A very good movie about remarkable individuals

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2019)

When I posted on Facebook I was seeing this movie, a friend asked me what I thought of it.
I was surprised to answer that I thought it was wonderful.
It really is.
I am not a fan of historical war movies. I don't like war. I don't love the military. I'm more of a science fiction fanatic and Marvel groupie, but this movie is truly and surprisingly wonderful.
As I told my friend who went with me, I often have trouble making sense of war movies. An example is Dunkirk. I just have a hard time understanding them because I'm not familiar with the military. Instead I often feel lost and confused.
But this movie is engaging and engrossing. It provides a good combination of breathtaking action and personal stories. It's not overly patriotic. Its subject matter is interesting. And the acting... the acting is simply superb.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. A lot of men (no criticism here -- lets face it, this particular history is about male soldiers). A few of the characters stand out and you become invested in their survival. They are brilliant, brave and very human characters.
There's good casting here and favorite actors from Person of Interest and other TV shows show up (including Stargate!): Brennan Brown, David Hewlett, James Carpinello. The latter plays a submariner -- the movie makes me want to learn more about that aspect of the war. There are plenty of claustrophobic scenes of men in small, cramped places, but the submarine scenes are truly disquieting.
And then there's Woody Harrelson. He seems to be everywhere these days. Like always, he's just simply excellent as Nimitz.
I love what Emmerich does at the end of the movie, with an homage to the real people who are portrayed.
This movie made me think about that old Midnight Oil song -- The Forgotten Years. How phenomenally brave these people were. And how horrible war is. We are the recipients of the peace and prosperity they fought for. It is so easy to forget how dreadful it was.
In the end, this is a fine movie that leaves you thinking but (thankfully) not depressed.