Enjoyable film, good depiction

Rating: 9/10 (8 June 2002)

I had the opportunity to see this film Thursday evening during it's press screening here in Tampa. My first barometer in measuring a movie is my watch. Am I tempted to look at it and, if so, how often? The answer for this film was a flat zero. The film was engaging and had a good story to tell. It handled the Pacific Theater fighting of WWII pretty well and made it very believable. I can't comment on how accurate the story itself is but it is based on a true story. The action often springs up on the viewer and can be a bit unsettling, but that's war. The depiction of war is along the lines of Saving Private Ryan - it is not flattering or heroic. The heroes of the film are flawed human beings who sometimes let their prejudices and emotions get in the way. I wasn't sure what to expect going into this one. John Woo is known as an action-film director and I've never been a huge fan of Nicholas Cage. Both did their job well. In all honesty, this film may deserve to be remembered when Oscar time comes around. If you want to see a good, fairly realistic, WWII film then this one may be for you.