Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Johnny Got His Gun is a mostly little-known movie, which would be even more obscure if it weren't for Metallica's "One" music video back in the day.  But forget about that for a minute.

What you get here is a surreal trip into one man's nightmare after suffering extensive injuries on the battlefields of World War I... and a biting anti-war film to boot.

"Johnny" is really Joe Bonham, who does his civic duty and goes off to Europe to fight in the trenches.  He literally blown to bits by an inbound shell, losing his arms, legs, and face, losing all senses except touch.  He survives, and becomes a medical curiosity to the upper brass.  He's kept alive, and in his sensory-deprived state, we get to go on some rather odd journeys down memory lane, among others.

Really I don't want to spoil too much of it, because I think you really have to experience it for yourself.  Between his remembrances of his father, who apparently loved his fishing pole more than Joe, to his matrix-like train station conversations with Jesus (a trippy Donald Sutherland), and the absolute terror portrayed as he tries to figure out what is happening to him....  It's just brilliant.  Yeah I know I said something before about it being not-so-much, but on another viewing I've changed my mind.

The only problem I think exists with the amount of anti-war "preaching" that goes on.  Some of it is just so obvious and "in your face" that it comes across wrong.  Take for example the bit with he and his father talking about Democracy....  While it might be true to a point, its almost pretentious. 

But...  I guess that's to be expected given the time it was made, right at the height of the Vietnam war and all. (Especially if you take a gander at the poster art...) I think it probably serves as a metaphor for that war more than anything.  Viewed in that respect it also adds another layer of depth to it.

Johnny Got His Gun is a mind-trip, that's for sure, but I have to recommend it.

Johnny Got His Gun (1971) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

The Children of Huang Shi (2008)

OK, lets take a bit of a different take on events in Asia during the early part of World War II....

The Japanese are rolling through China and Manchuria in 1937, and to top it off, China itself has its own problems between the Communists and the Partisans....

Caught in the middle are a group of children holed up in an orphanage.  By a twist of fate, they and their part-time attendant Ms. Pearson (Radha Mitchell) are brought together with an English journalist, George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Chinese partisan Chen Hansheng (Chow Yun-Fat).

As Hogg is thrust into the role of taking care of these children, it becomes clear that they must abandon their orphanage and head for neutral territory.  But this means marching on foot across some rather difficult terrain, and through Japanese and hostile Chinese outposts.  The journey, as they say, is more than the destination, and this film proves it spectactularly.

OK, so maybe its not a "war movie" in the traditional sense.  But it is still a damn fine film regardless.  It's complex and engaging in about every way I can think of, it'll make you laugh, cry, cringe, and think about an aspect of the war that we in the west don't very often.

The Children of Huang Shi will probably never get the real respect it deserves, and thats unfortunate.  Check it out when you get the chance! Here's the trailer....

The Children of Huang Shi (2008) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

The Purple Heart (1944)

The Purple Heart is of course the medal given to servicemen wounded in the line of duty.  The movie of the same name, really doesn't seem to have anything to do with the medal.  At least not what I could tell.

What it is, though is a perfect example of a World War II "propaganda" movie, again, for lack of a better term.

A Bomber crew is taken captive by the Japanese after they crash land in China after the infamous Doolittle raid.  What follows in this film is their "trial" by the Japanese, witnessed by a group of international journalists.

But the entire thing is just plain ridiculous to watch.  I can't think of a good way to say it.  Everyone is caricatured in blazing stereotypes so thick you'd need an axe to get through it.  From the Japanese, to the Chinese governor and his son, to the German reporters covering the trial (who seem to be there just to cement the fact that we're dealing with Axis powers, not simply Japanese ones....)  they're all laughably over the top.

And unfortunately the same goes for our "heroes" the bomber crew.  Headed by Capt. Ross (Dana Andrews) they are so unbelievably gung-ho patriotic to the very end, that it hurts more than helps.  It also doesn't hurt the patriotic cause of the film to have our men tortured at every opportunity.  And of course, who should arrive but a Swiss delegate from the Red Cross to help bring some civility to these heathens.... sigh.

On the one hand, you've got to realize that films like this exist.  They're not inherently bad, and historically speaking they went a long way towards keeping the folks at home in that "fighting spirit" that we needed to see the thing through.  Inaccurate, overplayed, you name it, its there in spades.

On the other hand, we look back now on stuff like this with such a negative view, it almost makes me feel guilty to rail on it.  I've seen better examples, that aren't nearly as crazy.  But The Purple Heart is just so textbook in this respect I just can't help it.  Points for effort, and for "the thought that counts," but brother, tone it down a bit!

Unfortunately I can't seem to locate a clip or anything at the moment.... you'll just have to take my word for it.

