Interesting and good - but unlikeable characters

Rating: Null/10 (9 October 2006)

This was a good movie - not great, but good. I think the main reason for this is that I found it a little hard to identify with the lead character. He didn't seem very likable, respectable, wise or deep - any one of these would have helped. In fact, none of the characters seemed very appealing. Yet, the story and main character's experiences are generally interesting and engaging. Unlike other war movies, this one focuses on the pressures and tensions of the soldiers sent to fight a war. In this case it's for Operation Desert Shield/Storm. I found the seemingly realistic portrayal of what soldiers go through to be very interesting. This includes their dealing with feelings and doubts about relationships left behind, boredom, desire for combat, and tense interactions with others.
What I ended up getting was a pretty interesting back story to a historical event. However, much of it felt empty - I just didn't like any of characters very much.