The dollar sign beats the bullet here

Rating: 1/10 (1 July 2008)

I have never seen source material butchered this badly and disrespectfully as it was in this movie. If you read the book which was written by Gen. Hal Moore himself and chronicles his first hand experience with this particular battle and other soldier's stories from another battle taking place almost immediately after this one. I would like to point out that about 80% of the events in the movie are completely historically false, and merely sought to "Hollywoodize" the movie. Scenes where Mel Gibson is charging across the battlefield are complete BS! If Hal Moore had really done that he would have either been 1) killed promptly or if he had somehow survived 2) courtmarshaled immediately after the battle for abandoning his duties as a general. A general's place is at his command post commanding his troops. Hal Moore rarely left his post, but I guess Mel Gibson doesn't really give a damn, he just wants to act all dramatic.
There were some good things about this movie, while once again not keeping in the line with the book, the stories involving the army wives were somewhat intriguing, but since the fates of their husbands were for the large part completely "fictional" affairs, they fell flat for me. My suggestion is, if you want to get inside the head of a soldier, a commander, and a worried spouse at home during Vietnam, read the book "We Were Soldiers Once and Young", if you don't want that, and you just want to see Mel Gibson in another mindless action movie, see this film.