My way, or the 'Highway'... Tom

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2007)

This is a beautifully made, good old buddies in the service of our country styled story. A military movie based on a true short story, of the conflict, a 'Hostage' crisis in the faulklen Islands, directed by the man himself, Clint Eastwood. I remember, thinking, Eastwood's voice is at ground-zero, gravely and harsh, but it sure fits the hell into this character Gunnery Sgt. Thomas ' Gunny ' Highway. I watched in amazement, Clint is a dinosaur in this mean-as-nails-Marine film of hard driving male soldiers, who live on the edge. They fight for their country, beer, women, sports and of course the right to play, rock & roll. As the over the top. 'Stitch Jones' (Mario Van Peebles) and his guitar, is a cross between a rock-star and a used car salesman. It was just one of those poetic justice moments for me, when Tom Highway runs into Stitch after being left behind on the gray hound Then there's Aponte, a screwball and Profile, a slacker with a desire to take it easy. Lance Corporal Fragatti, a wise-guy with an attitude of wanting to do the army his way, then Quinones, a friend of all the above, and maybe the biggest of the instigators! The irreverent Everett McGill, as the adversary to Tom Highway, Major Malcolm A Powers, a regimented 'pain in the ass'. Thats right, a regular government mule, standing in the way of the working man's hero Highway. All together through, rain, mud hot 'LZ's' jungle fire fights , hostile terrorists and foreign lands to conquer, in the desert heat, no problem....it's Aggie, that Tom cannot make surrender to him. With, the Swede coming after him and the ever serious (Moses Gunn, as) Staff sergeant Webster they all will have to bend their 'Will' to the Highway. He is a solid old war-horse that keeps on going till it's all done doing.
The action was fun, the cast of wild-dogs and misfits is a perfect fit and this is another very well crafted Clint-flick, that works for me any day. Recommended for those who enjoy Eastwood or not. (*****) 10/10
Ten-hut, IMDb.com...dis-missed.