A little overrated, but pretty good----7/10

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2005)

I started watching Apocalypse Now with all the acclaim it has received over the years in the back of my mind. I learned a long time ago with 2001: A Space Odyssey that just because a movie is regarded as a classic doesn't mean i will like it at all. I sat down to watch the Redux (it was the only version i could get but i'm sure the overall film is the same) and fortunately, Apocalypse Now is better than 2001, but it is not a great movie.
The film stars Martin Sheen as an Army captain who is sent into deep into the jungles of Vietnam to take down a decorated general (Marlon Brando) who went mad and barricaded himself. He rides on a boat with a squad of desensitized soldiers down a river. Along for the ride is a barely legal youngster (Laurence Fishburne), a would-be chef (Frederick Forrest) and a stern driver (Albert Hall). Everybody in the cast does a great job, and the ride down the river is eerily calm with random spurts of violence which makes for a mostly exciting movie. There is also a great supporting role by Robert Duvall as a hard-ass commander who is a overzealous fan of surfing.
The movie really slows down, however, when the squad comes across a French family living in a nice house in the middle of the jungle. It really doesn't do much for the story and it seems to get forgotten in the later parts of the movie. Also, the ending is slow and just strange. I heard there was originally supposed to be a huge battle, which i would have preferred.
For movie fans, Apocalypse Now is a must-see, because most people like it a lot, but for some it is a pretty good war movie that's worth a look.---7/10