Good movie, but not great

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2016)

I was excited to see this movie but kept my expectations low. I didn't do any research prior to watching the film, so in a sense, I had zero expectations. I recommend you do the same.
Pros: The best thing I can say about this movie is the acting. Every actor in the film nailed his/her role close to perfection. Some of the battle scenes were well directed and made you feel right in the middle of the fight.
Cons: Pace was slow in the middle of the movie. It felt like it dragged on with scenes that were forced only to further validate Doss' struggles. The movie and direction obviously wanted to give off a patriotic feel but it failed for me. I enjoyed learning about Doss' heroics, but the last ¼ of the movie was lacking the emotional connection. The scene where the Japanese commander performs seppuku (suicide via knife) was unnecessary. It was overly dramatic and was awkward. The scene was to signify the U.S.'s near victory at Hacksaw but it could have been portrayed differently, more naturally. I had trouble connecting with some of the characters. There wasn't enough character development and camaraderie within the unit to make all the heroics credible.
I am a fan of war movies and I am glad I saw this movie in the theater. I also appreciated the Christian morality subplot. However, it was a slow and awkwardly paced movie that didn't come without disappointments.