not that great

Rating: Null/10 (21 July 2003)

I don't know what they were going for this this one. The first half of the movie was engaging in terms of the plot, but the parts that were supposed to be funny were just not funny. The band playing at the base? Charming. And the music during these scenes was basically lifted out of children's cartoons, making them seem even stupider. The second half of the movie too sharply contrasted the first half. I don't have a problem with seeing the heartless side of war in film, but going from idiocy to brutality in the same movie left me with a very uneasy feeling. The cast was good, at least - particularly Cassavetes.
The person who claimed that this was "The Greatest War Adventure of all time" and that "every home should have a copy" on DVD has obviously never seen The Great Escape, which is truly "flawless."