Rating: 
Summary: Great film, too little historical facts in the supplements
Review: This is an excellent film. For me, I enjoyed watching how the commanders of both sides came to their decisions in the course of the battle. The scenes of the domestic front, both in America and in Vietnam, added to the pathos of the tragedy which resulted from this important battle. My points are largely for the film, and not for the supplements.The DVD has three supplements - a commentary, a short film on the production of the film, and ten deleted scenes with commentary. The commentary can be repetitive. Mr. Wallace has three themes it would appear - how magnificent his actors are, how true his movie is to the actual events, and the brilliant cinematography of his lead camera man. I found myself predicting his statements before he even uttered them. The thing I missed most from this dvd is historical background into the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in 1965. The movie passes very quickly over the history of Vietnam after World War II, with a quick snapshot of the failed French campaign in the mid - 1950's to Washington ordering a massive mobilization of troops to the region in 1965. If this had been included I would have given the DVD a much higher rating.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great War Movie
Review: My brother actually fought in the war, and said this movie's depiction was pretty accurate. I actually don't think it depicts Americans as cicilized and galliant like some other people have said, it just shows that they had better technology. This is probablly one of the best Vietnam war movies, arughbly second only too Platoon. It is spot on to the book it was based on too. All and all it was a realistic great war movie!
Rating:
Summary: Our generations "Saving Pvt. Ryan."
Review: What Saving Pvt Ryan did for "The Greatest Generation" We were soldier does for my generation. I HAD to see Pvt Ryan the first day it hit the big screen, I wanted to. When the movie was over I had to sit and collect myself. (A lady that was sitting in front of me patted my shoulder when she left) I was to go home that night and write a review for The Strawberry Fields Daily Movement, I couldn't, I had to wait till the next day. This is such a powerful telling of the early days of Vienam. How true men of valor could and DID act under pressure. As I wrote for the SFDM, "gone are the days of the old John Wayne movies where a soldier clutches his chest and falls over nice and clean. If you are the least bit sqeemish about seeing the effects of steel invading the human body think twice about seeing this movie."
If this movie doesn't collect several awards I want the academy investigated!
Rating: 
Summary: A disgrace to those who served. . .
Review: This movie was for a lack of a better word, horrific. It makes a mockery of those who fought and died, those who suffered, in the Vietnam Conflict. Anyone with even the basest knowledge of the history surrounding the United States involvement in the war, and Ia Drang in paticular, would find this cliched attempt appalling. Be warned, what I will say below may spoil some of the story of this pathetic entry in cinematic history, so read on at your own risk. The Ia Drang battle was the polar oppisite of this depiction. First, no one knew there was NVA in the area; U.S. forces stumbled upon them and radioed for back-up. Moore was not present when the combat began. Even if you put aside this for dramatic purposes, the fact remains that no military operation in that period would be carried out in that fashion. You have no helicopter gunships flying air support; soldiers keep getting shuttled in without any of them making an attempt to set up a perimeter (in fact, a perimeter is never established); you have a Lieutenant Colonel on the front lines instead of establishing a command post and directing his troops (once again, no command center is created in the field during the entire film, and instead of leading, good old Mel is offering support to the wounded; the NVA bunker magically acquires electricity from some magical source without any possible way to logistically and realistically obtain it; you see frontline soldiers with there rifle safetey's on, thus creating suspense when they click them off and start a fire fight (give me a break); death letters are delivered by Yellow Taxi (on a military base *rolls eyes*) by a cab driver through Western Union telegrams, instantaneously from the field of battle, without any positive identification (in reality, casualty notices are delivered by a military officer and a chaplain as many as two weeks after the death); this also gives rise to tension later when a Yellow Taxi pulls up outside Moore's house, and the wife thinks it could be a KIA notice (despite the fact she would know beforehand that her husband was returning and meet him on the airstrip) only to see Moore himself (delivered in a taxi, even though he's a Colonel); On the battlefield, every plane in use during Vietnam delivers airsupport from an aircraft carrier , despite the fact that the battle occurs in the central highlands; heroic charges appear throughout the movie (and they even did this wrong; instead of arraying themselves in a line, they cluster together); the appearence of Aspen and Cottonwood tree's in South Vietnam; and the indisputable fact the U.S lost the battle at the Ia Drang. . . This barely touches the surface. Even beyond the laughable innacurracies, the acting is horrible and cliched (there is not one original concept in this movie). This is a disgrace to those who fought and suffered during the Vietnam war; a laughable mockery of their sacrifice. . .
