Rating: 
Summary: Shocking
Review: This is quite possibly the best war film I have seen since Saving Private Ryan. I just read a review by someone who said that the plot was "unbelievable" and that the characters were "unrealistic". Well, that person should realize that these events REALLY HAPPENED and that the movie is based on Mark Bowden's book of the same name. The actions taken by such men as Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon (the Delta Force operators who single handedly went in on a suicide mission to defend downed chopper pilot Mike Durand) were real events, but some people fail to recognize this and dismiss their heroic actions as the stupid macho crap that you get from any run of the mill Stallone movie. If you truly want to appreciate what a brilliant job Ridley Scott did, than I would highly suggest reading the book first. Ignorant people, like that reviewer, make me sick because they don't know that this story really took place on October 3, 1993, and that a lot of our guys actually fought and died over there. The fact that they had some of the men who actually fought in the battle as consultants on the movie shows their true intention to keep the movie as "real" as possible. The graphic combat depictions are terrifying and the plot exposition gives you just enough to know what is going on. The ensemble cast did a brilliant job showing the fear and helplessness that some of the men felt, while at the same time showing the brave and selfelss acts that the men realized that they needed to do to survive. The movie could have easily taken over three hours to show everything that happened, but Scott keeps it down to just over two hours. The point that I really want to make is that everyone should see this movie to truly appreciate the sacrifice that our Special Forces (the Army Rangers and the Delta Force) made in Somalia.
Rating:
Summary: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Review: "Black Hawk Down" is excellent in almost every way. It's tough. It's gritty. It's realistic. And it shows the supreme patriotism and dedication to duty shown by the young men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, when they're confronted by an armed foe..For those unfamiliar with the story of "Black Hawk Down," this film is based on actual events, specifically the Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia, in October, 1993. U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force operators were among American forces stationed there, with their mission being to bring various warring Somali factions to heel, so that United Nations humanitarian workers could distribute food to Somalia's starving population. On October 3, 1993, a small force of Rangers and Deltas were sent into Mogadishu via Black Hawk helicopter and Humvee vehicles, in order to apprehend two of Somali war lord Mohamed Farrah Aidid's top lieutenants. The city was already in a near state of anarchy, with several factions fighting each other. When Aidid's followers received a tip-off that American troops were on the way, they responded with alacrity. Armed to the teeth with automatic weapons, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), and other light and medium weapons, they manned roadblocks, rooftops, and any other advantageous location they could find, in anticipation of giving the Americans the fight of their lives. Almost from the minute the Army Rangers began rappelling down ropes from the Black Hawks, they came under intense enemy fire. The Rangers and Deltas were successful in capturing Aidid's lieutenants... but at a heavy cost. Within an hour of the mission's start, Somali rebels managed to shoot down two Black Hawks and kill several American troopers. What began as a routine mission that should have taken no more than an hour became a protracted 22-hour long battle that resulted in 19 American and as many as 1,000 Somali casualties. "Black Hawk Down" is a very good depiction of what happened on that day. I had read Mark Bowden's book of the same name (upon which the movie is based) before watching the film. While many events have been, of necessity, condensed, and others have been chronologically altered in order to adapt a 400 page book into a two and one-half hour film, director Ridley Scott and his crew did an admirable job of conveying what actually happened on that fateful October day. Although the acting is by no means Oscar-worthy, it's actually pretty good throughout the film. There are no real standouts in the cast, but that's because the film seems more focused on the events of the day, rather than the people who carried out those events. Many scenes in "Black Hawk Down" are pretty tough to take, especially if you're a viewer who feels uncomfortable with a lot of blood and gore. I don't consider any of the bloody scenes to be gratuitous, but rather an accurate reflection of what war is really like. In that regard, "Black Hawk Down" is very similar to "Saving Private Ryan." If there's anything to criticise in "Black Hawk Down," it's the lack of character development. The screen writers made a half-hearted attempt to introduce us to some of the main characters, especially Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann (Josh Hartnett), Captain Mike Steele (Jason Isaacs), and Specialist Grimes (Ewan MacGregor), but we never really get to know these men. Because of the lack of effective character development, I was never able to really empathize with the men who found themselves thrown into this terrible situation; rather, I watched the entire movie with a cool, analytical detachment. MY VERDICT: Despite a few flaws, "Black Hawk Down" is an overall superb film... certainly one of the better war films of recent years.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have
Review: This set gives you all the interviews with the Rangers and Delta force operators as well as extras from the film.anyone who questions why people serve in the military NEEDS to watch this boxed set
Rating:
Summary: A sad and tragic portrayal of the 1993 invasion of Somalia.
