Over-Rated Anti-War Statement

Rating: 4/10 (19 March 2001)

Exciting moments are few and far between in this account of an American Army battalion's experiences on Guadalcanal during the Second World War.

Now, to be fair, the exciting moments - when they finally come - are pretty exciting. The battle scenes are well-choreographed and there is a strong and consistent anti-war theme jumping out at you all the way through (probably best summed up in one line: "war don't ennoble men - it turns them into dogs; poisons the soul.") OK. Message very obvious and received. It's just a matter of staying awake long enough to see it through.
There are some decent performances. Nick Nolte was very good as gung-ho (and perhaps slightly insane) Lt. Col. Gordon Tall, who is looking to make his name in the war, and Sean Penn does a credible job as a Sgt. Edward Welsh, grown cynical as he watches the comings and goings of various officers, none of whom seem to really have a grasp on what they're supposed to be doing. None of the rest of the cast stood out. You can watch for little more than cameo appearances by stars such as John Travolta (dreadfully cast as a general) and George Clooney as yet another officer rotated into the unit, whom Welsh looks upon with disdain.
The movie is far too long at 2:50, most of the flashbacks to civilian life serve no real purpose, and, frankly speaking, the movie just doesn't work for me. I think it's vastly over-rated, and give it a 4/10.