The Purple Heart (1944) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)

2006's Rescue Dawn was the story of US Navy pilot Dieter Dengler, as he was shot down over Vietnam, and his successful escape from the POW camp, the only person ever to achieve such a feat.

Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a documentary of that same story, told from the man himself, Dieter Dengler.  And if there was ever a more engaging, interesting, and just plain curious documentary, or individual, for that matter, I think I've yet to see it.

Told entirely by Mr. Dengler, he revisits the locations involved in his story, and with amazing clarity and presence of mind, recounts the story in great detail.  To be quite honest, I was simply amazed at his ability to put himself back into those situations, back into shackles, and walking through the jungle.  All this while (at least for the camera) maintaining a bizarre and seemingly out-of-place sense of humor about the whole thing.

In fact, in my review of Rescue Dawn, I noted that the movie seemed to be a little too light-hearted for the situation.  But after seeing "Little Dieter" I think I fully understand why it was this way.

In any case, Little Dieter Needs to Fly will glue you to your screen, make you laugh, move you to tears, and introduce you to one of the real heroes of the Vietnam war.  Of course he would deny that, but I'll let you be the judge....

Here's a little clip, I hope you can see what I mean from this one....

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Heaven & Earth (1993)

Heaven & Earth is Oliver Stone's final entry in his Vietnam Trilogy, and likely the most controversial of the three.  Following the trials of a Vietnamese girl, Le Ly (Bussaro Sanruck) from a young girl at the outset of the war, all the way through to far after.

Le grows up in a small village in rural Vietnam, far from the politics the rest of the world.  Honestly, I'm sitting here trying to think about how to summarize the first part of this film in a nice neat package, and there just isn't a good way.  It's just that complex, taking Le from the village, to fighting for the VC, to being the VC's enemy, to having a her rich boss' baby...  And much more inbetween.  This is the best part of the film, showing how she copes with life during the war, trying to make the best of a bad situation.  The relationships with all of her family members, including her mother (Joan Chen) and father (Haing Ngor) are complex, sad, and wonderful.

And then she meets Marine Steve Butler, an American looking for some company.  She winds up falling for him, and manages to escape the fall of Saigon with him back to America.  And then film takes a turn.

We go from her life in Vietnam, to being some sort of statement about fat, lazy, stupid Americans living life to excess with problems that she doesn't understand.  Butler is in dire straits, and has some psychological problems of his own it seems.  Things go from bad to worse, as the abuse starts, they split up, she tries to save him, but its just too late.  Throughout she remains a strong and excellent character, dealing with ignorance and prejudice, but the contrast is just too over the top.

Life after Steve returns her to Vietnam, where she's reunited with her family along with her now grown children.  Here the film regains its sanity as they discuss the problems they faced after she left.

If it wasn't for the "trip to Oz" that she goes through, I think this would be an absolutely stellar look at an alternate viewpoint of the war.  As it is, it just goes from dead serious and thoughtful, to a sad comic episode that doesn't belong.

Heaven & Earth could be a top notch movie, in fact it might make you rethink your attitudes towards the war, and think about what things were like for the people on the other side.  But you'll have to endure things like the wide-eyed trip to the supermarket, and the unreal Thanksgiving dinner episode to get there.

Heaven & Earth (1993) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Born on the Fourth of July is Oliver Stone's second entry in his "Vietnam Trilogy" (Platoon, Heavan and Earth) and in my opinion, is the most powerful of the three.  In fact, I would say it's even more relevant to today than any of them, and maybe that's why.

While Platoon seems a bit cliche for my tastes (but still good), and Heaven and Earth is just too preachy (and other reasons, but also still good), Fourth of July makes a strong statement about the sacrifice the veterans of Vietnam made, and the struggles they endured after they came home.

Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise) is your average all-american boy from Long Island, instilled with a strong sense of patriotism and a need to do what is right.  It's this which drives him to enlist, and of course, is sent off to fight in Vietnam.  He's critically injured, and winds up confined to a wheelchair.  From there he has to come to terms with, well, everything.  Everything from reconciling his condition, the things he did and saw in Vietnam, re-examining his patriotism, and just plain getting through it.  Eventually he ends up a part of the anti-war movement, speaking at the 1976 Miami Democratic national convention.

The first part of the film simply builds up Ron Kovic's character, and while it does run on a bit, it is necessary to contrast what he becomes later.  The "All American Family(tm)" he comes from is probably typical, and the picture that is painted is one I think most of us can relate to.

His world changes, though, as he takes part in a raid on a village that kills civilians, and he himself kills one of his own in the heat of battle, and has to live with that guilt.  Then he's shot, paralyzing him from the chest down, and spends time in terrible conditions in a VA hospital.  From there he goes home, and has to deal with how everyone else deals with him, including his kid brother who doesn't share his patriotic views.

