Rating: 
Summary: We were soldiers once... and young
Review: We were soldiers is a harrowing story of an Army regiment surrounded by the N. Vietnam Army. Not only were they surrounded, but there was more than 4 enemy soldiers for every American. Based on a book (We were soldiers once...and young-by Col. Harold G. Moore, Joseph Galloway (Contributor)) the movie follows not only the battle but it touches into the family lives of the brave men. The battle takes place in the La Drang valley at LZ X-ray (you may have heard of that one before if you are familiar with the Vietnam War). They men had to not only fight to stay alive, but they needed to cope with their fear and they needed to keep it together. If you liked Black Hawk Down (the movie) then you would like this one and probably like it better because it tells you a little more about what was going on. Personally, I thought BHD was great, and this one was exceptional. I would reccommend this movie to anyone.
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Summary: Mel Gibson Does it Again.
Review: If you are looking for a movie that is losely based on a true story this isn't it. No added fictional story line and it doesn't need it. This is just about the one battle and about true heroism. Shows us what our service men and women go through for us despite the politics. Mel Gibson does it again.
Rating: 
Summary: We Were Soldiers
Review: The movie was a good, not perfect, portrayal of the events that occured in November 1965. The movie fairly closely follows the book and for those viewers interested in getting the full story should get a copy of the book. Anyone who does this will see that the battle really lasts over three days with a separate battle occuring the following two days. The movie follows the book up to about the and of the second day. Then the Hollywood licence takes over and changes the ending of the fight so that Col. Hal Moore, a battalion commander of the 7th Cavalry, looks larger than life. Col. Moore ,who co-authored the book, was an outstanding officer and his actions and preparations that battle probably saved the lives of many of his soldiers so I was a bit disappointed to see that the film elaborated needlessly to make him appear almost superhuman. This fact has been critized by other reviewers and I believe the blame lies on the writer and director and not on the acting abillities of Mel Gibson. I will not spoil the ending for those who haven't yet seen the movie but I will say that the ending is a little more glorious than the actual end of fighting on the third day. Sadly what happens on the 4th and 5th days isn't mentioned in the movie and for those who feel the movie ends on too much of an upbeat note for such a grim war, they should definately read the book. It would be an interesting contrast for a film maker to produce a movie showing the second battle that involved the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Cavalry. This second battle was the ominous sign of things ahead for the U.S. Military in Vietnam.
All in all the movie shows a fairly accurate portrayal of the events and the thinking of the American military at the beginning of the Vietnam War. Viewers should remember that this is before the attitudes changed at home and it became an unpopular war. It is a good contrast from movies like Platoon which shows the war after the change has occured. For those who have seen Platoon, the character Sgt. Elias, played by Willem Dafoe, is a veteran of the Ia Drang battles that are portrayed in this film. It is definately a movie that should be seen by anyone interested in understanding what the American military experience was like in that turbulent era.
Rating: 
Summary: Corny drama, superb battle scenes, decent movie.
Review: We Were Soldiers suffers from some of the same problems as Mel Gibson's previous "epic" war film, The Patriot, namely corny drama. Here's an example, when one of the wive's of the soldiers going off to battle believes that a "no whites" sign on a store is referring to clothing. That's the perfect eye-roller. Gibson's character is a little too hard to swallow, the fact that he's almost completely perfect. He's a loving family man and a courageous leader who never ducks or even flinches in the heat of combat. But as far as combat goes, which makes up the majority of the film's last seventy minutes (making it about as action-packed as Black Hawk Down), this movie does succeed. The combat scenes are probably the best ever filmed for a film set in the Vietnam era and while they don't mirror the shaky grit of what Ridley Scott accomplished, they're effective and bloody convincing (and I do mean bloody, this is a nasty, ultra-violent film). In fact, those who didn't like Scott's "in your face" style (and yes, you know who you are) will probably find Randall Wallace's more "basic" choreography to their tastes. The Zulu-style plot (the "good guys" being heavily outnumbered by the enemy) will also hold a lot of appeal, as there always seems to be a certain appeal to rooting for the underdog (again, Black Hawk Down featured the same elements, to an even more extreme degree, as that event featured 100 American Rangers and Delta Force against possible tens of thousands of Somalis in the heart of the country's capital city). The performances are mostly top-notch, with Mel Gibson and Barry Pepper coming across the best. Yes, Gibson's role really isn't well-written from a certain point-of-view, but there's no denying he does great work. Pepper might just be a big star in the future, so long as he chooses works that show off his abilities.