Review: This is a dark and extremely graphic true story about the embarrassing and grif-stricken failure of the U.N. intervention that took place in Mogadishu, Somalia in October of 1993. The movie takes place where the soldiers are assigned onto a mission to capture or killed the two generals of a vicious warlord who was ordering militiamen to seize food supplies that were meant to feed the starving and the U.N. and American forces intervened in a vain attempt to overthrow the militiamen and help the poor. The whole intervention plans were poorly planned out though and it would ultimately make the invasion of Somalia a doomed failure to begin with and what was supposed to last up to an hour at the most would become a bloody battle that lasted for over a day in the 'hostile territory' of Mogadishu. This ill-fated military intervention in Mogadishu was a hard and cold lesson for America and the Western governments that military superiority and the most advanced gizmos don't always bring victory and America suffered its biggest military loss since The Vietnam War in 1973. This movie perfectly documents the extremely horrific situations that the soldiers had to endure and the extremely hostile atmosphere that they faced off against. The melee went downhill into failure especially when two helicopters crashed after taking enemy fire and the soldiers who were on them were now stranded in the streets of Mogadishu in an area that was patrolled by enemy militiamen and they eventually attacked by the thousands and ultimate 18 American soldiers died in the fiasco. The failure of October 1993 seems to have been forgotten by a vast majority of the American public. This movie, like almost any other war movie, is not for the squeamish. I don't recommend this movie to the squeamish nor the light-stomached either because of some extremely graphic bloody scenes but those who can handle such heavy content, this is one of the best war movies that I've seen. The only flaw to this movie is that not enough time is given to introducing us to the soldiers and lieutenants who took part in the battle. Other than that, "Black Hawk Down" is a dark and chilling masterpiece in the war movie genre.
Rating:
Summary: Best Film of the Year
Review: "Black Hawk Down" is an ultra-realistic, fact-based account of the incident which took place October 3 and 4, 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia. An elite group of U.S. Rangers and Delta Force soldiers are assigned to infiltrate a Somalia town and capture two lieutenants and other tier one associates of Mohamed Farrah Aiddid, the despotic warlord responsible for the starvation of hundreds of thousands of Somalis. When one of the U.S. Black Hawk choppers is shot down by a RPG, the by-the-book, 30-minute mission turns into a 15-hour struggle for survival as Aiddid's militia closes in. No-nonsense and to the point, "Black Hawk Down" is replete with stark images that evoke the frenzied horror of war, giving you the sense of being right in the middle of the fray. Director Ridley Scott weaves his craft masterfully, juxtaposing intense, graphic battles with visually stunning, cinematic scenes. His keen sense of detail is evident in little things like animals running across streets and soldiers brushing hot spent shell casings off their bodies. Scott did not do it alone, however. He is aided by convincing performances from a fine cast. Comparisons to another recent war film are inevitable. It features the same desaturated color and distinct shutter speed used for battle sequences seen in "Saving Private Ryan". However, this film is even more effective. After all, it is a true story. Perhaps the best aspect of the film is that it flushes political correctness down the toilet, depicting events as they actually happened. The only flaw is Hans Zimmer's annoying rock soundtrack, which diminishes the documentary quality of the film and makes a few scenes bare to close a resemblance to a music video or military recruitment commercial. The film would have had an even more realistic feel with minimal scoring or no scoring at all. "Black Hawk Down" is a tribute to the courage exhibited by the U.S. fighting forces and the 19 American soldiers who were killed that day in 1993. It also brings to the public's attention a little-known but important event. Regardless of the Motion Picture Academy's selection, "Black Hawk Down" is the best film of the year.
Rating:
Summary: Epic battle
Review: I read an article relating the events in the movie to the events in real life, and that they were extremely accurate. The movie itself is a great battle, great as in large. Though many might watch this in confusion, asking such questions like why were we there? Who are these people we are fighting? If you want the background do your homework. You will find that this battle is the result of Communism failing in East Africa, and a country in confusion, plague, and warlords ready to pick up where the Communists left off. I loved the characters, each individuals, but also a team of brothers with a mission and motto " No man shall be left behind". Think about that while watching and imagine if that were you in there place. The soldiers held back overwhelming odds. I did not see this as a glorified hail to the American power, but a fight to save hundreds of thousands of starved people. Difficult to watch at times, graphic, bloody and emotional. Great movie.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding!!
