***** out of 5

Rating: Null/10 (6 August 2002)

Director Ridley Scott does an amazing job at depicting the horrors of armed combat in what could be the most gripping war movie since Platoon. No one is pared in this extremly violent yet extremly powerful film as a group of soilders are stranded in the middle of a living hell after their chopper is shot down and must do all they can to survive until help can arrive. The battles are beautifully shot and the special effects are jaw dropping. Josh Hartnett finally breaks free of his teen movie burden with a great performance alongside the likes of Tom Sizemore and Ewen Bremner. But be forwarned this thought prevoking, epic battle movie is by no means for the squeemish due to some extreme content, like a close up of a severed thumb, a man with his legs blown off and a very graphic scene in which soilders must do some medical work on a serious leg wound.