Limerculer
A waste of 90 minutes of my life
Inmechon
The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.
Quiet Muffin
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
LeonLouisRicci
It was a Risky Thing, No Not the Raid that Liberated Over 500 American POW's from the Brutal Japanese Prison Camp in the Philippines, but the Way Director John Dahl Approached the Story. He Left Behind the Stylish Neo-Noir Sensibilities of His Early Work that Contain Edgy Violence and Sharp-Witted Characters.In This (inspired by true events) Historically Accurate Film, the Emphasis is Placed on a Methodical Message of Urgency Carried Out by Careful Planning and a Wait-for-It Attention to Detail. The Suspense Builds to an Almost Unbearable Length that Reflects the Mindset of the Prisoners who Must Have Thought that They were Left Behind.The Malaria Stricken, Tortured, and Starved POW's were Grinding it Out Day after Dismal Day and the Movie Grinds it Out Until the Actual Raid Itself is Unleashed in a Frenzy of Fighting that Overwhelmed the Japanese and the Result is the Most Successful Rescue in American History.Somewhat Forgotten Today, Except in the Philippines. The Natives were Instrumental in the Mission and were Actively Helping the Prisoners Even Before the Actual Raid via the Underground with Intelligence and Medicine. They Lost 21 in the Rescue, the Americans 2. The Japanese Hundreds.But the Winner was the American Spirit. The Almost Indescribable Intensity and Fortitude that it Took to Win the War. The Movie was Not a Hit, Mostly Panned or Ignored by Critics, and Audiences are Mixed. But, it is a Respectable, Slowly Paced, Effort that if Given the Patience it Needs, Comes Across as a Deliberate and Heart-Wrenching War is Hell Portrayal of an Important and Necessary Mission.
accts-836-237973
I really don't understand why this movie did not receive critical acclaim. I am a big war movie person and have pretty much seen them all from the 1040's to the present. the account of the heroism of these rangers and Filipino freedom fighters is truly inspiring and makes me shiver like when I hear the national anthem. I think it is as good if not better than any war movie in the last twenty years. the subject alone is awe inspiring and the presentation of the entire story is unbelievable. the fact that it is a true story makes it all the more invigorating to watch. it's a movie you can definitely watch multiple times and get that patriotic feeling each time. in reading most of the bad reviews it seems like they are: Anti American and American policy, even saw one quoting Bush politics and Iraq. saying it was American Propaganda, flag waving. thought I was back in the 60's when us soldiers would get spit on.the movie wasn't perfect enough for perfectionist movie makersAnti violence showing how brutal the Japanese were and they were that bad and worse. when I was young a friend of mines father had pictures of Japanese brutality in china like beheadings, etc. what is shown in the movie is mild compared to what the Japanese actually did to Americans and other people in countries they conquered. one person claimed it was being racist against Japanese.if you eliminate all these BS low ratings the movie would probably be rated a 10.
Luigi Di Pilla
I noted this war movie in the box offices and I'm wondering why such a film hasn't been shown in our theaters in Europe. I found the story very interesting because it is based on true events about the greatest rescue plan for prisoners in the American history. It was never annoying because there were many plots and turns. It's a question of courage, humanity and honor.The music was wonderful and the direction from John Dahl superb. All the actors delivered here a great performance. Especially Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Finnes and Connie Nielsen convinced me in their roles. I hope to see more from them in future. Then the cinematography was fine too.I am glad having seen THE GREAT RIDE because it opened again my eyes how hard the soldiers fought for surviving, liberation and freedom in the last world war and how much they suffered far away from their friends or families. In my opinion it's a must see for every one and I give a solid 7/10.
TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews
I have not read the book, though I will now consider it. It's bitterly ironic that a new film dealing with a seldom told piece of recent history will be so under-appreciated. I purchased this on DVD along with three other war movies that not an awful lot of people know, and this was one of the two of them that I had never heard of before. Apart from Joy Ride, which is a reasonable enough horror flick, I haven't watched anything else by this director, but he's clearly talented. This is engaging and interesting from start to finish. The editing and cinematography are excellent. This has intense and exciting sequences, and it's certainly not boring for a second. It's well-paced throughout. The plot develops nicely throughout. Acting is great, ignore the fact that there are next to no "names" in this. It is also very notable that this is fair to both sides, and without toning down the atrocities(...any more than most things coming out of Hollywood do). No one is demonized, and the facts are presented almost without exception. The production values leave nothing to be desired. On the DVD is an informative commentary track by several important crew members, as well as a handful of trailers. There is gruesome, bloody violence, disturbing content and infrequent moderate to strong language in this. I recommend this to anyone who is old and mature enough to handle it. 7/10
