A Yawner

Rating: 6/10 (10 September 2005)

"The Great Raid" has the look and feel of a History Channel production. It should play well on television over two evenings, but on a theater screen, its weaknesses become far too apparent.
The biggest problem is the film's length. Half an hour could easily be chopped out, especially considering how quickly the raid itself passes. The entire nurse subplot is completely unnecessary. Much of the POW scenes is redundant.
Beyond being too long, the actors in the Rangers unit are truly uninspired. Benjamin Bratt is OK as the colonel in charge, but the remainder act just like those in the POW camp. If the unit was full of combat veterans, I could understand the 'just another day at work' attitudes, but as explained early in the movie, these were raw recruits straight off the farm: ready, willing and able to kick some major butt.
Do NOT file this in the category Action Movie.