Rating: 
Summary: Better Than Some Say
Review: A military school is about to be closed, partly because its longtime headmaster is seen as unstable by some. Many of the cadets/students do not want to lose their school, as it is their home. They take over, and the police try to get them out; the result is a standoff. One of the cadets kills one of the police, and the stakes are raised.George C. Scott plays the probably unstable headmaster (think of a postwar Patton about to lose his last job); he is both admirable and scary. Timothy Hutton, who some feel did not handle this role well, plays one of the lead cadets. I think he did the role justice, as his character is torn between honor, being faithful to his school and headmaster, dealing with his friends' differing views on how to handle the situation, and finding a sane way out of an insane situation. Tom Cruise plays one of Hutton's friends, and thinks that they should hold the school, no matter what the cost. Sean Penn plays another friend, who seeks a bloodless resolution, no matter what. Some reviewers criticize the film because the cadets are portrayed as both villains and heroes. I disagree; I see the kids being portrayed as what they are supposed to be: not-yet-adults with strong ideals put in a no-win situation. Are they supposed to surrender their school/home to keep the peace, even if it violates their ideals and sense of justice? Or, do they kill off the police to hold their honor, while becoming murderers? They have no good choice, yet they have to choose. And, they have a charismatic, if somewhat fanatical and unstable role model. They behave as I would expect them to in such an awful situation. Overall, this is a memorable, good film, although not great or epic. It tackles important issues in a crucible of crisis.
Rating: 
Summary: A study in honor and friendship
Review: A much bigger guy comes into the shower and shoves you over to the next space. You say, "Thank you, Sir!" Where are you? Right-- a military academy! Those who have been in one, or even who have been in the military, will have a special understanding of this film. I appreciated "Taps" because it made me consider the many definitions of 'honor', and it explored how far someone will (or should) go-- to be a true friend. Just as Brian makes Senior-Cadet, the civilian leaders decide that Bunker Hill Military Academy must close its doors in one year. Although there indeed seem to be few young recruits coming into the academy, money is claimed not to be the problem so much as public attitude that such institutions are no longer necessary. When General Bache, an aging military veteran and head of the school, accidentally shoots and kills one of the town's civilian red-neck youths, immediate closure is demanded. With sincere beliefs that they are upholding the institution's honor, the cadets seize control, send the dean and teachers out in a bus, and prepare to defend. The only problem I had with this movie was that, in reality, 'honorable' cadets would never place their prepubescent troops on the forward firing lines! (This action is what eventually leads to the collapse of the cadets' Worthy Cause.) After a terrible tragedy, Brian is still supported by his loyal friend Alex, but is left wondering "what went wrong?" All the words of Brian's hero, General Bache, had sounded so right!
Rating:
Summary: Bold movie that states the price of glory.
Review: An overlooked, gripping drama that is notable for its young rising stars (Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise) and also its prescience, as noted by another commentator here, although I think that none of the Amazon reviewers to date has hit the nail on the head with "Taps" and its overarching theme.
The movie begins fairly conventionally, with the teenage military cadets and their venerable institution shown to the viewer to be upright, virtuous, and full of sound moral values. The youths may be a bit immature at times, and callow, but their earnestness and sincerity are shown as admirable and their devotion to their gruff, benevolent commandant (George C. Scott, perfectly cast) is unquestioned. You can literally hear the Sousa marches playing in the background. But just when you think you're in for a predictable, one-sided, nattily uniformed prep school movie preaching the military virtues, the plot takes a darker twist and we learn that appearances can be very deceiving. Faced with the closing of the school, the boys turn renegade, immediately betraying their duty of obedience in the emotions of the moment. While determined, brave, and motivated by principle, they are at the same time defying legal authority and behaving unwisely. Recognition of this causes the relationships and trust among the cadets to splinter tragically. Through the words of Hutton's career soldier father -- a wonderful supporting performance, with the hard, practical professional tearing down the cadets' naivete -- we are presented a picture of Scott's commandant that does not fit the boys' hero-worshipful image. And then the national guardsman who arrives to end the armed takeover of the school acts as Hutton's conscience, pointing out to him how far from the path of honor he has truly strayed.