He quickly spirals into depression and alcoholism, causing no end of grief for his family and others around him.  Coming to terms with the fact that he'll never walk (among other things) again, sends him off of the deep end, basically.

Eventually Kovic winds up in Mexico, in a sort of community for other disabled vets.  Thinking he's found a home, he realizes that everyone else is just as messed up as he is.  After a humorous and sad event which leaves him stranded, he come back to the states, and finds his old girlfriend (Kyra Sedgwick) who is part of the anti-war movement.  He comes to realize that he can make a difference at last.

OK, so maybe the film is a bit too long, but it is well worth it.  Cruise pulls off a fine performance, and really everyone else is relegated to supporting roles of various kinds.  But what's the point of it all?  Part of it is Stone asking for some respect for these guys, part of it hints at the sacrifice they and their families endured, part of it leans heavily toward the anti-war slant.

I especially found it relevant given the events of today, where we get reports of veteran's hospitals being closed due to dreadful conditions.  I couldn't help but think of that as Kovic lies upside down in traction staring at a pile of his own puke.  Has anything really changed in the system?  At least the public view towards today's veterans has changed, but I don't think the government really has, and that's a shame.

Some other reviews I've read blast Born on the Fourth of July for being a bit oversimplistic, just too long, or various other things.  While that might be true, I don't think it hurts it any at all.  In fact, I'd hazard to say it's because of these things that it excels.  It doesn't try to sneak its meanings under the table like Platoon, it just paints a clear understandable picture.

The only real trouble I had with it was the ending.  I dunno, it just didn't seem to really resolve anything.  So he speaks to a large group of people making a difference like his mother dreamed about....  but at what cost?  And for what gain?

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Beaufort (2007)

Beaufort puts us in the middle of a conflict not many of us on this side of the planet really know much about, or understand for that matter.  Set in 1990 during the Israeli-Lebanon war in the border outpost of Beaufort, which the Israeli's are preparing to abandon, and thus destroy, after holding it for 18 years.

Truthfully, I have my suspicions that if I had grown up in the midst of this conflict I might understand Beaufort a little, OK, a lot more.  This really isn't your typical war movie per se, but rather a look at the people holed up in this underground fortress, and how they deal with it, mostly our main character, the squad leader Liraz (Oshri Cohen.)

If there was ever a film which showed the entire military concept of "hurry up and wait" this would be it.  The entire picture seems to embody this concept.  Periodically the outpost is shelled, as the guy on the loudspeaker seems bored to tears announcing "Incoming!" and "Impact!"  The game changes, though, as they start getting attacked by much more accurate rocket fire, and the men start dying because of it.

The pointlessness of it all is quite apparent also, as Liraz starts to question his purpose as they rig the entire place for demoliton.  18 years of  holding the fortress only to destroy it.  The lives of all his men lost for apparently nothing.  It's a common war movie theme, that really hits home here.

But good grief its incredibly dull.  I wasn't really expecting it to be so, but the 126 minute run time seems to last bloody forever, as Liraz and his men sit hunkered below discussing all manner of subjects, from their life on the outside, to what their next job is....  Like I said, maybe its a matter of perspective, I don't know.

Nobody really stands out as putting on an excellent performance either.  Everyone seems equally dulled, jaded, and downtrodden, which they rightly should be, but by the end, well, see the last paragraph.

Beaufort might provide a unique perspective on a war most of us only hear about briefly on the evening news, but unless you're really interested, I would just not bother.  The movie is also entirely in Hebrew with subtitles...  FYI.



I viewed Beaufort via Netflix's Instant Watch on my new Roku Netflix player, and was fairly pleased with the presentation, but as such didn't get any extras that might have been on the disc.  It was also in 16:9 aspect ratio on the player, but the trailer looks like it may have been a full 2.35:1...  Hard to say. 

Beaufort (2007) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

The Dirty Dozen (1967, Blu-ray)

OK, we all know The Dirty Dozen is one of the best war movies ever made, right? Just accept the fact.  It's awesome blend of action, humor, and 1960's cynicism make it an eternal classic.  What better than to watch this masterpiece on Blu-ray!!

The transfer is good.  I won't go so far as to say great, because I think it could be digitally cleaned up a lot more than this.  There is a lot of film grain, which isn't necessarily bad, sure its what was there, but I think we can do better.  It's clean, and there aren't any scratches lines or blemishes really.  The audio isn't anything spectacular either.

And the extras on the disc mirror those of the two-disc DVD edition, which leads me to believe that this might just be a repackaging of that, and that we're not really looking at a full-HD 1080p transfer.  Hard to say.  There are a lot of extras on the disc, the usual 'making of' features, the trailer, Marvin's final role in a Marine Corps training film, and the 1985 TV sequel, Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, which reunites Marvin, Borgnine, and Jaeckel in a ho-hum rehash.

