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Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down

List Price: $19.94
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is a non-stop Action packed film
Review: Black Hawk Down, after I saw the movie became my favorite war movie right in front of "Saving Private Ryan". The movie is about a group of rangers and delta force souldiers who were sent to Mogadishu, Somalia in October, 1993. For a mission that was supposed to take only 45 minutes, turned into a chaotic 16-hour war of survival, Sgt. Eversman will do whatever it takes to get his men out of this war zone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Astounding Contrast: Post September 11
Review: This is an exceptional film illustrating the complete ineptitude of the Clinton administration and it's UN-led, politically correct "action" in Somalia. The film shows the impossible circumstances American soldiers faced when expected to engage in military action with as little agression as possible. For example, "don't fire until you are fired upon." - and don't you dare try to engage the enemy (who are in the process of killing innocent civilians right in front of you) without the UN's approval.

Blackhawk down also shows the weakness of certain military leaders who sent warriors to battle with inadequate resources, then refused to send in reinforcements and medical help because they feared losing more assets. Soldiers were left to fend for themselves in a grueling 16-hour battle with the value of "leave no one behind" as the new mission priority.

The most poignant scene in the movie was General Garrison trying frantically to clean spilled blood from the operating room floor. The more he wiped the spill, the larger the blood stain worsened and grew. Like the failed mission, it was blood he couldn't wipe clean.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Intensity of Battle
Review: Black Hawk Down was an excellent movie portraying a disaster, from an American perspective, that occurred during our time in Somalia.

Harnet is believable in his role. The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat. Mass mayhem and bloodlust of those seeking to destroy an American convoy which at first was sent to kidnap a Somalian VIP, then attempting to save the crew of a downed Black hawk helicopter.

If this was a very true account, so many more of the people of Mogadishu died in this battle. America lost too many men for the goal that they originally had. Can we learn anything from this? Maybe we need to always have a clear goal with all factors supporting the effort.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ridley Scott rocks again!
Review: Ridley Scott is -to me- the best film director still working in America. He made another masterpiece, this time on an episode of warfare, after having filmed other genres like science-fiction: Blade Runner, Alien, historical: Gladiator, The Duelists or the road movie: Thelma and Louis. This action movie can stand at the same level as any of his previous.

The pacing, the photography, the script, everything shows that Mr Scott masters the technique and has a talent for storytelling and images like only an artist has.

Ridley Scott rocks again.
Bravo maestro!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Two Thumbs Down
Review: What a disaster...This "movie" focuses one U.S. army mission during the Somalian Civil War in 1993, exploring the soldier`s experiences and obstacles. The problem is, most of the movie is just a collection of big, long, loud and tedious fight sequences that last more than 2 hours. The photography is good and creates a realistic and gritty feel, that almost seems like a documentary. The explosions are also well done and directed, but apart from that there`s nothing to recommend here. The characters are one-dimensional, comic book-like, and end up being flat and generic. There`s not much of a plot, either, as the movie drags with countless fight situations, chases and deaths. It`s not too patriotic, especially when compared with melodramatic stuff like "Pearl Harbour", but that doesn`t help much when the movie is so weak and uninteresting. Most of it seems like a mix between a documentary and a video clip, and the result disappoints and doesn`t convince. This is one to avoid.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great look behind the movie
Review: I already owned the Black Hawk Down DVD, and wrote a review, prior to purchasing the 3 DVD set. The film was good but this DVD takes you behind the scenes from the making of the film to the documentaries about the real event.

There are two excellent documentaries by the History channel and by PBS giving the timeline and real story of the events in 1993. Many of the soldiers on the ground who were depitcted in the film gave their opinions about the event on those documentaries. Numerous Rangers and Delta soldiers gave their insights into what actually happened and what parts of the movie are true. Jeff Struecker's words are particularly capturing. I don't normally enjoy the commentaries but the commentary with Danny McKnight, Tom Matthews, and Matt Eversmann was a very good look at the real story.

Many people have called this movie "American propeganda". I think this film is a wonderful tribute to the men who were ordered to Somalia to do a job that their opinions weren't asked. Richard Marcinko once said that it is the bright ideas of politicians that put soldiers into body bags. This event is an example of that.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not enough justice for book and actual event
Review: I give this movie three stars for the fact that it tries to give respect for that day. I acknowledge that and in turn share that respect for Ridley Scott.

I saw the movie before I read the book and being the adolecent that I was and still am, I based my knowledge of that day off the movie. After reading the book just recently, my feelings toward the movie have changed. Unlike Ridley Scott, Mark Bowden busted his ass going around the world and interviewing everyone who he could find that was there on the ground that day. Bowden also adds at the end of the book that he tried in his best to keep everything in the book as factual as possable, and that the parts in which he can't be for certain, he tried hard in getting as close to the context as he could.

In contrast and compare from the movie to the book, their are alot of things that happen in the movie... that didn't happen in the book which in turn didn't actually happen at all. Being a little more mature now then I was when this movie came out, I feel a little hurt seeing the movie and realizing that it's going to give everyone a misunderstanding of why and what we were there for. For example, Eversmann's chalk four left with the convoy. Chalk four never made it to Wolcott's crash site. Yet in the movie, the camera surrounds Matt Eversmann(Josh Hartnett) through out the whole movie. I don't have disrespect for Eversmann, I just have disrespect that I think the intent was giving Josh Hartnett good PR.

I have more to say but 1000 characters isn't enough. If you want an action film, this movie won't let you down; If you want a better understanding of what happened that day, books are your best option. Three stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: awsome movie
Review: This exiting epic is an exilent reinactment of the tragic war in somalia. It is a very sad movie about the soldiers that went into a city in somalia that were supposed to do a mission that was only supposed to last a half of an hour. But when many things start going wrong it ends up taking much much longer. if you want to find out the rest of the movie you will have to watch this great war movie

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Movie - Clinton Would Not Send Bradleys
Review: A very good movie but leaves out what American soldiers were stranded. The Army repeatedly asked for Bradley M2 tanks as back up when Clinton changed the mission from humanitarian to getting Aidid. Clinton and his Defense Secretary Les Aspin said no to the repeated requests.

The reason why is the Congressional Black Caucas (CBC) members said sending tanks to use against Africans would be racist. The CBC members failed to realize that African-American, Hispanic and white American boys were in harms way and were killed.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: STARTLING, DISTURBING
Review: Slice of war lacks a particular political point of view and instead mirrors back the American public's indifference to involvement in foreign affairs. The film is partly propagandic in painting a simple crude picture of the enemy seizing all food-care shipments from whom they perceive as their enemy. There is just not enough evidence presented to support the risk imposed in sending military special forces into Mogadishu to contain ( kidnap? kill? ) Somali dictator Muhammad Farrah Aidid. Regardless, the movie is a harrowing depiction of men in military conflict, extremely well filmed and very sad. I'm disturbed to see our American troops immortalized in this way and "Black Hawk Down" forces us to contemplate our military actions.


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