Rating: 
Summary: Cares more about pleasing than making audiences think
Review: War movies must not be just entertaintment .They have to be made with more maturity and seriousness simply because they deal with history . We Were Soldiers is a decent effort by director Wallace to tell a part of the story of the Vietnam War . It's basic message seems to be this : both Vietnamese and Americans had great casualties , both of them suffered . Yet what it fails to do is to actually present the paranoia of war and the psychological situation those young soldiers found themselfs into . "This is a war we will never understand " says a voice at the beginning of the film and indeed it is . The US had send it's own kids to fight to an unknown country and to give their lives for a war taking place outside it's border , in a nation which didn't threaten the security nor the integrity of their homeland . Despite that though , the film has scenes of men dying on the battlefield while saying things like " save those codes... i'm glad i'm dying for my country " . These were young people full of prespectives and dreams who were facing the danger of not growing old , having children and live their lives they way they would want to , all for a war which on final analysis ... was not theirs . So how did they feel about being there ? Were they more patriotic or anxious and horrified ? It's been more than 20 years since Francis Ford Copolla had directed Apocalypse Now , the most horrific and challenging Vietnam story ever to be told . It hasn't even been a decade since Terence Mallick had made The Thin Red Line , one of the greatest war movies ever - a film which condemns war no matter who is fighting who - . We Were Soldiers is afraid to even touch subjects these films had deeply explored . Furthermore , Mel Gibson remains one of these few hollywood stars who are still unwilling to take a risk and play something else beside the hero or the cool guy while the Vietnamese share of pain is not even being merely presented . It's understandable to want to honour the men of our country who lost their lives on the battlefield but what the world needs now is to actually face our history's mistakes and condemn war at every chance , even through blockbuster movies .
Rating: 
Summary: "Hate war, love the American warrior." Hal Moore.
Review: Finally there is a movie about the Vietnam War that puts the politics aside and tells the true story from the perspective of the participants, both combatants and those loved ones they left behind. I did not serve in the Vietnam War nor, fortunately, have I ever been in combat, therefore I have absolutely no right to make judgements about how accurately the fighting portrayed in this film is. However, I have read the book co-written by Lt. Gen. Hal Moore (Ret.) and Joseph Galloway and what I saw portrayed in the film was extremely close to what I read in the book. Like the book, the film does not glorify war and violence, but it justifiably glorifies the courage and valor of all those who serve our country in times of war. This is not surprising since both men were consultants on the film. The only real criticism I have is that because of the necessary use of time compression, there are times in the film when, if they have not read the book, the viewer may lose track of what is occuring where and when on the battlefield. In closing I would like to say a personal Thank You to all the men and women who served the United States during the Vietnam War.
Rating:
Summary: We Were Soldiers Once...More Disturbing than Private Ryan...
Review: If you have a desire to see a realistic portrayal of what the Vietnam War was really all about in the mid to late sixties, you need to see "We Were Soldiers".
Based on a book co-authored by Colonel Hal Moore, this movie depicts an account of the actual happenings at Landing Zone X-Ray as the United States forces, numbering 400, faced 2000 Vietnamese soldiers, as they attempted to prove the feasibility of helicopter-assisted deployment of ground troops into hostile territory.
Directed by Randall Wallace and released in 2002, this movie features Mel Gibson in the leading role as Colonel Hal Moore, Commander of his division of the 7th Cavalry. Colonel Moore's wife is portrayed by Madelaine Stowe. Sam Elliot is in a supporting role as Colonel Moore's second in command. The running time for this film is 138 minutes.
Set in various places, from the training camp to the battlefield, this film depicts the classic struggle of man against man. The plot follows the actual, although at times dramaticized, account of the happenings during the United States first encounter with the North Vietnamese in what would eventually become the Vietnam War.
I gave this movie a four star rating, because the acting seemed to be somewhat stiff, especially in the case of Mel Gibson, and to a lesser extent Sam Elliot. I am used to seeing these actors connect better with the audience. No warm fuzzies here, more down to business with the cold, hard facts. However, I don't know the gentlemen they portrayed personally, so it is possible these were accurate representations of the men involved. Only their families know for sure.
