Could Easily Be A Prequel To "Gran Torino"

Rating: 7/10 (12 March 2017)

Last year, Clint Eastwood wowed moviegoers with his gritty, realistic performance as Walt "Get Off My Lawn!" Kowalski in the film "Gran Torino". In "Heartbreak Ridge", the U.S. Marines are the "lawn" and Eastwood (once again) isn't taking any prisoners.
Basically, the film centers on a Marines Recon unit of the 1980s that, in all aspects, has "gone soft" in a time of peace. Gone is the strict military discipline of the 1940s-1960s, and in its place is a disrespectful, laissez-faire attitude towards fighting for our freedoms. That all changes, of course, when Sergeant Thomas Highway (Eastwood) is brought in to lead the unit. Though Highway is only given the assignment as a disciplinary measure, it quickly becomes clear to him how far the Marines have fallen. No angel himself (Highway is shown instigating a prison riot at the beginning of the film), Highway goes about instilling into a rag-tag bunch of young men the kind of military values that he holds near and dear.
Much like "Gran Torino", then, the most entertaining portion of this film is watching Eastwood embody that kind of old-world toughness that is on its way out (for better or worse) as the World War II and Korea veterans begin to pass away. Both Highway and Kowalski are the type of men who will have your back to the end if you respect them and do right by them, but the only way they know how to show it is through harsh profanity, crude jokes, and a crotchety demeanor that belies their true emotions. Whereas Walt bonds with a young boy who shows potential but just needs some strong leadership in his life, Thomas Highway runs the same emotional gamut with his Marines Unit.
There are only a few things that keep this movie from "instant classic" status, those being Highway's rather un-interesting love life on the military base, as well as an ending that just seemed to fall a bit flat considering the entertainment that preceded it. "Torino" was a bit more adept (and thus more deserving of a five-star rating) at handling the emotional drama of Eastwood's character, as well as providing a better send-off.
Thus, whether you want to look at "Heartbreak Ridge" as a prequel to "Gran Torino", or "Torino" as a sequel to "Ridge", the similarities between both films are readily apparent. If you loved watching Eastwood's gruff, tough Walt Kowalski portrayal, you will love this film as well. If you were offended by the type of prejudices that Walt held, steer a wide berth around this movie.