Black Hawk Down (DVD) > Reviews > Weak stomachs and bladders beware

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	gritty realism, fast action
Disadvantages:	bit shallow, slow start

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

You know how it is, sitting there peacefully watching a film munching on popcorn. Suddenly BOOM! CRACK! BANG! Where did that guy's leg go?!

Black Hawk Down is an extremely realistic war violence thriller, and it certainly has no mercy for the weak stomachs in the audience. The film is the story of real events that happened in Somalia, when elite US soldiers make a capture effort in the heart of a hostile area in Mogadishu. Things go a bit wrong, and then get worse, and it all unfolds in front of you as you cringe, sigh, shake your head, etc. to the events that transpire.

The film is directed by Ridley Scott (Hannibal, Gladiator, Blade Runner, Alien, etc) and features a quality cast with some welcome British names in there:

Josh Hartnett - Staff Sergeant Matt Eversmann
Ewan McGregor - Company Clerk John Grimes
Tom Sizemore - Lt Colonel Danny McKnight
Eric Bana - Sergeant 1st Class Norm 'Hoot' Hooten
William Fichtner - Master Sergeant Paul Howe
Ewen Bremner - Specialist Shawn Nelson
Sam Shepard - Major General William Garrison
Gabriel Casseus - Specialist Mike Kurth
Kim Coates - Private Wex
Hugh Dancy - Sergeant 1st Class Kurt Schmid
Ron Eldard - Chief Warrant Officer Mike Durant
Ioan Gruffudd - Sergeant Beales
Tom Guiry - Staff Sergeant Ed Yurek
Charlie Hofheimer - Corporal Jamie Smith
Danny Hoch - Sergeant Dominic Pilla

Even with the standard of the cast, this is very much a film of two halves though with the first part (perhaps 40 of the 140-odd minutes running time) being the build up and the character introduction. This part is very Armageddon and Top Gun-esque with the male bonding and the general stereotypical US armed forces attitudes superseding any of the plot that's supposed to be there. I wasn't the only one that said afterwards what an opportunity that would have been to show the build up to the mission from the political point of view and the reasons for the initial incursion into Somalia. After a while you do begin to wonder where all this is going and whether the story will follow a perfect ending scenario (all go in, get the target, get out again, not a scratch on them and the enemy in many different sized pieces).

But no, all of a sudden (and probably quite deliberately) the film shifts up a couple of gears and the action kicks in. As the soldiers (Army Rangers and Delta Force members) move into to initiate the mission, you can see the shift in pace happening. The action scenes are extremely well shot, with the bullets whizzing and whining through the streets and the missiles almost flying straight towards you. The grim reality is there but not quite as emotionally tinged as in 'Saving Private Ryan', for example.

After the event(s) happen that give the film its title you are really beginning to wonder whether anyone is going to get out alive. The backup of the Pakistani army is initially reluctant to move in as the Americans had gone in on the quiet without informing them (true to life perhaps?) but they do eventually mobilise and offer assistance.

The films' final scenes close with a few Delta Force members going back in to the hostile area to rescue the last of the soldiers (living up to their motto [and tag line of the film] of 'Leave No Man Behind'). I won't spoil the ending if you haven't seen it, but it does bring back to mind the events that went on and leaves you with the impression that war isn't great and it seems to be up to normal people to finish what the politicians start.