You'll be Cheering the Brits!

Rating: Null/10 (30 July 2000)

Always ready to watch a war film on a Sunday morning, this film has some great, stirring battle scenes (especially those cannon balls!). While many have criticised the flag waving routine (It's a staple of US cinema) and the portrayal of the the English, I must say what really made this film work is the bad guys! Mel and Heath did admirable jobs as good men fighting for their principles but on the other hand, the swarthy behaviour of the English is particularly memorable (They even ham it up for good measure...but not too much) and as a result, their performances are a lot more enjoyable than the good guys (Just like the North Vietnamese colonel in Missing in Action 2). Remember...It's sometimes the 'bad' guys who make the film work! Also, its interesting to note how war tactics have changed since the 1700's - men standing in formation marching to get into range, men crouching down to MANUALLY LOAD their weapons, men getting shot in the nuts, fierce hand to hand combat, flags waving...ah, those were the days.