The Best War Film Since Saving Private Ryan

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2014)

Black Hawk Down is one of the best war films ever made. It is intense, action packed, and disturbing. Set midst the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, Black Hawk Down follows 39 U.S. Army Rangers and Delta Force Operatives through their fight against the Somalian militants. Black Hawk Down boasts a fantastic cast which includes the likes of Josh Hartnett, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana, Jason Issacs, Ewan McGregor and others. It also hosts many future stars such as Orlando Bloom, Hugh Dancy, Tom Hardy, and Ty Burrell. Their performances were very good, but the real star here is the fantastic direction of Ridley Scott. His atmospheric style is in full effect here and it provides unrivaled intensity. No movie will be able to immerse its audience into its action as well as Black Hawk Down until Gravity in 2013. Adding to this immersion and intensity is Hans Zimmer's fantastic score which resonates the setting and themes of the movie. For as visually stunning as Black Hawk Down is, it lacks character development. This however is expected with so many characters and so many stories to follow. This negative is not enough to warrant giving Black Hawk Down anything less than a ten. It is an experience that very few other movies can rival.