Important and yes, entertaining

Rating: Null/10 (26 January 2002)

This was a very well done technical film, where just about every visual looked appropriately real and the plot development was clear. I do not consider such a tragedy to be a good subject for a traditionally 'entertaining' movie, because it hits too close to home. However, most people have no idea of the reality of pivotal events in history, and films such as Blackhawk Down serve at least to educate. In the same way that Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan educated on WWII events and Titanic brought home the horror of what would otherwise be just another sinking ship in the minds of school children, Blackhawk gives as a vantagepoint from which the folly of misguided military operations since WWII is apparent. Not since WWII has the US military had clear and competent goals and direction, with 'police actions' like Korea, fiascos like Vietnam, aborted efforts like Desert Storm, and the more recent operations being major examples, and Blackhawk shows how and why this is the case.
I understand that many details such as the RPG in the chest, the retrieved hand, and so on are accurate. I wondered about the amazing stream of 'enemy' fighters, coming on in the same mindless swarm as the aliens in the movie of the same name (indeed, on a superficial level, Blackhawk has lots of features in common with that movie; replace the aliens with Somalian militia members, the space station with the city, and you have 90% of the film), yet this detail may also be factual.
A very good movie, but don't expect to enjoy it.