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.."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. = Best Movie Review I've seen..
The Grossmont College Summit Newspaper ^ | March 7, 2002 | DAN ALTILIO

Posted on 03/15/2002 5:33:44 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE

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To: goldilucky
...You are most welcome, gl, and...

GARRY OWEN

41 posted on 03/16/2002 5:39:57 AM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
'3BlackChicks Review...'



WE WERE SOLDIERS (2002)
Rated R; running time 136 minutes
Studios: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Historical Drama
Seen at: Celebration Cinema (Lansing, Michigan)
Official site: http://www.weweresoldiers.com/
IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0277434
Written by: Randall Wallace (based on the book by
Lt. General Harold G. Moore and Joseph L. Galloway)
Directed by: Randall Wallace
Cast: Mel Gibson, Sam Elliott, Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Chris Klein,
Ryan Hurst, Madeleine Stowe, Keri Russell


Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/2002reviews/bamswws.html



I struggled all night last night, trying to figure out exactly how to
approach this review. I've decided to take out all the tangential
comments I wrote at first about these post-September 11 times, and place
them into a separate "Tangential comments on these post-September 11
times" sub-page (linked on the 3BC site) instead. My off-topic comments
muddied the issue of how I feel about WE WERE SOLDIERS as a film unto
itself - not a good thing, as I want to be perfectly clear on the issue.

I can't remember the last time I sat through what should've been a
rousing, emotionally-moving depiction of the horrors of war, and came
away not Moved, but instead disgusted at Hollywood's ham-fisted,
indulgent play-acting. Actually, I can remember just fine: THE PATRIOT.


THE STORY (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**)
WE WERE SOLDIERS is based on a true story about one of the first battles
of the Vietnam War, between the 450 men of the 1st Battalion, 7th
Cavalry (the same regiment number General Custer led to defeat) and 2000
Vietnamese soldiers, in the Ia Drang Valley: "The Valley Of Death". The
exploits of Lt. Colonel Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) and his men - including
crusty Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley (Sam Elliot), chopper pilot Major Bruce
'Snakeshit' Crandall (Greg Kinnear), and new father Lt. John L.
Geoghegan (Chris Klein) - were chronicled by reporter Joseph Galloway
(Barry Pepper): the first generation Galloway in his family to be an
observer, rather than a participant, in an American war.


THE UPSHOT
I know I'm likely one of few who walked away from this film not moved
one bit by this Hollywood treatment of the horrors of the Vietnam War.
I respect what the actual soldiers went through, and very much
appreciate their sacrifices. I just don't buy anything this movie is
selling. Writer/director Randall Wallace and star Mel Gibson, in my
eyes, share the bulk of the blame for the lack of real feeling, buried
as it was, underneath all the showboating and special effects
blood-n-gore.

Gibson especially irked me, playing Colonel Moore as if he thought he
was still on the set of LETHAL WEAPON 10. There was absolutely no time
during the 136 minutes of this torturously-long movie, that I believed
anything coming from Gibson - other than he's a victim of his own
self-important hype. And that he should never, ever try to affect
another southern drawl again.

I take Randall Wallace to task for a myriad of things, not the least of
which includes his bizarre decision to make everyone except Colonel
Moore (in the field) and Julie Moore (at home) seem like afterthoughts,
as if they were pawns in a grand chess game that Wallace moved around to
make King Mel Gibson and Queen Madeline Stowe stand out all the more.
With the exception of the spiffy Sgt. Maj. Plumley (played by veteran
curmudgeon Sam Elliott) and Sgt. Savage (played convincingly by Ryan
Hurst), the characters were drawn as reactive caricatures with few
distinguishing marks; marionettes on a string for Gibson - and Wallace -
to Emote at.

Wallace continually took what should've been moving visuals, and turned
them into stiffly-choreographed, cardboard scenes. From Wallace's
images of pilot Snakeshit's constant wide-eyed, staring-at-the-horror
closeups, to his amateurish frames of photographer Galloway's Bold!
Statement! of tossing aside his gun and grabbing his camera, to his
giddy overkill use of special effects and CGI in a "ooh, we can make war
look real gross!" fashion, and especially to Mel Gibson's trademark
ability to never get as dirty as the soldiers around him (or was I The
Only One who noticed how very blue his eyes shone in the dark?), Randall
Wallace's directional choices just left me cold.

