Unreal Hollywoodized Rambo Combat Scenes

Rating: 6/10 (27 October 2014)

If you would read the reviews that give 5 stars or less, you will obtain a more realistic view of this movie.
The story shows an American tank crew headed across Europe in Germany during the last week of the WWII. It is April of 1945. This crew is multi-racial and it displays some of their conflicts with one another and their surroundings and German survivors of the War.
The tank is disabled by a land mine. Two Hundred Germans, likely SS soldiers are marching towards the disabled American tank. The Americans have time to load up and transfer all of the extra stored ammunition which is hanging carried on the outside of their tank to the inside of the tank before the Germans come. They do not haul inside the ammunition until 200 Germans are shooting at them at close range. Hiding and running would have been a rational choice given that the War is about to end within 5-11 days. But Brad Pitt chooses to stand and fight. I mean, the Americans and Russians are overwhelming Berlin in April 1945. What would you do?
Similar to a Rambo movie, the protagonists in the tank choose to do a stand-off while cowering holed up against 200 enemy soldiers who surround the tank. They could have hidden in the bushes; there was time, but no, they choose to stay in their disabled tank to "stay with the Sergeant" Brade Pitt. This means sure death for them.
The Germans could have starved the Yanks out. Or waited until they wanted to go to the restroom. Then you shoot them with sniper fire as they get tired of smelling "it".
The Germans do not seek cover against the firing machine guns of the tank. Rather, they run back and forth in front of the tank's blazing machine guns. I suppose the Germans are attracted to the firing machine guns like mosquitoes are attracted to heat and light. And this may be why the Germans lost WWII.
The Germans put two hand grenades down the tank's top porthole. There is a hatch at the bottom of the tank for the Americans to escape. There is time for one soldier to wiggle out of the tank before the grenades explode. And he does this. All others, including Brad Pitt, are killed by the grenades. So, why didn't the soldier simply grab the grenades and hurl them out of the tank through the bottom porthole which was wide open? That would have taken 3 seconds per grenade and perhaps he could have made it, saving his team mates. The grenades have about a 5-6 second fuse delay.
Then shortly afterward, an SS officer sees the alive soldier below the tank hiding alive and well. He doesn't shoot him. What does the SS soldier think the soldier is beneath the tank? He doesn't order him away from the tank. The SS soldier just leaves him alive without saying a word to him. I mean, who would be under a tank after a firefight?
There is abusiveness by one American soldier to another who is new to combat. This is a kind of "hazing". Oh boy, adding "realism". He pulls on the ears of this new soldier. This abusive soldier handles the soldier in various ways to aggravate the new soldier. Doesn't it occur to the audience that in combat --you do this to a soldier and you could be "shot by accident" in the next firefight?
Oh, yes, there is a scene with a blown up face sitting on a shelf in the tank. The 1/3 face has no scratches on it, and the eye is perfectly in the socket of the piece-of-face. How could an eye remain the eye socket after the head has exploded from an anti-tank round?
If you will read the criticisms of other reviewers, the ones with 1 or 2 star reviews, they will detail more story errors.
This movie is not a "Saving Private Ryan" level show. It shows soldiers taking unnecessary risks and then making bad tactical decisions. And that is what Rambo did. Rambo stood up to the enemy straight up and fired his machine gun from the hip. In real life he would last 3 seconds. And this is why returning Vietnam veterans were highly critical of Rambo and John Wayne movies. These movies give the viewer a false sense of security. You know what: If you have fears, it may be because you really are in danger. And if you want to live, you might be better off making like a mole.
Yes, the grungy scenery, and the sleazy actor's lines may give this movie a sense of "realism"; a tired soldier's viewpoint. But the macro view of this drama portrays unrealistic command decisions and motivations which may be acceptable in a video game only. To give this show a high rating is a disservice to critical viewers of IMDb ratings.
I recommend movies like "Come and See", "Saving Private Ryan", "Platoon", "Das Boot" for war movies.
I suppose this movie was made without any consultation with real Tank veterans. But one plus of the movie is that it has a real "Tiger Tank" in it being driven around.
So, go see this movie, but don't start thinking about all the unrealistic issues with it. If it makes you feel lucky to live in a Country not at war, then it has a positive purpose in your life. And it might make you feel further grateful to those tank crews that fought during WWII.
So, this movie is 1/2 good, and 1/2 technically bad. It is more "grinding" than inspiring. "B" movie fits the description of this film.