Few shortcomings

Rating: 7/10 (10 June 2008)

I was positively surprised by this. While not always pleasant, this is well-done throughout, and great for almost the entire duration. The plot is really good, and never gets boring. The pacing is solid. The acting is invariably powerful. The characters, if not as interesting or engaging as they could be, are well-written. An awful lot of the way, this is credible. The action is well-done. The FX are incredible. The editing and cinematography are excellent, no exceptions. The use of slow-motion is effective in each case. There are some beautifully cut sequences herein. There is considerable violence, gore and disturbing content. This is evidently very authentic, but it does seem to give up trying for that near the end, and adds to the list of Hollywood moments, otherwise so short that it could almost be completely ignored, and introduces a deus ex machina(for those unaware, that's when you discover that you've written yourself into a corner, and decides to just throw in something that had not been built towards and which isn't necessarily even a little likely or plausible) of about the same level as Saving Private Ryan... the difference being that I felt I got more out of watching that than this, and what it all comes down to is that I doubt I'll miss owning this, as it only aired on TV, as opposed to aforementioned title, which I'm glad to be able to borrow from my father. It should be noted that this does show the Viet Cong without particularly demonizing or dehumanizing them. It is, however, clear who the film-makers were intending to support and honor. I recommend this to fans of war movies, and/or of the people involved(Randall Wallace ought to direct more often). 7/10