Rating: 
Summary: Good translation of the book to film
Review: This movie was a good translation of the book to film, although a little dramatic license was taken. A lot of other reviews encourage Rambo and Missing in Action. If you're as mindless as the reviewer's, and wish to wallow in ignorance instead of trying to visualize the reality of the Vietnam war, then by all means these films are for you. This was based on a true story, not fluff fiction, and it captured the chaotic reality of combat, and more importantly the dawn of modern helicopter warfare.
Rating:
Summary: Truckload of simplistic cliches
Review: Utterly unrealistic glorification of war. I happen to know a few real soldiers who fought on the other side. The war was much more brutal and savage and americans were much less civilised and gallant.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Film But The Genre Is Tired
Review: I expected this to be a great movie and I must say I was slightly let down. I was expecting a Vietnam version of Braveheart in a way which I suppose was a tough standard to beat. The bad thing though was that I had seen this after two other war movies, 'Behind Enemy Lines' and 'Black Hawk Down'. 'Black Hawk Down' was in my opinion a better film and 'Behind Enemy Lines' was very different in that it went more for a summer popcorn type of war movie. Mel Gibson is, as always, terrific here and Sam Elliot does a great job as well. This is a different film than 'Black Hawk Down' was in that it showed the enemy's viewpoint as well as the view on the homefront. I thought that this worked to the film's advantage.
I must however say that this is a better war movie than the recent John Woo film 'Windtalkers' which was, after four war films, nothing new. Explosions get a little less exciting and the story falters after the chain of recent war films but nevertheless this is a film that I would recommend if the subject matter is of interest.
Rating:
Summary: a guys take
Review: I love war movies, It has action and is intense but I also like it because it shows the womans side and how effects her and how they stay strong in times of war. Mel Gibson is the perfect actor for this movie. I like how it shows that he is a father to his childern and his men. So all in all I loved this movie and recomend it to anyone who loves war films. I also recomend black hawk down.
Rating:
Summary: "Touching, Intriguing, Wonderful"
Review: I am an avid reader of World History and have read more than 15 books on the Vietnam war, and
honestly this movie is the closest I have ever got in truly comprehending what actually happended
in November 1965. The way that Randall Wallace has composed this movie is exceptional. Acting by
both Mel Gibson and the epigrammatic, yet, stunning appearance by Chris Klien is superb. Just
superb. We sometimes tend to believe that war is just something ordinary. It just shows up at your doorstep. All you have to do is just fight off the enemy. You win you lose. You die, you survive.
Actually its really not that simple. Its a very complex scenario, a scenario I have never ever
experiened in any motion picture. Well yes, might have in "Saving private Ryan", but not till
the extent, which was shown in this motion picture. The cameras were truly right where the action
was. Not too far and not too close, just perfect. Its like youre actually there. Its like youre
the one with the gun, the one who the enemy is after, the one who needs to survive. The music is wonderfully composed. The timing is exact. I mean, in some of the previous
war movies, music just starts off without any rhime or reason. However, in this movie, it
just truly motivates you. At times, the movie touches you deep within. How people with families,
people with hopes, people with dreams just die in a war. And how both American and Vietnamese
soldiers died in November 1965. And most important of all, this movie is not only one sided,
but it refletcs adequate light on both the Vietnamese and the American side.
Rating:
Summary: ATROCIOUS TO THE LAST SECOND!!
Review: This was by far the worst movie of the year(it's up there with Goldmember) There was absolutely no heart to it. The carnage did not make up for it. I read the book before the movie and that [disappointed] too. Moore is a conceited man who just got as far as he did by blind luck. No amount of skill or experiance can help you avoid a bullet. In the book he sounds like he is a superheroe or something talking like he's some kind of great leader of men. Give me a break! He also contradicts himself in the book twice. I'm was in the military also, and when it comes to surviving, luck around shootings counts for alot more than people think. Don't waste your time with this book or movie, just go back to the RAMBO and BRADDOCK trilogys. There are more movies about Vietnam that are alot better than this one. As far as "getting it right", of course galloway and moore are going to say that, it's from their book. Wallace did an okay job and Gibson too, but don't give them too much credit. "Murdoch, I'm coming to get you!" That's a Vietnam flick!!
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