Jon Monsarrat review: overrated but worth seeing

Rating: 6/10 (30 March 2002)

Black Hawk Down is a wild ride, and satisfying as an action movie. The visual effects and pace are exhilarating and I enjoyed it.
However, the film also tries to convey a story and have something to say. I think I missed it. War is confusing -- well, no surprise, I was confused as to what was happening where and who was doing what. There was no clear protagonist from whose viewpoint the movie occurs; several people share that role.
Any film based on a true story is going to lack flexibility in what happens when and by whom. In a typical action flick, when stuff blows up, I cheer -- nobody is hurt, they are all highly paid actors. But here, the story was horrifying and real also. So I didn't enjoy the violence. It just unnerved me. Maybe that is why I rated the film a 6 rather than an 8. I just can't find entertainment in war, and as a documentary -- no thanks, I don't want to experience the trauma of war so directly. I like documentaries to inform me, not scar me emotionally. I suggest "The Siege" or "Thirteen Days" if you want a great movie that educates you without immersing you so fully.
Who should see this film:
-- Action / war movie buffs
-- anyone who's intrigued by the horror of war and wants more (and you stay away from my daughter)
-- Drama / arty types (because the film is really well put together) who aren't having a bad day and don't get nightmares easily
I gave this film a 6 out of 10.