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Summary: The Healing .
Review: Due to the length of my review I've divided it to two : one discusses primarily the significance of this motion picture , the other one summarizes the plot extensively . *At first , a warning - this movie is , in part , a terrible visual experience and one of the hardest I have ever seen . Prepare yourself .
Part one : Reasons to see/ significance .
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A question you might ask could be : "why should I take my time to see another Vietnam War movie ?"
My answer would be : " because I don't recall they have ever done such a movie about that war " .
"We were Soldiers" deals with the Vietnam War like no other movie I have seen . I suppose the distance of time and the proclivities of today's producers allow perspectives and purposes that were unpopular in the following decades after the war . First and foremost , I agree with the director that the main purpose of the film is to heal the veterans . There were so many wounded casualties of the public's opinion that suffered just as much - and more - after they returned home , than they had suffered throughout the Vietnam ordeal itself . We have read about it and seen it in numerous films . We have also seen many critic views about the war from Hollywood that apparently hurt the veterans as well . It's time it's stopped . The filmmakers say : "Let others ask the questions about why they were where they were and why they did that they did , it does no good anymore , anyway" .
The realization of the main goal is given form with a firm and harsh view at how one of the first real engagements of warfare looked like from the infantryman's eyes (see veterans reviews for confirmation). That done , without intending to judge the men who were sent by their country to serve . In other words , the film recognizes the tribulations the soldiers went through and the immense sacrifices they had to make . By doing so , it helps those men if just to feel a little better regarding their personal history and actions . In that it assists the healing process of the old wounds they carry deep inside . In a way , I think it does well with the Vietcong's vets too . In here the enemy is given one of the fairest and balanced trials I've seen . More than ever we acknowledge and identify with his aims , missions , struggles and pain . Perhaps when coming from the American point of view it means something to them and makes them feel better too . The movie also shows the angle of the wives back home , scenes that are familiar here in Israel , but are always important at showing how the lives of the close ones that are left behind continue , or more accurately stand still in the face of a war . Part two : The plot and the cast .
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"We Were Soldiers" is divided into two parts - the preface to the fight that is to come , and the battle itself . The exposition presents most of the heroes of our story : Colonel Hal Moore (Gibson) , his wife Julie (Madeline Stowe ) , the sergeant major (Sam Elliot) and Jack Geoghegan (Chris Klein) to name a few . Here the movie concentrates mainly on Gibson and his family plus the forming and training of his battalion . The focal point is the fear of Gibson from the hell he knows he is going to face in the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam . This part is rather bearable (tension wise) owning to number of scenes about the ideal family (Moore's) and the forming of campaign leaders , but at the same time uneasy knowing what is to come . The body of the film is the incarnation of hell when Moore and his men set their feet on the Vietcong's turf . The shootings , bombing and body count begin immediately and are almost unbearable . I've never seen such concentrated sights of death , slaughter and destruction . In this region "We were Soldiers" sets a new record ; it's a long step forward in the presentation of war realism that easily surpasses the bloodiest sights of Gibson's "BraveHeart" and "the Patriot" together . The stardom of Gibson is set-aside a bit in the wake of the ongoing battle , as different men and their actions for good or ill are highlighted . Gibson shines again in portraying the agony and pain his character suffers from ; this happens on account of the speeding number of the dead bodies of his men , while holding the leader-commander position and being in charge of everything . Throughout the movie this sense of personal lose and great responsibility is evident in Gibson's performance and in many ways it's a continuance of his stature appearances in previous films . In the heat of the battle a young reporter (Barry Pepper) joins the film's staff and fighting men to cover the combat . For a while , he takes on a leading roll as the story concentrates in his experiences and reactions to the horrible trials surrounding him . To me , he represents the common viewer's reactions if dropped , at this point , into the fire : shocked , terrified and disbelieving he is witnessing such reality . In fulfilling that goal he is successful and does a great job . Madeline Stowe is the leading actress at the U.S. , where the women are waiting in awe for news from the front . She delivers a commendable appearance portraying the wife of Hal Moore , who takes hold of the difficult duty of telling the bad news about the husbands to the family at the home base . ============================================================== I've waited for a long time to see this movie , was shocked by the sights , and after I've digested its important aspects , I think I can see the importance and significance of this movie .
