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Summary: They were soldiers...and husbands...and brothers...
Review: I had the distinguished honor of going to the Atlanta premiere of this movie with a man who flew this same type of helicopters later in the war. The movie was excellent. It brought alive a very balanced mixture of emotions. It was painful, it was humorous. Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott brought to life the real life heros that have for so long had their story untold. I will say, though, it was very graphic in parts. It was, after all, a war movie. But the humor and the emotions you felt for the soldiers and their families evened it all out. I highly recommend this movie.
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Summary: Saw the Movie Last Night
Review: I was priveledged enough to view the movie at a premeire at West Point last night. It was awesome, and it was so moving because most of the real people were in attendance as well as many of the stars to include Mel. While there is comic relief used well at times, the movie will keep all on the edge of their seats. I am glad to know that these men's story will finally be told to America. As a future officer in the United States Army, I am proud to be following in the footsteps of these heroes.
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Summary: heart pounding action
Review: I HAVE READ THE BOOK IS WAS BASED ON. AND IF THEY STAY ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT WAS WRITTEN ON BY LT. COL MOORE AND JOE GALLOWAY,THEN THIS WILL HAVE PEOPLE EMOTIONALLY CONNECTED TO EVERY CHARACTER.THAT IS IN THIS MOVIE.I ENJOYED THE BOOK SO MUCH I READ IT TWICE.LOST ALOT OF GOOD MEN IN NOV OF 1965.HOPE THIS WILL MEASURE UP TO THEIR SCARFICE THAT THE MADE.
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Summary: Vietnam--this is how it happened
Review: This is a very moving film that depicts the first major engagement between American soldiers and North Vietnamese soldiers in 1965. The imagery of the battle is very, very well done, but the movie isn't just about guys shooting at each other. It also shows how things were at home, how the soldiers' wives dealt with their own challenges. Best of all, We Were Soldiers isn't a Hollywood creation; with a few unimportant exceptions, it stays true to the actual events recorded in the book "We Were Soldiers Once... and Young". If you're looking to learn a bit about the Vietnam War (and have some fun at the same time), this is a great DVD to buy.
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Summary: Great Movie; Good Extras
Review: "We Were Soldiers" is a U-turn for American films about Vietnam. For years, the best flicks about the war highlighted the nation's disillusionment and cynicism about our involvement in Southeast Asia -- "Apocalypse Now," "Platoon," "Full Metal Jacket," and "Born on the Fourth of July" leave the viewer bereft, wondering how to deal with that ball of ice in your stomach. But each of these films looks back with regret, wtih "if we only knew the truth at the beginning, we wouldn't have gotten involved over there in that hideous war." "We Were Soldiers," on the other hand, captures the America at the beginning of the Vietnam conflict. Most of the soldiers are the earnest, happy-go-lucky young guys we got in the John Wayne war films . . . before they go off to war, they sing and dance with their wives and girlfriends, and they show an innocent heroism under fire. Only the senior officers, played by Mel Gibson and Sam Elliott, know the truth about war and how savage the Vietnam conflict will be. Mel, as the senior commander, gets a bit jingoistic at times, but that his depiction is apparently dead-on for those who know the real-life commander (who was a consultant on the film). Sam Elliott, as the grizzled second-in-command, is a wonder -- he stalks the movie with a barely concealed fury, terrifying his own soldiers, but has a moment of exquisite tenderness and leadership with one of his boys. Like the young soldiers, the audience gets its education on how the conflict will be -- the Vietnamese, who are given a humanity rarely seen in Vietnam movies, still charge with near-suicidal determination. We see napalm in its hideous applications. We see the terror of a unit cut off from the main force overnight. We are stunned by seeing what men can endure and we despair because no man should have to experience the hell of that battlefield. The movie truly shines with its parallel storyline of the wives and girlfriends back in Georgia who wait for news of their loved ones in combat . . . or, more accurately, pray that they do not receive news. The movie's most touching scenes revolve around the delivery of the "We regret to inform you . . . " telegrams announcing the death of another soldier to their families. Anyone who can watch these scenes without heartache has not heart. The DVD also contains some nice extras, including deleted scenes with director's commentary. It's always interesting to hear why certain scenes didn't make it into a good story, and while some of the deleted scenes were quite good, it's hard to quibble with the explanation.
