Excellent and outstanding. Hits the mark on a true war time action in WWII

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 2005)

The Great Raid has a beginning, a middle and an end. Tightly scripted and well acted by all concerned. A well turned look at a military action that was forgotten and only remembered by those who's lives were changed on that day. It's poor reception by critics is a puzzle and why it sat in the can for three years is an unknown. The rangers and the American POWs are the heroes in this movie. The action is stark and without pity although the "love" story was a slight distraction but the intent was to show that for many Filipinos, the American POWs were not forgotten and would be helped even though the Japanese response was normally brutal and without mercy. The audience that viewed the picture with my wife and I were mostly older military retirees and many cried at what was being showed. Most stayed until all the movie credits were completed, something one normally doesn't see. This is a must see movie because the raid was true and this movie depicts it well. The 500 US POWs freed by this raid had been forgotten by all except the 6th Ranger Bn. Howaa.