To be fair, I don't doubt that everyone involved with making WE WERE
SOLDIERS went into it with honorable intentions. But you know what they
say about the road to hell...and for me, it was some serious hell,
having to watch such a badly-staged movie playing at being Important. I
think the real Vietnam veterans deserved much, much better than anything
Wallace and Gibson had to offer. But I'm sure that's Just Me, howling
in the wind by my lonesome.



BAMMER'S BOTTOM LINE
Is it unpatriotic to say that I'm sick of war movies? I'd take the heat
that would come from me making such a blasphemous post-September 11
statement - if it meant I don't have to watch another bad rah rah
Hollywood designer war flick again.


WE WERE SOLDIERS rating: yellowlight



Rose "Bams" Cooper
Webchick and Editor,
3BlackChicks Review
Entertainment Reviews With Flava!
Copyright Rose Cooper, 2002
EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com
http://www.3blackchicks.com/

42 posted on 03/16/2002 7:57:19 AM PST by vannrox
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To: vannrox
...Obviously some people have open hearts, some just don't.

...All us 7th Cavalry Battle of IA DANG-1965 Veterans who were there came out of our Ft. Benning Special Screening on Feb 13th with Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE -&- Company saying .."That's the Way it Was."

...The Bible states that the Meek shall inherit the Earth, Meek meaning being "Open and Teachable."

...Some people never are open to Truth even if it is presented to them in Panavision Wide Screen and Dolby Surround Sound with the sound of AK-47 Rounds just zinging right by their own ears.

...Guess they'll just have to wait till it all comes around their corner and up their Street...????

43 posted on 03/16/2002 8:42:23 AM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALL
NEVER FORGET
44 posted on 03/16/2002 9:33:05 AM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
I saw the movie last Saturday and I give it three thumbs up!
45 posted on 03/16/2002 9:40:34 AM PST by Fred Mertz
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To: ALL
...Here's a .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. Aloha 4-U...
46 posted on 03/16/2002 4:24:22 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Aloha, Ronnie
47 posted on 03/16/2002 7:58:16 PM PST by d14truth
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Evening bump
48 posted on 03/16/2002 8:39:00 PM PST by goldilucky
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Thanks for the review. I must go see it! I have to admit, that I get very sad when I see Vietnam movies, because it seems too real to me, and I had a cousin who fought in Vietnam.

But, sometimes, we have to lift our head from that hole in the ground, and look EVIL square in the EYE!

Congratulations on your attendence at the movies premiere! What a grand event!

49 posted on 03/19/2002 12:54:45 PM PST by reformjoy
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To: reformjoy
...ALOHA reformjoy...

...Thank you for your Good Brave Heart.

...Be sure to see Wednesday night's ..'Dateline NBC'.. Story on Battle of IA DRANG-1965, World Trade Center 1993-2001 LifeSaver Hero ..RICK RESCORLA.. that started filming at our IA DRANG Alumni Dinner and our Pre-Dawn Veterans Day 7th Cavalry Ceremony at the 3rd Panel of the Vietnam Wall in his Honor.

...NBC-TV will air it @ 8pm Pacific/Eastern Time.

...The following night I will host a one hour Call-In Radio FR ..'WE WERE SOLDIERS'.. online Radio Show @ 7pm Pacific Time Thursday night. Hope you can give us a call...?

50 posted on 03/19/2002 5:47:32 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Great review Buddy. I was there '67-'68 in time for Tet. Even tho', I never had to go thru ANYTHING like Ia Drang. I don't post very much, but read all of your articles. Just know I'm lurking about "in the weeds". heh heh

I never met any South Koreans, but was around quite a few of those crazy Aussies in the Delta. They were a HOOT! So much so I just HAD to take my out-of-country in Sydney.

You know, as much as I hated that place (Nam), never since I was there would I give up that experience and honor. The BEST feeling I get is just being in a small part of a GREAT Brotherhood.

