Not very original

Rating: 5/10 (16 May 2004)

'Saints and Soldiers' is not a bad movie but every single element is something we have seen before and that makes it an un-interesting movie. Even the dialogue feels very corny at times, not because it is that bad, but because we have heard a thousand times before. May be the makers should have approached the material a little different to make it interesting, because now it is a movie that I would not recommend.
The story about a couple of US soldiers and one British soldier behind enemy lines after a massacre starts with a very impressive scene; the massacre itself. After this the movie gets very boring for almost an hour, although there are some nice images for us to watch. In this boring part we have some predictable moments that could be suspenseful but were not, and the dialogue that gets annoying. When the action arrives again the movie gets a little better. I liked the cinematography during the fighting sequences so I was able to enjoy these sequences.
To say more about the simple story is not very necessary. You can understand that this story is something we have seen a lot. The massacre, the hiding behind enemy lines without food or weapons, the help of a stranger, the wounded friend, the trick to save themselves. If you normally like these kind of films I would not be sure with 'Saints and Soldiers'. May be the cinematography during the fighting sequences will be enough for you, it was not for me.