War > DVD War

"Its hard to be a good soldier in a rotten war"

Advantages: excellent photography, intelligent writing, good action, thought-provoking
Disadvantages: None

Made in 1988, The Beast is a war film set in 1981 during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, following the crew of a Soviet T-62 tank that gets seperated from its unit and ends up in a barren desert valley, pursued by a group of mujahadeen warriors who are out for revenge after the tank unit mercilessly slaughtered the inhabitants of their tiny village. Indeed, the film opens with the attack on the settlement, in which one prominent village leader ...
...the behest of its unhinged commander, Daskal. The film is part anti-war film, part psychological thriller, the focus being split between Taj- the new Khan after his father and brother were brutally murdered- and his men on the one hand as they pursue the tank in the hopes of destroying it with a lone RPG, David and Goliath style, and Commander Daskal and his crew, who obey his increasingly maniacal commands out of fear. Daskal's crew consists of ...

Burning_Darkness 12.10.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The Beast (DVD)

good film

Advantages: The cast is remarkable
Disadvantages: nothing

...Japanese POW camp in 1965's King Rat, based on a novel by James Clavell. As Corporal King, Segal swaggers and schemes, running his little corner of the black market with help from a ragtag group of soldiers willing to do anything for a few bucks. King befriends Brit officer Peter Marlowe (James Fox), who speaks the local language and can translate for King when he sells off watches and jewelry for other desperate prisoners (for a sizable fee, of ...
...(Tom Courtenay), whose loathing of King borders on the pathological. The prisoners in King Rat aren't plotting to make a run for it, a la The Great Escape - it's established early in the film that such is not an option, as there's literally nowhere for escapees from the Singapore camp to go. The movie instead explores the day-to-day life of these beaten-down men, starving and sick, as they scrape together the best sort of life they can under the ...

kashif123456 23.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: not helpful
Review of King Rat (DVD)

Eastwood Goes for Gold!

Advantages: Good Story, Great acting, Oddball!
Disadvantages: None come to mind

Kelly’s Heroes is a film which I have never actually sat and watched the whole way through, it has been on the television so many times and I have caught bits of it and so hubby finally persuaded me to sit and watch it with him. The film is about Private Kelly an American solider fighting in World War 2. He is very bossy and cannot stand the fact that he used to be a Lieutenant but got busted down to Private and still thinks he has the authority ...
...who is in possession of some paperwork and Kelly soon finds out that it is details of where over 16 million Dollars of Gold is being kept. Kelly sees an opportunity to get something out of the war and decides he is going to go after the gold. Kelly asks Sgt. Joe to translate the Garman paperwork and they soon realise that the gold is being kept in a bank behind enemy lines. Kelly is not put off by this and sets about getting himself a team together ...

sewbizzie 12.05.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kelly's Heroes (DVD)

a real eye-opener

Advantages: powerful film , great value dvd
Disadvantages: Not enough scenes with Johnny Depp in

Before watching platoon i knew nothing really of the Vietnam war.after this i felt like i'd been there with the soldiers , nerves on edge, expecting to be blown up/bayoneted/shot at any second. The acting is some of the best i have seen ina war film. Charlie sheen plays the innocent volunteer who is mentally and physically battered into a hard nut like the other soldiers. Tom Berenger is the cold blooded Sergeant Barnes, who has no concept of right ...
...compassionate and stands up for what he believes. In my opinion this was a film that kicked off several actors careers, like Johnny Depp ( yes pirates of the Carribean Johnny Depp) and Forest Whitaker. Depp is not abundant in the film and the first time i saw it you barely notice him as his scenes are so brief. Other than this the film is flawless. The imposing soundtrack combined with the revealing camera work makes it unforgettable. Certain parts ...

HarryJ3991 23.05.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Platoon (DVD)

Texas? Texas? Only steers come from Texas.

Advantages: Thought provoking, great one liners, great acting, good story
Disadvantages: Too short for both parts. Maybe there should have been 2 separate films?

...and directed by Stanley Kubrick Full Metal Jacket (“FMJ”) is a film about the Vietnam War that was released back in September 1987. I have never really been one for DVD extras and bonus features and would prefer to see the feature film only. Therefore this is a review of the film only and I will not comment on any of the extras that are available on the DVD. ****Plot**** FMJ starts in a Marine Corp training camp in Paris Island, South Carolina, ...
...and after having their identities taken away, along with the obligatory headshave, begin their gruelling training for the Vietnam War. During their time at the camp the new platoon remain under the scrutiny of Drill Sergeant Hartman (R Lee Ermey) and after the first encounter it is easy to see why Sergeant Hartman has the reputation of being the nastiest sergeant in the camp. The recruits, known only by the nick names given to them by Hartman, are ...

yackers1 16.05.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Full Metal Jacket (DVD)