A unique and unconventional movie that full provides whole spectrum of emotions from suspense, humor, tragedy, to feeling good.

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2020)

Da 5 Bloods is hard to define by its genre but what stands out are the performances of Delroy Lindo and Chadwick Boseman, and that is compared to many great performances. I like how Spike Lee shows contributions of black soldiers in the Vietnam war, and how the Vietnam war is referred as the American War in the movie. Being a Cambodian, that is what we call it too. It also helps that Lee is able to show the different dimensions of the war, and how different sides view the war. He does this through the characters' speech. Though it seems unsubtle, it is seems real. I think he put a real effort to showcase famous black people by showing a black and white footage or newspaper picture of that person after any mention of them. For me, I actually liked that because I get to see more outstanding black individuals besides Martin Luther King , and Malcolm X. It may hurt the story but provides an interesting movie experience.
The movie begins as a story of elderly people meeting up and confronting there demons in Vietnam. The only person who never really healed and keeps getting worse is Delroy Lindo's character. Then it goes to thriller mode when tension boils after finding the gold. There are seemingly 4 wall breaking moments. Despite the unconventional approach, Delroy Lindo carries the movie perfectly. He is a troubled person, and despite his actions, we root and sympathize with him till the end. Chadwick Boseman, who plays the leader of the titular Bloods, Norman is very charismatic and charming. You really believe he could command the full faith of his squad. His death is as devastating to me as it is to the characters, and this takes a great actor to do that.
In the end, Da 5 Bloods is an unconventional movie that hops genres and provides a full range of emotions from thrills, humor, high octane action, sadness, and good feelings. It is a truly unique movie to enjoy.