Definitely not Saving Private Ryan, but I'd say it's certainly worth your time

Rating: 8/10 (13 November 2014)

WWII films have always been a big deal to me since I'm really into the history of WWII particularly in the European front. My favorite on screen portrayals of war are obviously Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan and the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers, and some other favorites to name a few are Bridge Too Far, Big Red One, Flags of our Fathers and Letters from Iwo Jima. With David Ayer behind the camera for this one who made "End of Watch" in 2012, Brad Pitt in the lead and newcomer Logan Lerman alongside, I was really looking forward to it especially with the trailers. Having seen it, there are some flaws here and there but there's greatness within.
Brad Pitt as Wardaddy is excellent at playing an emotionally burnt out soldier who's been through some of the most hellish situations in the war but isn't afraid to show that it does get to him. Logan Lerman once again impresses as Norman Ellison, the young soldier who is thrown into the fight unwillingly and is forced to become a cold blooded killer given that he has a sense of compassion for the Germans. Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal are good in their parts and Shia Labeouf is surprisingly not annoying. A lot of people have complained that the characters were shallow and that we could've had more time devoted to their backgrounds before the war. While I do agree with that to a point, I feel that the scene in the middle section of the film where they're having a meal with Norman and Wardaddy giving us a sense of where they've been during the war and why they have a strong dislike towards the Germans. That scene for me at least gave us a good reason as to why they are the way they are, but the biggest compliment I can give to these actors is that they feel like real people. They don't feel like some Hollywood clichéd Lone Ranger type characters who are perfect. Since I've been in the military for the last two years, even though I have never been deployed or seen combat these guys' camaraderie felt real and natural like some of my friends that I've made since I enlisted and that's something I always look for in a movie like this.
The story is incredibly basic: they're on a mission to secure a crossroad for the Allied forces coming in and fight off the SS who aren't going down without a fight. Like with the characters, lots of people have complained about there not being a complex story, but I didn't have a problem with it personally because not every war film has to be Saving Private Ryan. It's a basic plot indeed, but it's a straightforward plot: secure a crossroads and stop the Germans from taking it back. And that's all you really need I'd say. The tone is also a plus since this feels like David Ayer combined the elements from classic WWII flicks like Big Red One and Dirty Dozen with the grittiness of Saving Private Ryan thrown in the mix. It fits with the mood of the men who've been battling the Nazis for a long time, and with the end of the war in sight (April 1945), you get the feeling that they're ready for the war to be over given that the Germans are throwing everything they've got at the Allies.
And just a warning for anyone who's worried about the violence: it's not overly violent but there are a few scenes where I'd prepare myself because some people might not be able to handle it.
Steven Price's musical score is excellent and thankfully not done in a way where it's eye rolling, specifically the battle scenes. While I can let it slide in other movies, I don't really like it whenever music plays during a battle scene in a war film because a lot of the time it comes off as cheesy and trying to get the audience to applaud, but this score fit because it was intense and nail biting. Especially when Wardaddy and his crew face off against a German Tiger Tank, which is probably the best war tank action sequence I've ever seen. And I'm a about to spoil the ending so skip this sentence if you haven't seen it yet, but since some people have expressed contempt for this part I feel like I have to address it (Norman is the only survivor of the tank crew in the final fight and hides under the Sherman tank while the other Germans search the tank for survivors. A young German soldier looks underneath and spots Norman who quietly begs him not to tell his comrades. After a few seconds of contemplating, the German soldier spares him. Some people find this unrealistic and argue that he would've revealed him on the spot, but to be realistic: not every German soldier was a cold blooded killing Nazi. Even our enemies have feelings and show compassion).
With that being said, there are some flaws: I too would've like a bit more emphasis on the characters/story and the middle act slows down and drags on a bit too long. But overall, I applaud David Ayer for his efforts along with everyone else who worked on this film, and I'm really happy to see a good WWII movie again. I'd say to anyone who's interested: go see it!