ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Brennan Camacho Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

jvdesuit1 I've read the negative reviews and the conclusion I draw from them is that their authors obviously refuse to look at the real purpose of the script. The easy way to look at this movie is to see the courage and determination of those guys to save the Texas battalion from complete destruction. But is it really the point the script writer and the director wanted to stress out?My answer is no. From my perspective as a French citizen this movie deals from the first image to the last about tolerance, respect of the one who is different from you . The USA after the shock of Pearl Harbor took measures totally inexcusable against citizens born in the country and treated like prisoners of war. In the Army those who nevertheless volunteered to join the allied forces, were like their fellow black compatriots , subject to racist behavior of the white soldiers.The problem is that the bullet which kills you doesn't care if you're white, black or your skin yellow. The result is for all the same. Loss of life, grief of your companions on the battlefield and in the families and friends far away. For both groups fear is the same. For both groups you try to connect with some unreachable element which you call god with different names and which reassures you and gives you courage.That's what this movie is all about. Perhaps some of the flashbacks could have been suppressed, but all in all the script is well constructed and the acting very convincing and many times very moving.

Bambikilled I really wanted to like this movie, even though seeing the bad reviews and grades, but I'm sorry to say I just couldn't. Already in the first scene,(incense and cultural clichés accompanied by ramblings), I was thinking "Nooo". Cheesy and conceited were adjectives that came to mind...I'm very interested in military history, especially WWII. I have my roots in Finland, and therefore I have the same relationship to Finnish movies about the Winter war and Continuation war (btw something to take a look at for anyone interested in WWII, to see some of the least discussed but most astonishing military wonders of all times - a tiny Little poorly equipped army in a tiny little country, literally crushing the USSR Bear), as I suppose Asian Americans have to this movie, since it portrays a part of the US Army which seldom have gotten any recognition for their efforts and sacrifice. (Also see "Days of glory", a rather good movie about the Algerian French soldiers in the French army during WWII - Another "forgotten" Group).I also have a great interest and fair insight into different Asian cultures due to both personal interest and having several Asian in-laws in the family. Also, some of the areas in WWII history, which I have spent the most time on, are the affairs in Asia and the Pacific. So the genuine interest is there, and also a good insight and knowledge of actual history.Still, I have to practically force myself through this syrupy mess... The degree of melodrama, over acting and oh-it's-so-sad, is so extensive that it makes me queasy. Everything is shoved in the face of the viewer, in a pathetically naïve way, leaving no room for any thought or reflexion. Nothing is subtle nor actually touching, since the director has drenched it all in banality and cheap clichés.The acting is horrible and over dramatic overall, and leaves one with an uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment on the behalf of both the actors and the characters. They are all flat and one-dimensional, delivering predictable portraits with no depth. I would even say that the characters, in a way, mock and ridicule Asian Americans, and place the whole group in an old and clichéd POV. Which is both sad and frustrating.The depiction of battle and warfare is badly acted, but mainly badly planned and executed by the director, giving an air of boys playing war at a paint-ball field, rather than actually being at the western front. Low budget is not an excuse since many movies pull it off anyway.The script is annoying in it's throws hence and forth, and in it's lack of continuity and a red thread. The scenes don't drive the story forwards, but just seem random and confused. Dialogue is mostly bad.Overall, this movie is a crappy mess with not much good to be said about. And that's irritating since this forgotten part of WWII-history is a very interesting one, and a movie made by a good director, with a good script and screenplay, with good actors, could have made it a see worthy pearl of a flick, instead of a pathetic puddle of syrup. :( I can't even recommend it to anyone except maybe descendants of the Asian American soldiers from the US troops of WWII. I think they could have some kind of benefit from this Movie, otherwise, it's mostly a waste of time. See something good instead.Sad to say, because I so much would have wanted to like this.But Lane Nishikawa kind of fu*ed up. Seriously badly so.

David Werwolf (Primus_Gladius) I gave one, cos of the effort, but that's about it. I seen many movies of war, been in it as well. The story is worth telling. But in the hands of any other director. Acting was pale, action was boring, and flashbacks were just waste of budged money of the movie. I was half way through, and bored out of my mind, I was fast forwarding the movie, hoping to see some action, that simply was not there. This story should be retold, by another more competent director.It is also not clear, where exactly they are, the only thing that it was told, was that they are saving some other American unit. No historical background, that would put them in the tactical picture, of where they are, what their mission was. As of Germans, we could not see them at all, all we could see, were those "soldiers" firing in to the forest.

Indianbear The impact of this very human film was staggering. I will not try to give a "technical" review of the acting or direction. It deserves better than that. The movie honors, as we all should, this special group of men who fought and died for us in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. I saw the valor, the courage, the honor - and those qualities are important. But more important to me was the love. Yes, the love. The love of home and family. The love of one man, one human being for another. The love of friends; friends that lay down their lives for one another. The love that they were willing to die for. To their great credit the creators of Only the Brave make it without shouting one four letter word, making one obscene gesture or insulting us with one rude shot of a bodily act for so called "realism" The impact was in fact stronger with the absence of unnecessary trash. The life, the death, the struggle were realism enough. Steven Spielberg take note: you could learn a lot here. They CAN make 'em like they used to; and better.