Take care Bro',

Nam Vet

51 posted on 03/19/2002 6:45:54 PM PST by Nam Vet
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To: Nam Vet
...GARRY OWEN, Sir.

...You know what, Nam Vet, you just reminded me of the ending scene in the Movie .."THE RIGHT STUFF".. where our first 7 American Astronauts all looked at each other as one ...rooted in a mutual experience others had not yet experienced here. I think perhaps this is the way GOD weaves His Will thru us ...forever changing us for the Better...?

...Hope you can listen in Thursday night at 7pm Pacific Time on RadioFR as I discuss .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".. after watching Wednesday night's RICK RESCORLA Story on ..'Dateline NBC'.. at 8pm Pacific/Eastern Time...?

GOD SPEED.

52 posted on 03/19/2002 7:08:56 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: Nam Vet
...Also while you're waiting...

...check out the great Threads on the Discussion Forum on...

.. www.WeWereSoldiersFILM.com ..

...OK...?

53 posted on 03/19/2002 7:11:21 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Thanks Bud.
I've still got to figure out where, how etc to tune in. Any help will be appreciated

Nam Vet

54 posted on 03/19/2002 7:14:13 PM PST by Nam Vet
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
I saw this Saturday night with Hank and Erika Holzer, authors of Aid and Comfort: Jane Fonda in North Vietnam, the just-released treason indictment for Hanoi Jane.

The film was excellent. This is American valor powering pioneering new technique to hard-won victory over an entrenched numerically superior force familiar with the terrain and adept at guerilla technique. The resounding impression is massively inspiring.

I found a technical note or two, that the beginning fight occurred later than depicted; that the final raid did not actually occur. The source said that in other respects the authenticity was thorough.

One viewer noted Joe Galloway had no such distaste for the M-16 as depicted; rather, he was known to carry his own personal M-16. In a recent Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute interview with Galloway, he is pictured in a contemporary photo holding a Swedish K submachinegun at Danang in August 1965. (February 2002, pp. 50-52.)

As I noted elsewhere, this battle occurred the same month (November, 1965) that the Joint Chiefs were allowed fifteen minutes in a small room of the White House to urge LBJ to bomb Hanoi and mine Haiphong. ("The Day It Became The Longest War", Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute, May 1996) LBJ cursed and humiliated them, pursuing the target sanitation depicted in Rolling Thunder.

WE WERE SOLDIERS is a valiant battle narrated by the commanding officer and a 42-year journalist who risked his life there, filmed with an actor who wore it on his sleeve in "Braveheart" and "The Patriot".

This is the first film of the caliber our Vietnam veterans deserve.

55 posted on 03/19/2002 7:18:19 PM PST by PhilDragoo
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To: Nam Vet
...Thursday night check out the Breaking News Column on the right hand side of the Forum Page for an Article that leads you into that night's Radio FR online Freerepublic.com Radio Shows.

...There you will find an online Commo Link. If it works for my very simple WebTV unit, which it does, it should work for your Computer just fine. The Thread will talk you thru it.

56 posted on 03/19/2002 7:25:01 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: PhilDragoo
...Great Post, Phil. It was Commander BOB BARKER's 3 Batteries of Artillery at Landing Zone Falcon that not only saved the day throughout the fight at Landing Zone X-Ray but it also was the Saving Grace at the last Enemy human wave assault on our Troops there, not Helicopter Gunships as depicted in .."WE WERE SOLDIERS".., Over...
57 posted on 03/19/2002 7:30:52 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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To: ALOHA RONNIE
Thanks again. Will Probably be there "all ears".

Nam Vet

58 posted on 03/19/2002 8:01:11 PM PST by Nam Vet
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To: Snow Bunny;68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub;VOA;Fred Mertz;JoeSixPack;Ragtime Cowgirl;Judicial Watch...
.."WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE and YOUNG"..

...Co-Author JOE GALLOWAY...

will be on C-Span TV tonight, Saturday Night, @ 10:26pm PT / 1:26am ET speaking at Annapolis about the Book, the Movie based on the Book and his own early experiences in the Vietnam War.

59 posted on 04/06/2002 9:05:46 PM PST by ALOHA RONNIE
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Comment #60 Removed by Moderator


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