If you've got Blu-ray, by all means shell out for The Dirty Dozen on BD.  If not, I don't believe you'll be missing a whole lot by just going with the 2-disc edition.

This rating and review only covers the Blu-ray version of the movie, my full review of the glorious Dirty Dozen goes into more detail about the movie....

The Dirty Dozen (1967, Blu-ray) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985, TV)

The Dirty Dozen will live as one of the quintessential war movie classics.  Its unique blend of action and humor, along with an incredible ensemble cast ensures it will always be on the top of any war movie list.

Then there's the sequel, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission.  Unfortunately everything that made the original what it was is just not here.  Sure you reunite an aging Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, and Richard Jaeckel in their respective roles, but the end result comes nowhere close.  Granted this was probably a Saturday night movie on one of the big three networks, but still, come on.

The plot follows more or less the same.  Major Reisman enlists the help of thirteen (this time) convicts in order to assassinate a German General, who (get this) has plans to kill Hitler.  Well, no, we can't have that, can we?  Huh?  Yeah the reasons given kinda sorta make sense, but still.  The plan involves hijacking his train, knocking him off and then using the French resistance to get back out again.

But this time nothing goes as planned.  They finally find the general, and let me spoil it for you, they carry out their mission, after a lot of hemming and hawing as the big guy himself shows up.  Good philosphical argument, yes.  Good bit of movie, not so much.  Then they just barely manage to steal a plane and barely land back in England.

The big problem is that Marvin is just too bloody bored with it.  You can tell.  So many of the same lines and situations from the first movie, how could he not be?!  At least Borgnine looked happy to be there for whatever reason!  Jaeckel pretty much does as good a job as he did before as Sgt. Clyde.  But the rest of the supporting cast, just didn't really do it for me.  (But hey, Wolf Kahler gets cast as a Nazi yet again, go Wolf!)  You might recognize Ken Wahl and Larry Wilcox though.

But was The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission really all that bad, not so bad as I wouldn't recommend it for a Saturday afternoon popcorn muncher.  It just in no way lives up to the Dirty Dozen name.  At least its a damn sight better than the Marvin-less other sequels!!!

The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission (1985, TV) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Battle of Britain (1969, Blu-Ray)

This is the first of a new category of reviews, namely Blu-Ray.  Yeah, I finally got a Blu-Ray player to go with my new 1080p LCD (thanks extended warranty!) and I figure what better way to use it than to go back and revisit all these great war films in 1080p goodness, with the help of Netflix of course!

The first is the 1969 eye-candy epic, Battle of Britain.  You can read my original review of Battle of Britain here.  As such, I won't go into the plot or any of those details, as you can read it on that article, but rather these Blu-Ray reviews will focus more on the format, and what it gives you that plain-old DVD does not.

The problem with Battle of Britain on BD is that there isn't anything which truly sets it apart.  Matter of fact there is nothing on this disc but the film, which I was sorely disappointed at.  No extras of any kind, save for the remastered 5.1 audio, and a DTS-HD track which I couldn't enjoy since my receiver can't handle it....

But the 5.1 audio remaster is quite impressive, most notably where it comes to the soundtrack.  The remaining sound effects I really couldn't tell any major difference in, save for a few deep-bass explosions.  A big huge flaw though, is that the German is not subtitled by default.  You have to switch on the subtitles for these scenes, and switch them off again during the English sections... a big faux-pas on the disc producers' behalf.  Maybe it was just my player, but I'm thinking not.

And the picture was absolutely wonderful, albeit a bit grainy, which is no fault of blu-ray.  The details of the aircraft (the real stars of the film) came through beautifully, down to every rivet and stain.  However, the so-so special effects were even more obvious, especially the composited explosions, "duplications," and models.  If ever a film deserved to get a Lucas-ish "Special Edition" this is the one.  I could see some noise and dirt in a few places, but for the most part it looked fairly clean, and the colors didn't appear faded.  I should say that I am not that anal about artifacting and the like as some are, and I just didn't notice any.

I'm still miffed about the lack of extras on the disk, but the incredible picture and 5.1 remix somewhat made up for it.  If you've already got Battle of Britain on DVD, you'll probably be content with it.  But if you really want to go that extra mile in terms of picture and sound, then Blu-Ray is where its at.

Battle of Britain (1969, Blu-Ray) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

First Blood (1982)

Ah, the one that started it all, that introduced us to the now immortal character of John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone), ex Green Beret turned ronin samurai, defender of freedom and justice wherever he's needed.

Only in First Blood, he's not that man.  Really you have to wonder where the entire "Rambo" persona came from after seeing this movie.  But I'll get more into that later.

We find Rambo walking the earth, looking for the last member of his squad from Vietnam.  After finding out that he's died of cancer, he continues his walkabout.  Where he walks square into the town of Hope, WA (a fitting name) only to find that hope in this town, at least for Rambo, has abandonded him.

