Excellent

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2005)

There have probably been more films concerning Vietnam then any other US war. We Were Soldiers is the re-accounting of the first major US battle of the Vietnam war. Col. Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) is the commander of the US troops and is designated to fly into hostile territory with helicopters, not traditional ways of marching.
Within Moore's army, various other characters are followed including: Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley (Sam Elliot), Maj. Snake Candall (Greg Kinnear), and Reporter Joe Galloway (Barry Pepper). Along with the story of the soldiers we receive of the stories of the wives trying to deal with the loss of their husbands. Hal Moore's wife, Julie (Madeline Stowe) puts it upon herself to deliver the death letters to the soldiers wives. the scene in which Julie and Barbara are delivering the letters is one of the best scenes of the film.
The film is 90% battle with breaks here and there. The death of some of the soldiers is very graphic and when the napalm accidentally hits the US soldiers, you almost need to turn away as soldiers skin is falling off.
Gibson gives another solid job as a soldier, Greg Kinnear brings some humor but not enough to hide what is being shown. The film is visually stunning and the battles are well done and graphic.
We Were Soldiers. Starring: Mel Gibson, Madeline Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliot, Barry Pepper, and Chris Klien. 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars.