Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I am a civil war re-enactor and this movie in the re-enactoring world got really worked up before it came out. When it finally came out it was a bit of a let down. I hate to nock on this film. Dont get me wrong it was good film because I love all Civil War films, but there were a lot of flaws in it: charactor development, visual graphics, battles. A lot of people thought it was going to be like Gettsysburg but it was not. But all and all it OK.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst Civil War Film Ever
Review: Wow, I'm not sure 1,000 words are enough to describe the horrible injustice this movie does to Shaara's brilliant book of the same name. Perhaps they would have done better to leave Shaara out of it and named the movie "The Tragic Tale of Stonewall Jackson" Stephen Lang gives an excruciatingly painful performance as the brilliant Southern General, having seen some of Lang's other work I'm tempted to blame the writer's or directors for this laugher.Believe me, I am no stranger to the Civil War. I am a Cival War maniac, I take Civil War vacations, and all this movie inspired in me was a strong desire to turn it off... Historical fans spend your money on the book or get the DVD Gettysburg based on the novel "The Killer Angels" Its a billion times better than this piece of trash and deserving of your hard earned money...
Rating:
Summary: From a Civil War Historian: The WORST Movie I've Ever Seen
Review: I desperately wanted to like this movie. The Civil War is one of my passions and I enjoy anything by the Shaaras (although the son is not a 10th the writer his father was). This was, however, without question the WORST movie I have ever seen in terms of its presentation of history and its pure execution as a film. The History: As another reviewer pointed out, it is a stunningly one-sided, if not downright offensive apologia for the South. From the ridiculously inaccurate, fawning portrait of Stonewall Jackson, (whose views on Slavery were notably not "progressive" as suggested in the movie)to the "yas massuh-we-so-happy-to-be-slaves-go-get-dem-yankees" portrayal of the slaves, it is amazing to me that this movie was made with a straight face by a group that claims to want an historically balanced and accurate story. The Movie: everything about the execution of the film is horrible and amatuerish. The dialogue is excuciatingly slow, dull and usually amounts to laughably forced soliloquys (real people, even in the 19th century, just didn't talk like that). The acting by everyone, including the noticeably fleshier and worn-looking hold-overs from Maxwell's infinitely better movie Gettysburg (e.g., Jeff Daniels as Chamberlein)is wooden and unconvincing. The battles, which figure incredibly lackluster special effects in their occasional cut-scenes to CG figures, are the worst I have ever scene on film, portraying no sense of the troop movements and positions, the field strategies adopted, the unit tactics used, the bravery of the men or the scale of the fighting. Basically, they all consist of a lot of grievously overweight, superannuated reeanactors running about aimlessly and staging comically fake deaths (the average Civil War soldier was about 18, 5'6, very, very thin (to the point of emaciation, at least on the Southern side) and could march at least 20 miles a day; a 2 mile march would cause all the old, fat men you see wadling around to suffer a massive coronary). And its LONG. I have NO difficulty with movies that last three, four or even five hours if the execution of the film can support it (e.g., Lawrence of Arabia, Brannaugh's Hamlet, even Maxwell's own Gettysburg). But I felt every minute, every second of these four hours and begged for it to be over. Indeed, this movie is such a infuriating missed opportunity for Civil War enthusiasts, makes so many errors and has such an offensive slant that it is impossible to even revel in its badness, as one does Plan 9 from Outer Space. My advice: save your money. If you want a Civil War movie, buy Gettysburg, Glory (one of the five best movies of all time) or Houston's Red Bage of Courage. This movie should be immediately consigned to "the ash heap of history."
Rating: 
Summary: A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
Review: An enlightening , and for many, I'm sure, an uneasy and even shocking epic that gives the Southern viewpoint of the war that tore the nation apart,in some ways, forever. If it were'nt for the fact that the vast majority of movies made about the civil war up to now paid more attention to the reasons why the North went to war and either distorted or disregarded those of the South, this movie's most glaring fault (other than the mistake of leaving out the Antietam Campaign), would be it's nearly exclusive obsession with the Southern Cause. Well Done!
Rating: 
Summary: Gods and Generals
Review: Excellent movie for Civil War buffs a little long good home viewing.
Rating:
Summary: GOOD... BUT NOT GREAT.