Sheriff Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy) doesn't take to Rambo's "hippie"-ish looks, and escorts him straight through to the other side of town, when all John wants is to stop for a hot meal on his trek.  Big mistake.

After Teasle takes him into jail, Rambo starts having POW flashbacks, and violently flees into the woods, where he proceeds to do what he was trained to do, survive.  Unfortunately for everyone going in after him, this means, survive through killing.

Only after Col. Trautman (Richard Crenna) arrives to defuse the situation do things really start to become clear.  He's a cornered animal, a machine who doesn't know how to do anything else.

Well, I'm sure you've all seen it before, so I don't need to go through the gory details.  Long story short, its the ending here that defines Rambo.  His breaking down in front of Trautman, which like it or not was really a nice bit of work on Stallone's behalf,  probably describes the feelings of a lot of Vietnam veterans, and veterans of any war.

Which brings me back to the first point.  Its too bad that Hollywood saw fit to turn this character into nothing more than a comic book hero for the next two entries in the Rambo "franchise."  Not until last year's Stallone-produced "Rambo" did we see this person again, at least with any sort of real meaning or purpose.

You'll also note that this film is pretty much devoid of the gratuitous violence which was present in later chapters.  Director Todd Kotcheff managed to give us a picture without exploding bodies or detaching limbs, which only adds to the suspense and drama of it all.

If you've never seen the first chapter of the Rambo saga, I recommend you take a look, just to see what started it all, and to get a firm anchor on what the character is all about.  If you have, you might go back and see First Blood again, just to remind yourself of one of the hidden costs of war, and maybe to appreciate your veteran friends and neighbors a bit more.  Not that they'd go all Rambo on you or antyhing...  er, well, you know what I mean.

Here's the scene that sends John over the edge, and you can see where things are going....



also keep an eye out for a much younger and non csi-miami-pose-for-the-camera David Caruso...

First Blood (1982) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Courage Under Fire (1996)

I've heard so many good things about 1996's Courage Under Fire, and I finally got a chance to check it out.  But I have to say I was somewhat disappointed with the results.

Lt. Col. Nat Serling (Denzel Washington) is charged with finding out the full story behind a recommendation for the Medal of Honor on the part of the late Capt. Karen Walden (Meg Ryan).  He manages to find the other parties involved in the incident, including the strung-out medic Ilario (a young Matt Damon), the Rambo-wannabe Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillips).

What ensues is replay after replay of the incident over Desert Storm-era Kuwait which leaves Walden dead, but from all the different viewpoints of the parties involved.

To top it all off, we have to deal with Lt. Col. Serling's problems after his involvement in a friendly-fire incident which left a tank crew dead after he gave the order to fire on them.

So what's the problem?  Denzel's performance is up to his usual standards, take that for what you will.  But I grew weary of Ryan's 'hillbilly' portrayal quickly.  What was up with that accent!?  Not buying it.  The remaining characters were just a bit too stereotypical for my tastes.  Especially Monfriez.

Yes of course the truth comes out in the end, both in the Medal of Honor case and in Serling's own life.  But what's the message here?  What's the point of the whole thing?   That the fog of war is ultimately highly subjective and that "the truth" depends on a great many viewpoints and variables?  Sure, I'll give you that.

But the journey to that realization just didn't do it for me.  Especially in Serling's case.  The way it kept rearing its ugly head just muddied the waters with respect to the main case, the Walden incident.

Try as I might, I just can't give a huge stamp of approval on this one.  Courage Under Fire might be one of the few Desert Storm movies out there, but I'm not sure what the point of that was, except to wrap a few star names around a murder mystery and wrap it up in a glossy package.

And wouldn't you know it I can't seem to locate a decent clip or trailer on YouTube...  anyone got a good embed link?

Courage Under Fire (1996) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Dive Bomber (1941)

Call me a sucker for some good old-fashioned old-time military aviation, but 1941's Dive Bomber is a superb and often overlooked gem of a movie.  I can't say it any other way.

It's full of that pre-Pearl Harbor optimism and enthusiasm, with just enough bite and bitterness to even it all out.  Not to mention a rare technicolor look at the world of naval aviation, and particularly, aviation medicine.  The "specialization" involved here, in my opinion, makes it even more of a classic.

Lt. Doug Lee (Errol Flynn) is a doctor in the navy, who has the unfortunate task of pronouncing the pal of pilots Blake (Fred MacMurry) and Griffin (Regis Toomey) dead after a crash of his dive bomber.  This incident pushes him into the Flight Surgeon school, where he quickly becomes the prodigy of Instructor Rogers (Ralph Bellamy).  His goal is to pursue the problems of "altitude sickness" and of blackouts under high G-forces.

Of course to become a Flight Surgeon, you must first become a pilot, and who should Lee draw as a flight instructor but Blake.  The conflict between these two, and in fact between all pilots and the flight surgeon corps, is heavy throughout.  The responsibility of the doctors to keep tabs on all the pilots vs their willingness and need to fly is made quite evident.

But where the real meat of the movie is, is the scientific endeavours.  We witness the birth of the modern flight suit, which pushes blood from the lower part of the body towards the brain during high G maneuvers to combat blackouts.  We also see some early attempts at defeating altitude sickness, with pressurization suits, and in fact fully pressurized cabins, which just didn't exist back then.  Maybe its not for everyone, but seeing the experiments and whatnot of the time was something else.

You also have to give a bit of a chuckle at the sheer amount of chain smoking going on here.  I've got nothing against it per se, especially in a picture of the time, but here it almost becomes humorous the amount of times the main characters are lighting up.  Especially when they jump out of an airplane on the tarmac that just got refueled!! Almost spit out my beer on that one.  I could imagine a rather horrific drinking game based on the amount of Lucky Strikes consumed in this picture....by doctors no less....  what? oh, yeah, the movie.

The bits with the enlisted man and his ex-wife are somewhat strange, but provide a well-placed and needed bit of comedy relief at points in the film.

Ultimately Blake and Lee come to terms with each other, and realize that they're both fighting for the same thing.  Blake's sacrifice in the name of science is an honorable tribute to the real men who lived on the edge of discovery and invention during this time.

Dive Bomber turned out to be a lot more entertaining and interesting than I had expected, and I absolutely recommend you see it if you're an aviation buff or at all into the science behind it all....

Dive Bomber (1941) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Time Slip, aka G.I. Samurai, aka Sengoku Jieitai (1979)

     

There are times when you just have to throw all the analysis and whatnot right out the window, and just say, "DAMN! That was a cool movie!"

Time Slip (aka G.I. Samurai) is exactly the movie that time was made for.  In it, Lt. Iba's (Sonny Chiba) squad of the Japanese Self Defense Force gets thrown back in time to the time of the Shogun, the "Warring States" period of Japanese history.  The time of the Samurai and feuding warlords....  and, to use a cliche, all hell breaks loose.

Sure this little time travel twist has been played out before in other films and TV, such as 1980's The Final Countdown, and at least one episode of The Twilight Zone, and probably more I'm not remembering.  But few come close to the sheer awesomeness of G.I. Samurai.

Picture if you will a tank, a helicopter, a gunboat, an APC, a couple of jeeps, tons of hand grenades and automatic weapons, against the armies of feudal Japan.  You'd think this'd be a pure cut-and-dried massacre, right? Not so at all.

What's great about the situation here is the twist.  Instead of taking a "non-interference" route as one would expect, in order to not disrupt the flow of history and seriously screw things up, creating some sort of Back to the Future paradox....  Our heroes take the opposite route.  Let's side with the local warlord and dominate the country, in an attempt to get the gods of history to "correct" the situation and send us all back!  Yeah!

Ah, but only if it were that simple.  To start, one of Iba's squad has designs of his own, and takes a few of the men off on his own little escapades, (literally) raping and pillaging the villages out of greed for women and goods.  Eventually Iba quells this little rebellion.  Which seems rather strange considering that he himself goes down a similar path, not quite as violent or rogue of a path, but a similar one nonetheless.

It turns out he's enjoying his new found status as a fellow shogun.  In fact he gets a little too cocky, and tries to take on a superior (in numbers) force on his way to conquer Kyoto.  He just barely succeeds, but his superior equipment of the future is destroyed, or depleted, leaving him and his remaining men with their sidearms and blades to continue their work.

On the other side, the warlord he's sided with, Kagetora, realizes (with a little help from his counsel) that this partnership is trouble, and confronts him.  Long story short, the gods of history have their way, and there is no happy ending.

Just plain cool, that's all I have to say about it.  The perfect blending of mechanized warfare with the typical samurai film, complete with samurai sword battles and that oh-so-cool 'zing' sound effect of the samurai blade.  For we Americans this is something akin to a modern military force going back to Revolutionary War, or even Civil War times, and giving a lending hand to one side over the other.  Imagine.  Yes, you have to enter that whole 'suspension of disbelief' land, but it doesn't take much to get there in this movie.

As for character development, you won't find much of that here.  Lt. Iba goes from the level headed officer who really doesn't want to fight, or thinks it all that cool, to typical warlord in a few screen minutes.  Maybe out of the typical Japanese sense of duty or something?  To the "gods of time" as they put it? Who knows.  Some of his crew share his feelings, while others don't.  Ranging from "it's not cool to die here for nothing!" to the guy who goes native, to the other guy who tries to get out of the "time affected" region to meet his girlfriend, who we see is waiting for him at the platform back in real time.....

