The best movie I've seen in years!

Rating: Null/10 (12 March 2002)

This was an outstanding film. I couldn't have been more pleased while leaving the movie theatre. What I think makes this movie so great is that it focuses on the soldiers themselves, rather than what they are doing there, or why. I honestly think this is the best character development in a war movie ever (I would say the Deer Hunter, but that isn't really a war movie). Mel Gibson hasn't given a stronger or better performance since 'Braveheart'. i think he deserves a best actor Oscar.
Many of the reviews I have read have called Mel's performance as Hal Moore a cliche. That isn't true though, because that is the way Hal Moore really was then, and is now. That is what most people don't realize. Even if Hal Moore is a cliche himself, I don't care, because he is an interesting character, and Mel did a damn fine job at portraying him.
This, along with 'Platoon' and 'Braveheart', is my favorite war movie, and one of my favorite films. This movie captures (or so I'm told) the horror and tragedy that goes on on the battlefield of Vietnam, or most any war, as best it can, because it would be impossible to capture the 'real' terror in a movie, because the real terror happens within each individual soldier, and that is probably scarier than anything else on earth.
What I really liked about this movie, and what makes it so unique, is that it shows the Vietnamese soldiers as young, frightened men who are just as scared as the American troops. I also liked how the Vietnamese commander was also worried about his men and morned their death, when most war movie show the enemy as soleless monsters who are out to get America (i know people know that is not how they really are, or at least I hope I do). So watch this film for it great performances, Sam Elliot gave outstanding support which is worthy of an Oscar too, it's incredible realism (which is almost too hard to watch at parts), and it's powerful scenes of men fighting and being killed for each other. 10/10