LACKS EMOTIONAL IMPACT

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 2002)

I sincerely wanted to love this movie. As it turns out all I can do is like it. Its strengths are its editing, cinematography and balance of purpose (to tell a story from both points of view). The weaknesses are many unfortunately. The most glaring is the script. The movie seems torn between trying to offer a poetic view of war as a hindsight (like "THE THIN RED LINE") or the bravado of courage under fire (any John Wayne war movie). I don't think think that many of the lines used in the movie would actually be heard on a battlefield. A few times I had to hide my eyes from the other viewers lest they see that mine were rolling. The movie appeared to be something that it was not. It was not "PLATOON" with its haunting score and personal narration. It was not "THIN RED LINE" with its surreal view of conflict. It was not "FULL METAL JACKET" with an intensity that is maintained throughout its duration. It tried to be all or any of these three without succeeding. If it had concentrated on telling its own story without trying to live up to the movies that had gone before, it might have been much better. Its a B- effort with an A+ cast. I LIKE the movie, ok?