Review: To those people who say the international community should not have been in somali business are kidding themselves. 300,000 people died of starvation. The news was on every major news station and magazine: CNN and BBC, and the New York Times the most prominent. The warlords were deliberately taking food for power grabbing. It was an obligation to go in and do something. Some people obviously didn't remember 1993, just the aftermath and critical reviews about the UN mission in general. As for the movie, I thought it was outstanding. Ridley Scott did a phonomenal job as best he could. It's sometimes stupid to think whether it was pro-this or anti-that. It shows how close minded some people are and how they lose perspective instead of focusing on the bigger picture. This whole event is based on good intentions gone wrong. No matter how history judges, people should proud that least the world tried to do something to help instead doing nothing at all like in Rwanda.
Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: Do you like a war movie... how about one which portrays a real incident, at a time when the President certainly was playing chess with devoted men's lives. Those guys were fighting for themselves, they knew that the white house wasn't backing them up. Excellent, realistic, sadly true. A reflective moment in the ugly history when silly leaders ruled the U.S.
Rating:
Summary: A Walk Into Hell
Review: This movie is probably the most realistic film to date on war. Amazingly descriptive and hauntingly tragic it stays with you for days. Ridley Scott has made a phenomenal film depicting the true events of the American involvement in Somalia which lead to the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter. The opening images of Mogadishu give the impression of hell on earth. Emaciated Somalis walk about the desert with no hope, the dead are piled up and forgotten, nothing exists to base a life upon. Scott develops two ideas from these tragic opening scenes, one the heart-wrenching sorrow of the Somalian people and two of the necessity for American troop involvement. Scott has recreated Mogadishu as perfectly as Hollywood is capable of doing. You feel the heat and dirt clinging to your skin; you smell the burning weapons and dying flesh. He has accomplished an amazing feat without sacrificing the humanness of the situation. The Somalian people are portrayed as wild representations of human beings. They are bold and brave while at the same time being people of tremendous calculation and cooperation. Their markets are aisles of weapons and entire towns are prepared to fight and kill without question. The warlords are heartless choosing to control the population by starvation, drugs and death. Families are ripped apart, children become murdering soldiers, and thousands of people become living skeletons before they die. The soldiers are prepped with Quat, a cocaine like substance, and they soon become absolute killing machines with no mercy. Everyone is armed with AK47's and the decimated streets become killing fields. Nothing is sacred except the call to prayer, the Mosques being the only buildings that remain intact. It is unfathomable to imagine how someone survives under such circumstances. The American soldiers are portrayed by convincing actors like, Tom Sizemore, Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Sam Shepard and most especially Eric Bana. They bond as a unit thrown into a war and used as pawns by Washington. They are noble, brave and proudly willing to fight a mission they soon lose control of. The people in charge of the mission misguide and misdirect one too many times losing touch with the violence that the soldiers face while on the ground in Mogadishu. The scenes depict the absolute chaos that takes over the well planned and sophisticated mission to capture the Somalian warlord, Aidid. It shows how war on paper and on video games is much different from reality. This film violently brings to life the horror of war. Bodies are blown apart, torsos severed in half, soldiers left behind to die and no answers in sight. Scott does a fantastic job of showing the pride of American patriotism while also convincing us of the suffering that the Somalian people have lived with. Unfortunately this film would have to be several hours longer to include all the background for the violence exhibited against the American soldiers. Watch documentaries and read books to get the full story behind "Black Hawk Down". Although it is horribly tragic to lose the lives of American soldiers, especially to have their bodies dragged and mutilated, it is also tragic to lose thousands of lives on the other side. This film will hit you with such force and open your eyes to the horrors of war. It takes hatred, rage and revenge to another level. It brings to the forefront how our world has changed; no longer can powerful sophisticated armies override poor countries as a granted privilege. Although you will scream with patriotism while watching this film you will also realize that humans are humans and blood flows the same regardless of who it comes from. I will be forever convinced that there must be a better way.
Rating:
Summary: 2 in 1!
Review: come on people this is starring to of the mst hunkiest men on the universe with josh hartnett and orlando bloom what more would you want and also alongside ewan mcgregor who stars in trainspotting and moulin rouge it is a must see film the main reason why is because of orlando bllom and josh hartnett! xxx
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