Hutton's friends -- the pragmatic Penn, who wants to end the conflict peacefully, and the belligerent Cruise, who lusts for a bloody showdown -- tug him in two directions and he manages to antagonize both of them, furthering his sense of isolation and failure. Finally, the accidental but predictable death of an extremely young cadet -- no more than a boy -- is lain at Hutton's feet, and is more than he can bear. There is no glory or purpose in this death -- "You just think about what a great little kid he was, and how much you're gonna miss him," Hutton is forced to acknowledge, in the movie's big statement: that high-flown rhetoric about dying for honor and country isn't enough. "There must have been something more that we weren't taught," he tearfully reflects. Subtly,"Taps" has moved away from preaching the sanitary hagiography of "Dulce et decorum est / pro Patria mori" to address a greater truth -- that without wisdom, military virtues and sacrifices are just so much posturing and lead to only waste and misery. It was a brave statement to make back when this film was made and an even more important concern in 2005. The final shots -- a grieving Penn and the surviving cadets slowly fading into the mist, then abruptly cutting to a reprise of the triumphant military review sequence from earlier in the movie (is this supposed to be a vision of Hutton's entrance into Valhalla?) -- starkly hammer this point home.
A fine, thoughtful movie that is sympathetic to all its characters but also does not shy away from condemning their blindness. As an ROTC alumni myself (at one stage of my life I would have loved to attend a school like this, and part of me still would), I salute it.
Rating:
Summary: I like it
Review: First of all this is the only movie I can watch that has Tom Cruise in it. I can't stand that guiy, but he was OK in this. Sean Penn also plays a good role. Hutton and George C. Scott I felt had a good and believable chemistry together.
Well we all know the story and plot. It's in a dozen reviews here. What I like about this Alamo type movie is that there are people willing to defend what they love. There are also some people who will fight and die for what they love even though they know from the start that they are going to lose.
Despite what some say, I think Hutton did a superrb job. As did the rest of the cast. I for one would be proud of these boys if this happened in real life. All down the ages the youth always get a bad rap, but kids can surprise you.
Rating:
Summary: A Tragic Proof That Hutton Is As Good As Actors Come
Review: Given the other reviews, plot summary in this one would be superfluous, yet I feel compelled to say "Taps" is a deeply moving tragedy. The characters are very real, the situation is very believable. The film has its share of comic relief, but the story is so sad and the acting so very good (even Cruise, whom I generally loathe, was perfectly cast) that if you are given to tears you may prefer to watch it alone, but whether you are or whether you're not, you definitely should watch it.
Rating:
Summary: Big Tom Cruise fan
Review: I am a big Tom Cruise fan and have seen all of his movies. This is the first one that showed his potential as an actor to be reconed with. He has chosen his roles very well in all of the movies he has starred in.
Rating:
Summary: Big Tom Cruise fan
Review: I am a big Tom Cruise fan and have seen all of his movies. This is the first one that showed his potential as an actor to be reconed with. He has chosen his roles very well in all of the movies he has starred in.
Rating:
Summary: Taps is worth watching.
Review: If you are a military buff, or a fan of Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, or George C. Scott, then this is the movie for you. Very interesting plot, (honor, duty, country) patriotic, some action, but seems to drag along at times. Great movie to watch if you have nothing to do.
