Rating: Summary: Wow! Review: Mel Gibson is such a great actor. He brings real life to the characters he plays and this movie is no exception. This is a first rate movie in any catagory. It truly captures, the way no other Holy-wierd film has, what it feels like to be in the thick of brutal combat. As a former United States Marine, my hope is that everyone who watches this movie will walk away with a much more profound understanding and appreciation of the cost of freedom we enjoy in this great nation. Our freedom is granted to us by the Warriors that our Armed Forces train; our freedom is not free. Watch this movie. If afterwards you can not better appreciate your citizenship in the USA, then....pick another country. Semper Fidelis!
Rating: Summary: A Chick and Guy flick all in one!!! Review: This is a movie that everyone should enjoy. It shows the struggles the wives of these soilders in vietnam go through as well as their struggles on the homefront for the women audiences who want a love story that tugs at the ol' heart strings. Its shows the men, the soilders on the front lines of battle for the men like myself who want an action packed movie. This is a perfect date movie, and what is great about this movie is you can practically put yourself in the positon of some of the characters. You tend to find yourself really identifying with their situation. Guys if your in the mood for an action packed movie, but your gal wants a romantic tear jerkering flick, We Were Soilders is the perfect compromise!
Rating: Summary: "As Good As It Gets!" Review: I Have Seen Many good movies, and some great, This is bar none one of the best! The movie pulls you in right away with real people that you care about. It then puts you in the most intense close quarter combat I could ever imagine. Then shows you both sides of this horrific battle. My Father told me about how it was in Vietnam, I always thought I understood as much as someone could that was not there. He always hated movies about the war he fought. He said they were not even close enough to be fiction. But I dragged him to this one because we are both Mel Gibson fans. My Dads is not a touchy, feely, guy but there were moments in the movie that he would grab my hand and say "Like that,Just Like That". He later told me that the movie was as close as anyone that was not there could ever hope to understand what it was like to be there.I now know enough to say that every one should know, and thank the men and women that must do what you and I only watch in movies, THIS IS A TRUE STORY ABOUT REAL LIVES, Honor there memories and see and own this "GREAT" movie.
Rating: Summary: Simply one of the best war movies ever made! Review: This is one of the best war movies ever made. First of all, it is based on the true-life experiences of Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (of the brutal battle of La Drang in Vietnam) and it is based on his book "We Were Soldiers". Second, it is the only movie that shows how the war affects both the men in the battlefield and their wives and families back home. Third, it depicts the thought processes and the stories of the commanders and soldiers on both sides -- the U.S. and the Vietnamese armies. Fourth, the movie shows what really happens on the battlefield -- in war, men die for their comrades in arms and not so much for political or moral causes. The actors in the movie are outstanding: Mel Gibson as Hal Moore, Sam Elliot as the Sergeant-Major, and Madeline Stowe as Hal Moore's courageous wife. The director/writer is Randall Wallace, the same writer who wrote the script for "Braveheart." I loved this movie because not only does it offer great performances but the story and acting are all true-to-life. It is not a "Hollywood" war movie. I bet you'll enjoy this movie as much as I did. Highly recommended!
Rating: Summary: Gut-wrenchingly presented and acted Review: War movies can go one of three ways, in my humble opinion: overly wrought and maudlin; inaccurate and silly in presentation; or straightforward and personal. "We Were Soldiers" presents the story of a group of men with Gibson at the helm as a a personal drama. The "difference" this film has from "Platoon," or "Hamburger Hill" is that it approaches its story from the man and not the soldier. We learn about the minds and the souls of the men in the uniforms. It has been attempted in other films about Vietnam, but I think this one really hits the nail on the head (or gets as close as any I've seen). This is a gory film - but war isn't pretty. This is an emotional film - war is emotional. This is a frightening film. There is certainly an element of positive slant with regard to the U.S. - but by God - this film is an American film and it should have such a slant. It isn't a documentary. However, Wallace does do a good job of presenting the Viet Cong as humans with feelings and emotions too. While not perfectly balanced, it is very even handed on the whole. As the viewer, you certainly empathize with the soldiers who do their duty and you admire the leadership and direction of their captain. It is not hard to see why these men followed him into battle with respect and honor. I highly recommend this film.
Rating: Summary: A masterpiece Review: This is war, this is what war is. Buy this movie and watch it several times to cath the nuances and details the crew obviously sweated over. Mel Gibson has elevated himself in this movie. He is sincere and true to life in a way most Hollywood actors could not even understand much less emulate. All Americans should see this movie and try to understand the message here, of which there are several incuding the futility and utter waste war is, from both sides. This movie moved me emotionally and I know it will have just as powerful and effect on the 20th viewing as it did on the first.
Rating: Summary: The Perfect Vietnam War Movie Review: This movie is an excellent war movie for those of you out there looking for a good one. In my opinion, Mel Gibson was the perfect Colonel Moore for this spectacular Military movie. Colonel Moore is a colonel leading all of the toughest troops in the frontline against the toughest enemy: The North Vietcong. He is also desperate to find the dog tags of his downed fellow soldiers as proof that they were K.I.A. I won't give away any more details, so you can find ot for yourself, war movie fans!
