Typical American heroism in a predictable plot

Rating: 6/10 (11 February 2010)

This war movie is a classic epic American war story where Mel Gibson is portrayed as a typical American hero. It had all the elements of a war movie: heroic leader takes his troops, which he considers his sons, to battle. They have a really rough time, the main characters lose some friends who's characters are sufficiently developed during the movie to make the viewer mourn together with the main character, by fighting hard they manage to survive and in the end we see the grief and feelings of guilt of the survivors, in this case mainly Mel Gibson.
I liked the fact that the story is about a battle that has really taken place, but other than that it didn't really rise above other war movies I've seen. It's an OK watch, but it's 'cliche' in the way the story goes and in the way it portrays its heroes. It misses the excellence I found in movies like Apocalypse Now or Platoon. Not a great movie, but still an interesting watch for a night alone at home on the couch.