"If you can take it, you can make it"

Rating: 7/10 (11 September 2016)

This is a film that delves into the life of Louis "Louie" Zamperini as American athlete and a hero. The first half of the movie is basically flashbacks of Zamperini's childhood and his will power to overcome and become a really good track runner. And how he gets involved in WW2 as a soldier and how his group tries to survive when their plane gets shot down. I personally think they could have done a better job of developing Zamperini, instead of just showing him mostly getting tortured all the way through. But I admired the guy's integrity for standing up for what is right even if he had to give up his comfort and safety to do so. I found that super admirable, especially since this film is based on a true story. And maybe because after watching "The Circle" this film was a more inspiring watch. The second character that is sort of developed is a Japanese named Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Who is driven by his own ignorance and arrogance, the guy is a sociopath that has zero empathy. The guy has no honor or integrity and even at a very old age, he decided to die with his ignorance and stupidity intact. The guy is basically a disgrace to the human race and should be forgotten but only remembered for what people should stray away from becoming. I personally thought the film had a good message of pushing forward and not giving up the fight. But a bit more development and substance to the plot would have made this one really stand out for a POW film. I personally think Mrs. Jolie did a fine job with this film. It's watchable and to a certain extent it's inspiring.
7/10