War > Bronson, Charles War > H > Sturges, John

Advantages: Educational & great story
Disadvantages: Constant flashbacks & forwards spoil flow of film slightly

Set during WW2 this film tells the story behind what has become part of American military folklore of the Marines raising the Stars & Stripes on the island of Iwo Jima. You follow the individual stories of the marines to see how their lives helped to create the story behind this American iconic image which went on to be carved in stone as a monument. Before watching the movie I didn't know anything about this film or the story of the second flag ...
...in that account. The film is well made, looks wonderful and all the actors are excellent that they all played their alloted roles very well indeed. The film for me has one major point against it that makes it difficult to watch and that is the constant scene transitions from present to past to war to future and where ever else they choose to be. This made scenes disjointed and exceptionally difficult to follow. Although it says this was shot back ... Read review

Advantages: Great storyline-Proud heroes-true story- good actors and director
Disadvantages: none

Set in world war 2 and telling the story of four different people on the rising of the flag in the great war, and how a simple photograph can raise billions of dollars and bring hope in to the people of America. This movie is very interesting and makes you want to watch the whole "and a half hour of it. At every scene you feel like you can and want to help them but you cant and makes you feel happiness knowing that back then people were doing this ...
...this for anyone who wishes to watch an exciting and interesting movie based on real events and played out by great actors of top professional acting. To top it all off it was directed by Clint Eastwood who is known for his popularity and great movies. Conclusion Watch this movie if you are bored or just want to have a good time but you definantly must watch this with another person because it makes it feel all that much better. Thank you and please ... Read review

Advantages: gritty, and realistic
Disadvantages: brutal

...Released first in 1986, Platoon received a rather mixed reception. The strange thing is, that it was both praised and criticised for exactly the same reason. Quite simply it was seen as being too realistic. Platoon is, in essence, a gritty and truthful vision of war. A lot of people thought that it went too far. However, I think that it was high time that a film was made that did not try and sugar coat war. Unfortunately, all too many people on ...
...can be felt by all. Platoon certainly does have that. And its realism is added to, by the fact that its director was using life experience to base his direction, not the views of others. Neither was he basing the movie on what other directors had done before him. Feelings for him were raw, and this shone through in the film itself. The film is harrowing. The film is convincing. Quite frankly, the film is brutal. In my opinion, though that makes ... Read review

Advantages: takes a reality to an whole new level, Different perspective
Disadvantages: some confusing moments

...again this is evident in Kokoda 39th Battalion. As a scholar of history {it is one of my passions} I am aware of many glorious large and small scale battles and wars that have encompassed honour and cowardice, atrocity and empathy, dignity and degradation and I surmise that many people have a story to tell. America has done so many times from Saving Private Ryan to Pearl Harbour, England has done so as well as Korea and Japan amongst others but now ...
...trailers. Synopsis The Kokoda film is set on a true story surrounding the threat of Japanese incursions onto Australian soil culminating in invasion and the Kokoda trail was the place that would ultimately prevent this or leave the doorway open for the Japanese to come in. Due to the true story aspect of the film it centres round the 39th Battalion for numerous reasons. Firstly the casualty list does not make for pleasant reading: 39th BN ... Read review

Advantages: realism is generally good
Disadvantages: VERY weak ending

The film looks good. Yes, it's relatively realistic. The only unrealistic scenes are :- The marines getting shot by the A-10's. As memory serves me (and I was involved in Live Operations so I know what I'm talking about) only The British were shot at & killed by A-10's. Don't bother asking why this happened. About 100 people know and it's so classified it'll never be talked about. How Swoff isn't shipped out on a section 8 after he tries to kill ...
...final scene where Swoff is bitching because he never fired his weapon and then they all started firing wildly into the sky. Even Jamie Foxx who is supposed to be in charge of discipline. Only a few scenes before Swoff had spoken about what would happen if he shot someone. He'd get done for negligent discharge (known as an ND) and then spend time in the stockade. Well, if the US do the same as the British do, you get billed for every round. About ... Read review