But even more cool is the look at tactics and strategy of the time.  Is it legit? I have no idea.  But some of the mechanics of the period warfare I'd never seen before, and really are, well, cool!!

So put aside your serious war-movie-ways for a bit, tie on that headband, grab some popcorn, and settle into G.I. Samurai and let it all hang out.  Sometimes you just have to.

Although I did go WTF?! quite a few times at some of their soundtrack music choices.  You'll know what I mean as the translation subtitles come across the screen.  WTF!!!? Is all you can say.



here's another:

Time Slip, aka G.I. Samurai, aka Sengoku Jieitai (1979) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007)

Few names bring fear into the hearts of men as much as "Genghis Khan" or as he was known to the people he led and the lands he ravaged, "Temudgin."  In Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, we get a spectacular, if sympathetic, look at the rise to power of one of history's most infamous warlords.

From his troubled youth, when he's thrust into power as a child and just as quickly overthrown by a member of his father's counsel, young Temudgin must fight his way up from nothing.  Escaping capture from this traitor Targutai (Amadu Mamadakov) he prays to the god of the sky, who seems to endow him with his powers.  As he reunites with his bride Borte (Khulan Chuluun), and a friend he made along the way, his leadership and stature become clear to everyone around him.

He finally becomes enemies with said friend, Jamukha (Honglei Sun), who has teamed with Targutai in order to elminate Temudgin.  The battle scenes in Mongol are spectacular, with maybe a certain amount of Kung-Fu movie flair to them.  At times they can get a little grisly, and possibly over the top.  The scene early on where Temudgin caves in the guy's skull is probably the prime example.  Not for the weak, to be sure.

He's captured and sold to a Chinese nobleman, who puts him on display as an animal.  Later freed by his wife, he returns to Mongolia to unite the tribes he fought against, and sets us up (I think) for the rest of this trilogy, which I cannot wait to see.

The greatest thing about Mongol is not Tadanobu Asano's performance as the warlord, although it is excellent.  It's the simply breathtaking location shots.  Time after time they show you locations you never dreamed could be real.  It's just amazing.  The production team also went the extra mile in setting everything up.  From the costumes to the props, you -will- buy into all of it.

And yet again, I have to change my position on the love story angle.  Here it is an integral part of the story.  His love for his chosen bride throughout is what drives him.  And the opposite is true, as Borte goes as far as becoming the wife of a Chinese nobleman, and mother to his child, in order to get to Temudgin and free him from his cage.

Somewhat troubling throughout, though, is the sympathetic nature of the story.  I don't know about you, but I was always taught that Genghis Khan was a merciless killer and ravager.  The typical leader of "the mongol hordes", but it's clear that this is not that man.  Maybe the portrait will change if the rest of this story is told, I can't say.  But that "feeling" is continually in the back of your mind as you watch Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan.

Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan (2007) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Generation Kill (2008)

I finally got around to watching all my DVR'd episodes of HBO's Generation Kill, based on the writings of Rolling Stone reporter Evan Wright about his embedding with the 1st Marine Recon Battalion in the first days of the Iraq invasion.

I have to say, Generation Kill is a great look at the ins-and-outs of modern warfare, and the people fighting it.  In the seven part mini-series, which starts just before the invasion, and ends shortly after the fall of Baghdad, 1st Recon gets to experience the horrors of war, but mostly, they get to be a part of the cluster-f--k that was (and still is) Iraq.  Between the 'what are we doing here' angle, the internal politics of modern war are explored in great detail, from those in the squads, all the way up the chain of command.

First off, this is no "Band of Brothers."  Let's just get that out of the way right now.  The guys here aren't given particularly high marks in their portrayal.  But lets face it, if you've been around a representative gang of guys like you'd find here....  It's pretty damn close to the mark.  But what they're doing is not meant as any sort of tribute like BoB was.

From the wise-cracking Ray (James Ransone), the cool-under-pressure "Iceman" Brad (Alexander Skarsgard), the reporter (Lee Tergesen), to the average guys, including the level-heading Lt. Fick (Stark Sands).  These guys were just great at making me believe it.  All of them, with few exceptions.  Yeah sure at times Ray's character was a bit scripted and over the top, but the quirks and personalities given to each one of them were just brilliant.  Although I must admit to being a little skeptical of the characters in the first episode.  Thankfully they wound up mostly developed by the end.  You will recognize people you know in these characters.

Then you go all the way up to the sad but accurate portrayals of the Rambo-wanna-be "Captain America" er, I mean McGraw (Eric Nenninger), the southern-accented "Marine Lingo" spewing Sarge, and the odd character of the by-the-book Col. "Godfather" (Chance Kelly)...  I'm not sure why the higher-up officers were portrayed in such a negative light.  (Maybe its not that far off the mark?)  Really the only one who seemed to have his shit together was Fick, and thank god we have guys like that.  The general WTF-ness of some of their calls really get you thinking.  And the scene where the Doctor calls out Captain "Encino Man" on that very subject is the icing on the cake.

