A view from across the pond [Could include spoilers]

Rating: 4/10 (14 March 2002)

(A different perspective is needed for the non-Americans reading here.)
I am bewildered by anyone claiming this film is "moving" in any form whatsoever. It is plainly just another Saving Private Ryan clone, using a true story and occasional shots of families back home to detract from the fact that 75 per cent of what we see is simple gratuitous violence.
Don't get me wrong, I loved Saving... and thoroughly enjoyed the gritty battle scenes depicted here. I just take offence to the fact that this movie - and it appears many of its viewers - believe there is something deeper just because of an over-long opening half-hour and sporadic moments of gorping realisation from Gibson. The brief sub-plot of the enemy trooper went almost unnoticed and was a feeble attempt to portray both sides 'equally'.
The battle scenes themselves were not immune from fault. Some of the extras were going down like they'd just been tugged by a bungee rope, and 'invincible' Gibson managed to waltz around, head held high, like he owned the place for the entire three days without getting a scratch. True story huh? It reminded me of an old-fashioned war-movie at times, when you knew as soon as a soldier mentioned their home/wife/kids (delete as appropriate) they were going to be capped within the next five minutes.

Some moments are incredibly cheesy and I found the typical Yankee-doodle-dah predictable and tiresome. I would have had more respect for the film if it had kept to Gibson's character's claim that they were fighting for each other, not the country; yet what do we see at the end - the defeated enemy officer finding a 'stars n stripes' on the victorious battle field, the losers lying dead behind him.
I was going to comment that Hollywood's blind patriotism must be boring even Americans by now, but looking at the views on this board it appears I am mistaken. It was obvious this film was going to be a success after the September tragedy, but I just hope it doesn't help to stoke the fires of the 'war is good/revenge = justice' attitude President Bush seems to be emitting in the current state of affairs.
Engrossing battle scenes, but the rest of the film tries to pretend it's something it's not. 4/10