Supposed to be authentic?

Rating: 2/10 (9 January 2005)

Mainly, this movie tries heavily to cash in on American patriotism. If you're into John Wayne like heroism and macho militarism this is definitely your flick. Should you expect a critical and reflective war movie  be prepared.
WWS is based on Moore's and Galloway's account of the Ia Drang battle, a book that is definitely worth a read. The movie is not true to the book, though. The script takes the main storyline, cannibalizes it by shuffling around some historical facts and anecdotes, pumps it up with clichés and macho gestures and adds some dramatic fiction for good measure including an ending, that manages to even depict the Americans as some sort of winners. This can hardly be called accurate. Then again, surely there even are people who regard Cecil B. DeMille's Ten Commandments as an authentic depiction of the Old Testament.
The cinematography furthers the fictionalization of the battle by use of overly dramatized and effect loaded images. Still, the photography and the effects are good. Acting is mostly okay, apart from Gibsons rendition of Moore, which at times is almost hilariously grim and heroic.
All in all a solid war-action flick with some but loose ties to a true story  there are better ones. 2/10 for failed effort.