I believe this movie was more disturbing than "Saving Private Ryan", although "Ryan" probably wins the gore factor comparison. What I found to be most disturbing was the apparent expendable nature of the U.S. soldiers portrayed. When the engagement was over, I was somewhat at a loss to determine what was won, or who really won. Perhaps that is the message of this movie, no one really wins when it comes to war.
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Summary: I Was Never A Soldier BUT as the wife of a Vietnam Veteran
Review: I don't know that any movie can EVER capture a war, a battle, or a skirmish. I was never a soldier BUT this is one of the best films of i have ever seen that tried to depict the Vietnam War in all of its human-ness, humane-ness and soldier "spirit" before it all went so wrong. This is not going to be the last movie that is made about Vietnam and I don't know if any movie will be able to capture everything that was right or wrong about that war. But this was the first movie that gave me a sliver of an idea about what this war meant to the "real" soldiers that tried to fight this war and what it might have been like to be proud of what they did over there. This was also the only movie I have EVER seen that tried to show the effects of battle on the military wives and their families.
Cudos to Mr. Wallace for his effort!
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Summary: Home Run
Review: I really wasn't sure what to expect with Mel Gibson playing this type of role. I should have known better. Mel Gibson's portrayal of Hal Moore is absolutely the best. He shows that in order to be a true leader you must put your men first and always have their best interests at heart. Moore/Gibson shows that he truly cared for his men and contrary to a "by the book" leader, he took a very personal interest in getting them all home. They were his responsibility and he made sure that he was the first person in harms way and the last person to get to safety.
Kind of funny...in a way this is a love story, not about the kind of love between a man and a woman but rather about the love comrades in arms have for each other, the kind of love only they can truly understand. Warriors don't fight for flags or countries, or ideals...they fight for their buddies. Worth every penny.
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Summary: War, Victory, and Love
Review: We Were Soldiers released in 2002 is based on the factual events that occurred in Vietnam in 1965. The writer/director Randall Wallace captures all sides of war in this movie. Mel Gibson portrays Lt. Colonel Hal Moore who is in charge of 395 U.S. Air Calvary men who are being shipped to Vietnam. He is the leader of the 7th Calvary, the same Calvary number as Custard. Madeline Stowe plays his wife who has to face her own challenges while he is out to war. This film is based in Vietnam where these men are involved in a new type of war involving helicopters. It illustrates what the U.S. Air Calvary, the Vietnamese Army, and what these soldiers' wives are going through during this battle. This movie shows Lt. Colonel Hal Moore as a father figure who has much religious faith. The U.S. Air Calvary must go against all odds of being outnumbered by the Vietnam soldiers. This movie was very intense and focused as much on the individuals in the battle as the battle itself. It portrays the courage that all of these characters had. Madeline Stowe had the horrendous task of informing the soldiers' wives of their death. She knew that her own telegram could be coming, but she still went on day after day delivering them. This movie even had a group of men lost, against all odds they found ways to survive surrounded by enemies. This movie was very graphic and would not be recommended for young viewers. It would make any person want to go out and join the army. These soldiers were faced with many odds and like many times the government doesn't want to let on how intense things really were over there when this battle was happening.
Rating:
Summary: Read the (excellent) book instead
Review: Synopsis: We Were Soldiers tells the story of the first large-scale battle between U.S. forces and North Vietnamese, November 14-16, 1965, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The fight was also the first test of our Army's brand new "air mobile" tactical doctrine, which would become a signature of U.S. troop deployment in Vietnam. Lt. Colonel Hal Moore and 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment (George Custer's old outfit), were inserted by helicopter into the Ia Drang Valley, where Army Intelligence suspected that North Vietnamese Army (NVA) units were headquartered. What Moore and his men didn't know, but were about to find out, was that several NVA divisions - numbering thousands of troops - were waiting for them in the Chu Pong Massif overlooking the Ia Drang. After three days of constant, fierce fighting and severe attrition to both sides, the North Vietnamese broke off the engagement and left the field to the Americans. The movie follows Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), as he prepares his green troops for Vietnam, then chronicles their bloody struggle at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang. It also highlights the effect of the struggle on the families left behind, including Moore's wife Julie (Madeleine Stowe) and children. The Good: We Were Soldiers benefits from the talents of such likeable stars as Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliot, Barry Pepper, and of course Mel Gibson. It also devotes some time to the North Vietnamese view of the battle, which is unique and welcome. The Bad: An instructive comparison can be drawn between We Were Soldiers and Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down. Both are based on true stories of Americans who faced battles against long odds and prevailed through skill and courage. Whereas Black Hawk Down hews very close to its unflinchingly objective source material, though, We Were Soldiers pulls out all the stops to manipulate our feelings. Randall Wallace, who shanked one last year with Pearl Harbor, errs even more grievously this time with a cheesy script and heavy-handed direction. His players are good, but they can't save this one. Shame on Wallace for failing to do justice to Hal Moore and Joe Galloway's moving yet unsentimental account of the battle. The Bottom Line: The Vietnam War has produced a remarkable crop of great films. We Were Soldiers is not one of them. Read the book instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst War Movie EVER!
Review: We Were Soldiers is nothing more than a post-9-11 feel good movie with a predictable theme casting America as the international good guy fighting for peace and freedom. It portrays the battle of the Ia Drang as a stunning American victory when in fact the battle highlights serious deficiencies in our tactics that ultimately led to our defeat in Vietnam. You won't see scenes of soldiers burning down villages with Zippos and clearing free-fire zones, or of helicopter gunships firing indiscriminately into the jungle. This film conveniently ignores all the controversy, turmoil, and painful images that spring to mind at the mere mention of Vietnam. The actual filmmaking is as laudable as its content. The setting is supposed to be in Vietnam, but the film editors failed to crop out the many oak trees dotting the background. The characters -- all of whom manage to remain relatively clean and dry in what should be sweltering equatorial heat -- are nothing more than a series of stereotypes along the lines of an old John Wayne movie. In one scene a soldier tells Mel Gibson that he spent time in the Peace Corps building homes for orphans in Africa and that he hopes he won't make any new orphans in Vietnam. The two then kneel and pray together. While the movie is worth renting to see how silly the dialogue and acting is, don't expect a war movie that portrays men in a desperate fight for survival among chaos and destruction. Instead see Blackhawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, Platoon, or Apocalypse Now. On the other hand, if you're looking for a movie to justify America acting on behalf of colonial ideals to maintain our hegemony over the Third World, We Were Soldiers at least makes the attempt.
Rating:
Summary: Good War Movie
Review: We Were Soldiers is a movie about the Vietnam Conflict that shows the first major engagement between US soldiers and the North Vietnamese Regulars. The movie does an excellent job potraying the events of the first skirmish of the Ia Drang battle in 1965. There are a few shortfalls though. I have never been to Vietnam, or seen the real Ia Drang Valley, but Vietnam portrayed in this movie looks like California to me. I was also dismayed at the Hollywood style ending of the movie. I beleive that the screenwriter, who also happens to be the director, should have stayed true to the book. The entire Battle of Ia Drang was over 35 days, whereas the movie only shows us the first three days. Thus, the viewer gets a falsified sense of victory out of the movie. Consequently, the movie is a good war movie; I would put it in my top 5 favorite war movies.
Rating:
Summary: A view from the belly of the beast
Review: I'm not a veteran -- of any conflict. So I can't say how realistic 'We Were Soldiers' is. But it was a very emotional experience, and I'm not an emotional sort. I'm a contemporary of the Vietnam veterans, and this film really drove home the suffering, the fear, the horror many went through on behalf of an indifferent, sometimes hostile nation. The film really attempts to humanize both sides in the battle. This isn't an old 1950's 'fearless Audie Murphy slaughters thousands of the enemy as they charge his position' kind of war movie. Yes, there are lots of gory special effects. But the real message is 'These were men who did what their country asked of them, despite the risk. These were families who lost loved ones in a war many of us didn't really understand or want to know about'.
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