[Sans-Culotte]

normy: I'm with you on this. I halfway expected the new Alamo movie to be PC crap, but I was very impressed. I am a Texan and armchair Alamo historian from way back, and this is easily IMO the best Alamo movie yet.

Apparently, half the people not seeing it are avoiding it because it is "too patriotic", and some misguided freepers are avoiding it because it's "not patriotic enough"!

I've read a lot of posts on various message boards by people condemning this movie, while they heap praise on John Wayne's hokey version from 1960. That was easily the least accurate Alamo movie ever (though it had moments of great spectacle).

The only problem I had with the movie is that it is apparently truncated from a 3 hr running time to a little over 2 hrs. It never struck me as cut, but apparently, a fuller version would have fleshed out a few characters and details a little better.

Yes, Bowie and Travis each have a slave in the movie, but little is made of the fact that they are slaveholders. It's just depicted as something that happened in those days. The idea of Crockett attempting to start over in Texas after his recent failed congressional campaign seemed perfectly plausible to me, and from what I have read, is basically what happened. the Mexicans are not made out to be heroes, and Santa Anna comes off as cruel and arrogant. A few of his officers are depicted as noble, and resistant to Santa Anna's cruelty, but apparently a few of his officers were gallant and brave and merely cursed with serving under and odious dictator (it reminded me of how it would have been for officers under Stalin). The now-revealed Crockett death was powerful, and the audience I saw it with reacted favorablly to it (though Crockett is bound and on his knees, he is defiant and heroic).

You guys can boycott it if you want for whatever reason (Quaid being too short has to be the lamest one I've heard yet). I think Eisner is an arsehole, too, but I'm not boycotting a movie because of him.

[normy]

Because it was such a good movie I hope our reviews will prompt others to see it. It is a story that needs to be told and boycotting it because of what you think it will be is unfortunate. I will probably see it again with my wife tonight.

I actually went to the movie expecting it to be PC crap so I was not expecting much, but I agree, its the best Alamo ever. Although it was a long movie, I also thought it seemed to cut some of the characters down a bit, but thats what you have to do sometimes.

Oh yea the "Houston was too short" was lame.