Review: THIS FILM WAS GOOD... BUT NOT GREAT. THE PERFORMANCES WERE FANTASTIC. ROBERT DUVALL DEFINATLEY GIVES A GOLDEN GLOBE AND POSSIBLY AN OSCAR WORTHY PERFORMANCE AS ROBERT E. LEE. I LIKE MARTIN SHEEN AS THAT CHARACTER IN "GETTYSBERG" BUT HIS SCENES WERE MORE LESSONED THAN DUVALL. STEPHAN LANG(A VERY UNDERRATED ACTOR) GIVES A STUNNING PERFORMANCE AS "STONEWALL" JACKSON, A LEGENDARY FIGURE IN MY AND MANY MORE'S EYES. AND JEFF DANIELS WAS VERY UNDERUSED, FOR AN ACTOR OF HIS STATURE. THE ONLY THING I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THIS FILM IS THAT THE WHOLE FIRST HOUR AND A HALF IS STONEWALL'S INTRODUCTION, AND ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES WAS GIVEN TO DANIELS, WHO WAS GOOD IN HIS SHORT TIME. ALTHOUGH GETTYSBERG IS THE SEEMINGLY BETTER CHOICE, THIS FILM HAS A MORE THEATRICAL PRESSENCE. WHAT EVER YOU DO, DO NOT LISTEN TO BAD REVIEWS, JUDGE IT YOURSELF, AND DON'T BE A WIMP, ABOUT THE 3 AND A HALF HOURS, SOME OF THE GREATEST FILMS OF ALL TIME HAVE BEEN THAT AND LONGER LIKE DANCES WITH WOLVES, SPARTACUS, GIANT, AND OF COURSE GETTYSBERG, *** OUT OF *****... ENJOY.
Rating:
Summary: A little self-involved but good for the history buff
Review: Having spent a few years in the reigon this movie was made I can tell you that the overall depiction of the genteel society is right on, albeit a bit dramatic. I was dissapointed that several key historic battles were skipped, but especially Jacksons's wilderness campaign as he seemed to be one of the pivotal characters in the movie. I did find some of the pontification on the part of some of the actors a bit preachy at times, but the long winded speaches were usually mitigated with very realistic depictions of the battles that were covered. Among the most poignant moments was the meeting of the Irish brigades during the battle of Fredricksburgh. I give credit to the director and the writers for avoiding the mistakes made in the first movie, there is little apology or examination of the socio-political reasoning behind a very dark time; and the depictions of characters are less charicatures and more true to what you'd expect of soldiers from both sides of the fence. On the whole a good movie for the fan of history, and chances are that if you're a student of southern and confederate history you've gotten used to the long-winded speaches southern men and women are oft guilty of. General Lee provides the most important lesson of the war; "It is well that war is so horrible, else we should grow too fond of it."
Rating:
Summary: Stonewall Jackson - Man of God, Man of War
Review: Wow, the movie was great. I took my 13 yr old daughter and my 14 year old son and we all were disappointed when this movie ended. This movie shows history without trying to filter it thru the eyes of modern man. Stonewall Jackson is the main character. I came away from this movie with a new respect for him. Talk about your complex characters. He's a prayer warrior and a warrior. We can't wait for the VHS to come out so that we can watch it over and over.
Rating:
Summary: Worst Movie I've EVER Seen
Review: I genuinely wanted to like this film, but it dragged from the very beginning. I was relieved when I was under the impression that it was ending, and I let out "oh thank god" as it faded to black. As the word "Intermission" came on screen I swore quite loudly, that had only been near two hours, yet it felt far longer than the three hours and forty minutes this movie was supposed to be. The movie is too drawn out, has for all practical purposes one battle scene, and focuses on people from the North for no reason when they seem to be making a point about the South during the period. If they want to talk about the South, then focus solely on the South, if they want to focus on the North, then do that. But both is a ticket to boredom and an incoherent plotline. And that's just what Gods and Generals gives you. Don't buy this film unless you like pain.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie...Wish I could see the longer version
Review: Gods and Generals is an excellent movie. Unfortunately, it doesn't fit the current demographic of target moviegoers (teenagers), and convinced Ted Turner to basically forget ever releasing the third part of the trilogy (The Last Full Measure). Also too bad is the fact that the supposed six hour cut might never be released, as I suspect some criticisms of the movie may be answered by this version. Contrary to many people's opinion, this movie is not Southern propoganda. No Dixie propaganda piece would have Chamberlain's discussion about the war with his brother in it. It is just telling the story from the point of view of southerners. As this movie is the story of Stonewall Jackson, the Last Full Measure would likely be the story of Ulysses S. Grant, and would amazingly seem too biased to the North. Despite this, I could have used a little more mention of why northerners joined the war. Showing men from Illinois and Massachusetts as well as Virginia going off to war would have been a nice addition to the movie. I suspect the six hour version has more Chamberlain and Hancock, which is why this version must be released. Please buy this movie, and buy it as a gift for someone else. Despite being almost four hours long, it is a very smooth flowing time. Hopefully, Shaara and Maxwell will convince Turner to move forward with "The Last Full Measure". Good sales returns on the DVD of "Gods and Generals" will definitely help.
|