Rating: Summary: TYPICAL HOLLYWOOD WAR MOVIE Review: THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD MOVIE BUT UNFORTUNATELY ITS NOT. THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT THE SAME QUALITY AS THE "TOUR OF DUTY" TV SERIES (FILMED IN HAWII WHICH ATLEAST LOOKS SIMILAR TO VIETNAM). I READ THE BOOK AND HAVE SOME MILITARY BACKGROUND (INFANTRY PARATROOPER 1987-94)AND IT STRUCK ME AS MOSTLY CORNEY DRAMA. THE ACTING IS NOT GREAT. THE MOVIE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN FILMED IN THE HILLS OF CALIFORNIA IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS OF VIETNAM, THAT IN IT SELF IS DISTRACTING. IT LOOKS LIKE THE WAR WAS FOUGHT AT FT HUNTER LIGGETT CALIFORNIA. THE NVA SOLDIERS ARE ALL DRESSED IN KHAKI UNIFORMS (DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ACCURATE OR NOT MIGHT BE) WHICH LOOK AS IF THEY JUST CAME FROM THE DRY CLEANERS NOT THROUGH THE TUNNEL COMPLEX WHERE THE SOLDIERS WERE LIVING. THE SCRIPT IS VERY UNORIGIONAL, PERDICTABLE AND CORNEY. THERE ARE SEVERAL SCENES WHERE AIRCRAFT (F-100 SUPER SABRES AND HUEY HELICOPTERS) ARE COMPUTER ANIMATED, UGH TERRIBLE!! M-16 MUZZLES TO THE FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT DURING AN AIRMOBILE OPERATION IS A NEW IDEA THE MODERN ARMY USES DURING PEACE TIME. WATCH ANY VIETNAM DOCUMENTARY OR NEWS REEL FOOTAGE AND SEE IF ANY HAVE THEIR MUZZLE POINTING AT THE FLOOR BOARD, THEY DON'T. NAPALM EXPLOSIONS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FIREY, RPG AND GRENADE EXPLOSIONS ARE NOT. I HATE TO SEE A VEHICLE GET HIT WITH AN RPG AND GO UP LIKE A GAS STATION. PEOPLE SHOT IN THE TORSO WITH RIFLE BULLETS DO NOT SPRAY BLOOD THROUGH THEIR CLOTHING THREE FEET AWAY. THE AVERAGE CIVILIAN WHO HAS NEVER SEEN LIVE ORDINANCE DETONATE AND KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT INFANTRY TACTICS, WILL PROBABLY THINK THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE. IF YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE YOU WILL PROBABLY BE DISAPPOINTED. THIS IS NO SAVING PVT RYAN, BLACK HAWK DOWN, OR PLATOON. WHAT THIS MOVIE REALLY NEEDED WAS A GOOD VIETNAM COMBAT VETERAN AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR (GOD KNOW THERE ARE ENOUGH AROUND). THIS MOVIE IS BETTER RENTED THAN PURCHASED, IN MY OPINION.
Rating: Summary: We Were Soldiers Review: My husband and I just watched this movie tonight. It really struck home. I was young when we got married, very young. I was in love. He was seven years older than me and in the military at Ft. Benning, Ga when he had to go overseas for the second time to Vietnam. Before he got on orders I became pregnant. This was a hard time for me to have him go to a place where there was real fighting going on. This movie brought back the real life of not only the men who had to go over and fight this war but the wives who were behind caring for the children and trying to keep the candles burning for their loved ones to return. I give this movie more than a five stars. It deserves more than a ten plus rating and more than two thumbs up. This is the first real war movie that I have enjoyed watching. Mel Gibson and the other soldiers showed true sadness and strength. It was reflected and mirrored in their eyes and on their faces. I hope that it will get some kind of awards or more recognition for the hard work that was put into the making of this film. I could understand and feel what the women were going through. This movie is true to life. Everyone should see this movie and remember what our men went through. It is a movie that should be shared by others. The emotion and trepidation that was on these men faces will always remain as a memory in my heart. A class all in itself!!!
Rating: Summary: A Must-Have for War Movie Lovers Review: Firstly, this war movie is a little different from the rest which I have seen so far. It has a very good mixture of action as well as psychological effects of war, which is missing in most of the war movies like Saving Private Ryan and Black Hawk Down. The movie did start with the actions (the French in Indo-China). However, later into the show, it concentrated on the effects of war, not only on the soldiers themselves, but on their loved ones and countrymen. I loved the part whereby Hal Moore's (Mel Gibson) wife dispatched the telegrams of the sacrificed solders to their family members. The effect has a tremendous impact on me, as I am also a reserved soldier in my country who needs to report to camp annually for training. I am acting as a solder, a father, a brother and a civilian at the same time, just like all of them in the show. This mixed feeling is not easy to describe if one is not in our shoes. Secondly, the action part of the movie is not compromised as well. It is so action-packed during second part that my eyes stayed glued to the show for the entire 2 hours. The makeup for the soldiers was very realistic. Sound effects was incredible. Choppers and planes zooming pass, bullets swishing everywhere. Everything was projected crystal clear on my 5.1 surround sound speakers. Lastly, I would urge war movie-goers to get it. Worth every cent of it, simply because it contains not only actions, but more importantly, the foolishness and cruelty of war, as well as the sufferings of everyone that is in it directly or indirectly.
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