Methodical Movie of Men at War and POW's Waiting it Out

Rating: 7/10 (5 December 2014)

It was a Risky Thing, No Not the Raid that Liberated Over 500 American POW's from the Brutal Japanese Prison Camp in the Philippines, but the Way Director John Dahl Approached the Story. He Left Behind the Stylish Neo-Noir Sensibilities of His Early Work that Contain Edgy Violence and Sharp-Witted Characters.
In This (inspired by true events) Historically Accurate Film, the Emphasis is Placed on a Methodical Message of Urgency Carried Out by Careful Planning and a Wait-for-It Attention to Detail. The Suspense Builds to an Almost Unbearable Length that Reflects the Mindset of the Prisoners who Must Have Thought that They were Left Behind.
The Malaria Stricken, Tortured, and Starved POW's were Grinding it Out Day after Dismal Day and the Movie Grinds it Out Until the Actual Raid Itself is Unleashed in a Frenzy of Fighting that Overwhelmed the Japanese and the Result is the Most Successful Rescue in American History.
Somewhat Forgotten Today, Except in the Philippines. The Natives were Instrumental in the Mission and were Actively Helping the Prisoners Even Before the Actual Raid via the Underground with Intelligence and Medicine. They Lost 21 in the Rescue, the Americans 2. The Japanese Hundreds.
But the Winner was the American Spirit. The Almost Indescribable Intensity and Fortitude that it Took to Win the War. The Movie was Not a Hit, Mostly Panned or Ignored by Critics, and Audiences are Mixed. But, it is a Respectable, Slowly Paced, Effort that if Given the Patience it Needs, Comes Across as a Deliberate and Heart-Wrenching War is Hell Portrayal of an Important and Necessary Mission.