The action and battle sequences were just amazing.  Although as many have noted, there really aren't all that many of them, and some of them are painfully short.  That's OK, though, par for the course.  It can get a bit grisly at times, but not so much so to get you squeamish.  Really, they could have made it a lot worse.  They're done well enough that you fully buy into them, and they never go over the top as to become unbelievable, as can sometimes happen.

It is a bit disconcerting the amount of, (thinking for the right word), disdain is shown to the troops' actions though.  Regardless of their motives, it seems like they always wound up killing some innocent person or child or villagers in the process.  Again, while there may be some truth to that, I think the point was made one too many times.  Especially in the last moments of the final episode, which seemed a little too much like the closing slides of "Redacted" for my tastes, yet it was still done in a somewhat more respectful light.  If you've seen the two sequences, you probably know what I'm talking about.  What separates GK from that fiasco is how the different characters react to it all.

All of the details are just much too involved to get into here.  But other aspects of the story are worth talking about, namely the desire to do what's right versus following orders, versus the ingrained and trained nature of the Marines as warriors....  The countermanding of outlandish orders, the conflict between officers and enlisted men, the confusion and losses suffered from these actions.  Really I think is what's at the heart of Generation Kill.  Not having read the book I can't comment on the original author's intent, but here that seems to be the overarching theme... 

... that we as a military and a country need to figure out what the hell we are doing there.  From the early episodes where their mission was clear, to oust Saddam and "liberate" the country, to the last few episodes where it becomes clear to the men that "this isn't going to be over anytime soon."  And how right they were.

I think I'm starting to ramble a bit.  Let's just close with this:  Generation Kill is a great portrayal of what's going on over there.  It's funny, it's complex, it's horrible, it's simple, it's decent, it's just plain indecent...  it's just a lot of different things.  Putting all together like they've done here is amazing.  The final scene with Wright leaving the base sort of says it all.

Generation Kill isn't out on DVD yet, but I recommend it if you've not seen it yet.  I don't think the trailers I found really represent what the series is all about.  But here's one of them.



Ah, found this 10 minute clip. Much better representation of the whole shebang, even if its only from one episode (IIRC).

Generation Kill (2008) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News

Hamburger Hill (1987)

In May, 1969, Airborne troops were tasked with the awful duty of taking a hill from the North Vietnamese, in a battle which would become known as "Hamburger Hill" and documented in a book by Samuel Zaffiri, and then on film in this 1987 picture.

I hadn't seen Hamburger Hill in a long, long, time.  And for some reason, the last time I did I remembered not liking it very well.  Well, this time was very different.  Maybe age and experience, maybe the myriad of pictures I've seen here have put some things into perspective, but Hamburger Hill is really quite the Vietnam epic.

This film takes the typical Vietnam experience that you've seen before in pictures like "Platoon" and "We Were Soldiers", and amplifies it signifcantly.  From the mud, muck, and filth that our heroes live in back at the base, to the near endless death and destruction on the hill.  You will come away from this with that "sunk" feeling, as you realize how futile all of it is.

The only real problem I think is that it takes itself a bit too serious at times.  Even in the "lighter" moments it wields a heavy hand.  Maybe "problem" isn't the right word.  If you've seen it, you probably know the feeling I'm trying to describe.

Not only does Hamburger Hill succeed at presenting its message, but also spends a great deal of time on the issue of race in the military of the Vietnam era.  And surprisingly does it without coming off as "preachy" for lack of a better word.  You've got the seemingly out of place doctor, "Doc" Johnson (Courtney B. Vance) who seems to be a liaison of sorts between the black and white elements of the squad.  But it becomes clear by the end that despite all the rhetoric and discussion of race, it just doesn't matter.

But, as is the case, you've got the usual Vietnam cliches to deal with.  The somewhat forced friendly-fire incident, the out-of-touch officer corps, the above mentioned racial tensions, the blood and guts, the punji stick traps....  You sort of have to expect it I suppose.

Dylan McDermott and a young Don Cheadle are excellent in their roles.  Far better than I had remembered.  But again, that spectre of 'seriousness' seems to affect everyone in their portrayals.  Like the director was shouting out 'remember, you're not enjoying this' or something.

One particular element of the film that I do remember, and still think reverberates as an overarching theme, is the destruction of Hamburger Hill itself.  At the beginning it appears as a lush, green thing of beauty.  But by the end is laid waste into a burnt and broken, smokey, desperate wasteland.  Somewhat like the guys who left there alive.

Hamburger Hill (1987) on Spout.com

Originally posted on:War Movie Reviews and News