In the end , I hope I have helped you to see them too .
Rating:
Summary: Go For trurth,not as a critic, this is americas son's histor
Review: I would recommend that anyone that is under the age of 30 or anyone who only paid attention to newspaper and TV blurbs, Go see this movie. It's not about whose the best actor, or is this the best war film (i recommend to the gentleman who wrote that he wanted to slit his wrist, save the dying fo a good cause, he now has the oppurtunity to join the service and see the real thing) This is the unrecognized americas son's who went, served,loved, laughed, cried, and died for thier country. The old saying some gave all, all gave some is held true in this film. Nobody came home whole, it's time we seen and remembered and recognized what they did.
Rating:
Summary: Barry Pepper at his best, Mel Gibson at his worst
Review: The Battle sequences in this movie are the blandest in all of God's Creation (even the ones from "the last valley" are better) the realism exists only in the blood and gore and nothing else. The soldiers often display that they have a lower iq than salad (really) by jumping out of cover just in time to be hit by approximitly 80,000 machine gun bullets and does that stop any of the others from doing the same? noooo the morons keep jumping up until about three are left.Aside from having terrible battle scenes Mel Gibson [acts] even worse than he did in the patriot and even Sam Elliot fails to act like a protien based life form.
So there I was in the theatre dangerously close to slitting my rists to end the agony when all of a sudden POOF Barry Pepper appears on the screen and suddenly the movie starts getting better! the battle scenes are now gripping and gritty (these are often intterupted by a stupid and pointless attempt at emotion involving the soldiers wives ALL of whom are apparently not racist which is weird for something based in the sixties) Sam Elliot suddenly acts convincing, even Mel Gibson loses that stupid frown he got while directing Braveheart. Finaly the movie ends anti-climaticly (although with a really cool song sung by a scottish dude) and I go to see Time Machine and dream of the day when Mel Gibson quits acting.Saving Private Ryan, The Thin Red Line,and even ... Battlefeild Earth are SOOOOOO Much Better.
Rating:
Summary: Just Amazing
Review: Great casting, amazing battle scenes, and powerful emotions are all combined to give you such a wonderful experience in "We Were Soldiers." For fans of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Black Hawk Down," I would definitely recomend this picture. It will touch your heart and leave you breathless. It may even bring tears to your eyes. This film shows the passion and care that these men had not only for their country, but also for each other. Its a wonderful movie and if you don't see it, you're missing something amazing.
Rating:
Summary: TOUCHING
Review: MY SON IS IN THE ARMY AND HAD JUST BEEN SENT OVER SEAS WHEN I WATCHED THIS MOVIE .OH I WAS IN AW ALL THROUGH THIS MOVIE . INSTEAD OF FEELING SCARED FOR HIM OVER SEAS I WAS PROUD TO BE HIS MOTHER . THANK- YOU MEL GIBSON FOR A WONDERFUL STORY...
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Summary: Greatest Action Movie Ever
Review: I have watched so many action movies. I went to the theater to watch this. The minute it was over, I wanted to turn around and pay for tickets all over again to watch it right then! It truly touched my heart, and I haven't said that about a lot of movies. If you don't watch this, you are missing out on the greates action movie ever!
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