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Summary: New wave propaganda
Review: It is highly disappointing to watch Mel Gibson giving his high credibility (Patriot; Braveheart) as humanistic actor in this cheap propaganda. There is nothing in the movie but (a) 45 minutes of wasting time before going to Vietnam and (b) 90 minutes of violent extremist Vietnamese wanting to humiliate the west (by liberating their country??) challenged by few American heroes.
Opposite to 1800 Vietnamese, there were almost 360 Americans, supported by artillery, helicopters and extensive use of Napalm bombs by jet fighters. What is heroic on this? Why making a movie about it? Are we back to the 50's to celebrate American heroism of WWII?
Am glad that I saw the film on cable and did not specifically pay for it; the film is very boring, repeated and vague.
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Summary: Hard to connect to depiction of early Vietnam War combat
Review: "We Were Soldiers" is an good-but-not-great post-"Private Ryan" Vietnam War film. I had read the excellent book by retired General Moore, which describes his experience in leading a battalion into the Ia Drang Valley in 1965, and nearly getting overrun in a day-and-night battle. The Ia Drang battle took place when the news from Vietnam wasn't quite the nightly dinner-table companion, and when helicopter assaults were still new. Mel Gibson is good as Moore, but lots of people could have played this part. The movie doesn't let us get to know most other characters, so it feels more like a high-octane A&E documentary than a theatrical drama. I don't know why I had trouble completely connecting with the movie. Perhaps the main reason is after so many movies dealing with the late-war period like "Apocalypse Now", and "Platoon", it's a bit of a culture shock seeing earnest, crew-cut soldiers that look like they stepped off of "Sands of Iwo Jima." We're used to seeing our average Vietnam grunt as a stoned-out disaffected short-timer. This isn't the director's fault - the Oliver Stone version of the war was four years in the future, but in might as well have been forty. So what remains is a conventional war story which could have just as well taken place on Okinawa or in Korea. The political and spiritual upheaval caused by the war was just a glimmer, and the film can't really address it. The brief scenes of Colonel Moore's Vietnamese officer counterpart are interesting but far too short. The North Vietnamese soldiers, at least, are humans, we see them as individuals with histories and feelings, and rather than mindless insects or worse, sadists ("Deerhunter"). Recommended reading: Moore's book, "We Were Soldiers", is better than the movie. Another account of the battle is Larry Gwin's book, "Baptism" which follows a different battalion which, while walking back from the Ia Drang, was ambushed and nearly wiped out.
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Summary: Gut-wrenching War Flick
Review: Based on the book of a similar title (We Were Soldiers Once and Men), this war film portrays the up-close, gory "face" of battle in the Vietnam Central Highlands. It vividly shows the courage and controlled terror and rage of infantrymen in close combat. Heart-rending portrayal of the dread and grief of family members whose loved ones were missing or killed in action. Excellent performances by Sam Elliott and Barry Pepper. Pepper's portrayal of Galloway shows how survival instincts can overpower one's conscience in the heat of battle. Mel Gibson gives a believable performance of Lieutenant Colonel Moore's unflappable courage under dire circumstances and his love for his soldiers and their well-being. One of the most accurate Hollywood portrayals of the horrorific reality of combat and the human story that underlies every victory and casualty. Not to be missed.
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Summary: A good movie about War
Review: If you want to see a movie, with a lot of blood and real bad situation...just see saving private ryan, this movie "we were soldiers" is good, I respect Mel gibson, but im really tired to see him in the same kind of movie...
In this movie the main plot is about the soldiers and their families, the only problem i found in this movie is the lack of action........yes...here you can see a lot of deads and things like that.....but not at the same POWER like you see in other war movies...but it's still good...
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Summary: Are we talking about the same movie?
Review: This is quite possibly the worst Vietnam War movie in the last 30 years. If you want a cheerleading movie loosely based on the war, then this is for you. But if you care about historical accuracy and realism, save yourself the trouble. From the cheesy last words of dying soldiers to the ridiculous portrayals of leaders standing fully upright on the battlefield and bravely gunning down enemies while everyone else is clinging to the ground, this movie makes almost no attempt to be a realistic portrayal of war. Heck, the producers didn't even bother filming it in realistic scenery. I had high hopes for this movie, but even before seeing it I started hearing rumblings from Vietnam vets who saw it and were tremendously disappointed. I thought their complaints were the exaggerations of overly-technical demands for historical accuracy, but if anything I thought their complaints were mild after I saw it for myself. There have been many good movies about the Vietnam in the last few decades. Sadly, this is definitely not one of them.
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