Rating: 
Summary: TAPS - WORKS AGAINST ITSELF
Review: In this self-involved world we live in today, it is nice to know there is a film which reminds all of us of a deeper sense of honor and loyalty to a cause. "Taps" is a terrific journey for the audience to enjoy. It is a journey into manhood, a right of passage where young men must choose between the trappings of outside expectations and the internal loyalty to their school,commander and cause. That commander is Gereral Bache, an old war veteran who is the superintendent of the Bunker Hill Academy. He is the representation of honor to all in his charge. He bedazzles his troops with stories of battle and of undaunted courage. He is played with true grit and vigor by George C. Scott. His weary thin mustache and slightly unpolished demeanor suggest an old soilder who time has forgot and who is meant to "fade away." However imperfect as Bache may be, he is a symbol of truth and honor to all his cadets. He makes the most significant impression on the young Cadet Major Moreland who is played by Timothy Hutton. To him, Bache is the embodiement of righteousness that is lacking in the world outside of Bunker Hill gates. All the young cadets are just children yet their whole world is Bunker Hill and Bache..it is all they know. Thus when the Academy is to be closed it is as if a part of them is taken away. They do not allow this to happen as dissention turns into full blown armed rebellion against the outside civillian establishment that wants them closed. Performances by the principal actors are intense when they need to be and countering at the right times. Tom Cruise portrays Cadet Shawn, the leader of the elite "red berets" who would kill anyone threatining his beloved school. He is countered by Sean Penn's Character and by the young Cadet Lieutenant West who act as the film's "sanity check" and remind the audience that there are limits to how far passion can carry a cause. Although we see extreme measures in this film, the audience is nonetheless reminded of how important concepts like honor and loyalty are to us. In a world where children curse at their teachers and deface the busts of their leaders it is refreshing to see young men who will risk their lives for the honor of their cause, for the honor of their school, for the honor of their leader. Indeed it is an extreme position to take up arms against policies we don't like. However, it is a reminder to all society that honor and fighting for a cause are not concepts dead to the world. We grow into men by following the examples set by our fathers and brothers. Taps shows us that the youth of America, or at least a small segment of them feel the same way as our founding fathers, willing to risk everything for what is right. That makes me sleep well at night
Rating:
Summary: A Reminder of Honor
Review: In this self-involved world we live in today, it is nice to know there is a film which reminds all of us of a deeper sense of honor and loyalty to a cause. "Taps" is a terrific journey for the audience to enjoy. It is a journey into manhood, a right of passage where young men must choose between the trappings of outside expectations and the internal loyalty to their school,commander and cause. That commander is Gereral Bache, an old war veteran who is the superintendent of the Bunker Hill Academy. He is the representation of honor to all in his charge. He bedazzles his troops with stories of battle and of undaunted courage. He is played with true grit and vigor by George C. Scott. His weary thin mustache and slightly unpolished demeanor suggest an old soilder who time has forgot and who is meant to "fade away." However imperfect as Bache may be, he is a symbol of truth and honor to all his cadets. He makes the most significant impression on the young Cadet Major Moreland who is played by Timothy Hutton. To him, Bache is the embodiement of righteousness that is lacking in the world outside of Bunker Hill gates. All the young cadets are just children yet their whole world is Bunker Hill and Bache..it is all they know. Thus when the Academy is to be closed it is as if a part of them is taken away. They do not allow this to happen as dissention turns into full blown armed rebellion against the outside civillian establishment that wants them closed. Performances by the principal actors are intense when they need to be and countering at the right times. Tom Cruise portrays Cadet Shawn, the leader of the elite "red berets" who would kill anyone threatining his beloved school. He is countered by Sean Penn's Character and by the young Cadet Lieutenant West who act as the film's "sanity check" and remind the audience that there are limits to how far passion can carry a cause. Although we see extreme measures in this film, the audience is nonetheless reminded of how important concepts like honor and loyalty are to us. In a world where children curse at their teachers and deface the busts of their leaders it is refreshing to see young men who will risk their lives for the honor of their cause, for the honor of their school, for the honor of their leader. Indeed it is an extreme position to take up arms against policies we don't like. However, it is a reminder to all society that honor and fighting for a cause are not concepts dead to the world. We grow into men by following the examples set by our fathers and brothers. Taps shows us that the youth of America, or at least a small segment of them feel the same way as our founding fathers, willing to risk everything for what is right. That makes me sleep well at night
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