Is it just me or does Hollywood officially operate as an arm of the U.S. State Department (It's NOT JUST ME?!) Black Hawk Down is every bit of a well-timed, racist, propaganda attempt that you should expect nowadays. Two of the most pandering filmmakers in Hollywood, Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Ridley Scott, have joined forces and you know what that means - out the window with history, in with the blood and guts. This has to be one of the bloodiest and goriest movies ever released by a major film studio. Imagine the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan stretched out over 150 minutes. The Somalians that are killed are reduced to a grunting brood, of faceless black savages, and although thousands of Somalians were killed during the course of this conflict, the viewer is left to mourn the deaths of approximately 18 American soldiers (who's characters are developed only a little better). There were times when I thought I was watching Tarzan; I was just waiting for the Somalians to put the soldiers in a big pot with carrots and potatoes. This vile attempt at rewriting history will undoubtedly be used to build popular support for a DESIRED military campaign/onslaught in Somalia some time in the near future (Gotta' catch Osama "Bond" Laden). Since September 11, Bush administration officials have held meetings with Hollywood representatives regarding the content of the movies and other material they produce, and in an meeting, Hollywood heads "committed themselves to new initiatives in support of the war on terrorism". Therefore it should come as no surprise that weeks before the release of Black Hawk Down, the Motion Picture Association of America held a private screening for senior White House advisers, and allowed them to make changes, or that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Oliver North attended the movie's Washington DC premiere. And it should also be no surprise that Somalian Americans and people of conscious were protesting and boycotting the film. Action packed and visually stimulating, Black Hawk Down will likely be one of the most expensive yet worthless movies you will ever see.
Rating:
Summary: A True Horror Film
Review: It just doesn't get any better than this. I've seen this film 4 times & it never ceases to astound me. The acting is exceptional, Ridley Scott is directing here at the peak of his powers & Pietro Scalia should have received an Oscar for the outstanding editing job. The film itself functions more like a rocket ride than just a war film. The word visceral comes to mind. Violent? Frightening? Absolutely! But to demonstrate the true impact of war, for the soldiers & for us, there is no alternative. I noticed a fellow customer said this film is better than SAVING PRIVATE RYAN; am I the only one who noticed the huge hole in that film's storyline? Move over THREE KINGS, FULL METAL JACKET, THE THIN RED LINE...BLACK HAWK DOWN may just be the greatest war film ever made. Why? Because a war film isn't just bullets & the terrible death of comrades. Ridley Scott has shown us the true horror. I know it will haunt my dreams......
Rating:
Summary: An extremely powerful war picture
Review: It's really that good! "Black Hawk Down" is one of the greatest war films I've seen, almost as good as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Platoon." Director Ridley Scott rarely has disappointed me; he is in top form here.
The film documents the events that took place on October 3-4, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force were assigned to arrest two lieutenants of warlord Mohammed Farrah Aidid. The raids were supposed to take 45 minutes, but two Black Hawk helicopters ended up being shot down, and it turned into a 16 hour bloodbath. In the end, 19 Americans and over 1,000 Somalis were killed. The film focuses on the American soldiers, played by such actors as Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, and William Fichtner. Sam Shepard and Orlando Bloom play smaller parts.
The acting? It was decent enough, but then it didn't have to be that great. Scott's direction was superb. The cinematography was outstanding, as well as the other technical aspects (the film received Oscars for Film Editing and Sound).
I can't tell you just how good "Black Hawk Down" is. It's the best war movie I've seen since "Saving Private Ryan" by far. Nothing else has come close. It's quite gory in some scenes, but it's well worth seeing.
Rating:
Summary: A Gripping and True War Story
Review: Josh Hartnett (SSgt. Matt Eversmann), Ewan McGregor (Spec. John Grimes), Tom Sizemore (Lt. Col. Danny McKnight), William Fichtner (Sfc. Jeff Sanderson), Sam Shepard (Maj. Gen. William F. Garrison), and Eric Bana (Sfc. Norm Gibson) star in this amazing movie about an actual event that occured in Somalia in the fall of 1993.
This film re-creates the siege of Mogadishu in October, 1993. An elite force of American Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are sent to capture the associates of Somali warlord Muhammad Farrah Aidid, whose regieme has lead to the starvation of countless numbers of Somalis. The mission is only suppoed to take forty five minutes, but it soon turns into a sixteen hour nightmare battle for survival. Two Blackhawk helicopters are shot down by rebel RPGs and the American ground forces are forced to fight their way to both crash sites to rescue the helicopter crewmembers. Nineteen Americans would ultimately lose their lives, while over a thousand Somalis would perish in the fighting.
This is one of the best war films I've seen. The acting is top notch, and the battle scenes are extremely realistic. The harsh realities of warfare and fighting are also reproduced with some very graphic and telling battle scenes.
I give this fine film my highest recommendation. Watch and see how the true fighting spirit, bravery, and camradarie of the American service personnel overcomes a situation that had went terribly wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Stay Down???
Review: My title is in response to another's offmark summary of the movie. The movie (while not totally accurate - read the book) is not a racist movie but a true depiction of the facts. The movie tastefully avoided the true gruesome pictures we all saw on magazine covers of the savages dragging a naked soldier through the streets of Somalia. Should we have put that into the movie? For those of you who want to see an excellent movie based on facts, watch this movie. I believe that we forgot about these men who risked their lives in order to bring stability to a 3rd world country full of corruption and genocide. There is a lot of action & blood in this movie but if you read the books written by the soldiers who served in this battle, the movie is a child's version of the facts. It's definitely up there with the best of the "war" movies - another great web site depicts actual radio futage and photos of the scene. It was put up by the Phila Inquirer & is worth seeing - great futage, photos, Q&A.
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