Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Leofwine_draca THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is a slice-of-life war film following the misadventures of a squad of Aussie soldiers who've signed up to do their duty for their country. Australia isn't the first country you think of when it comes to the Vietnam war, so seeing it depicted through their eyes makes for an unusual viewing experience.In any case, this is one of the most distinctly Australian-feeling films I've seen. It's packed full of that unique brand of laid-back humour and bravado, and the funny script is by far the best thing about it. That, and the fact that the cast list has been populated by future stars (Bryan Brown, John Jarratt) alongside seasoned veterans (Graeme Kennedy).THE ODD ANGRY SHOT is perhaps one of the most realistic war films out there in depicting real life for soldiers fighting on the front line: an uneasy mixture of brief, bloody fire-fights mixed with a lot of boredom, camaraderie and attempts at entertainment. It's hardly the kind of film to set the world on fire, but it is well made and it holds the attention throughout.

Joxerlives A great war film. Those who criticise it for it's random nature and disjointed themes just don't appreciate that this is just the reality of war, that it doesn't just follow a clear narrative. What's probably the greatest virtue of this film is that it portrays the sheer BOREDOM of war. That most of the time you're on stag, doing recce patrols, conducting raids etc where nothing happens. It also gives a good idea of what the Anzac SAS actually did in Vietnam, long range recce patrols, ambushes, raids, killing and capturing small groups of Vietcong guerrillas and recovering some of the huge amounts of documents the enemy produced and the intelligence corps delighted in. When we actually see combat it's not the elaborate set pieces we're used to but short, random and arbitrary as the title suggests Some have criticised the casting of Harry, saying he's too old and fat for the role. Nonsense, I've met real SAS guys just like him, not everyone in the special forces resembles Arnold Scharzeneger/James Bond. I really take to the character, a veteran of Borneo and possibly Malaya and Korea, taking care of the new guys but telling them how it is and pulling no punches. The scene where he stands up to the pompous office-bound Sgt Major (utterly UNTHINKABLE to challenge his authority in real life!)is a classic. Interestingly the officers are portrayed in a wholly positive light which is a rarity in Vietnam films As has been stated elsewhere this actually gives an unrealistic idea of SAS casualties, in reality they only lost 6 men and killed over 400 enemy in Vietnam. Possibly the author wanted to show the wider experience of Anzac forces in the conflict The lack of budget also shows a little, we see the aftermath of a raid on a village where the team kill a Vietcong guerrilla and capture 2 more but we don't see the raid itself. We see Bryan Brown's character crippled by a booby-trap but don't see the explosion. The 'big battalions' of the Royal Australian Regiment are referred to but never seen. I really love the ending, Harry and Bill return to civilisation and have a beer in their favourite bar. The barman asks if they're just back from Vietnam and Harry lies and tells him no, not to be nasty, he just doesn't want to talk about it. They sit and enjoy their beer, looking out on the world, the Sydney skyline, grateful for what they have and quietly mourning those they've left behind. For those of us who have seen both the darkest and best of human nature in the most extreme of circumstances haven't we all felt like that at times?

dpread This is one of my all time favourite films. It is starting to show its age, but only a little.This was one of the first films to come out detailing the soldiers experiences of Vietnam. It was filmed in 1979 when many of the scars of Vietnam were still fresh and well before the word Vietnam became popular with society again.Its not a story of heroics or fighting against the odds, its simply an Australian story of mateship. The humour and language is uniquely Australian so it may be a little unfathomable to our overseas friends at times :) Basically its the story of a 12 month tour of duty by a small team of SAS personnel. Unlike regular Australian troops or US Troops, the SAS would deploy deep into the jungle for weeks at a time in small teams of 4 or 5. Alone and cutoff, they were he eyes and ears of the Australian Task Force in the Phouc Tuy province. It took a special kind of man to operate in an environment like that.The movie shows the interaction, the good natured bantering and jibes between them and above all the deep unspoken bond between them all.Its not a traditional war movie, so don't go expecting heroic bayonet charges, or savage last stands etc Don't go looking for historical battles and events.Just appreciate it for what it is, a story about a few blokes, a few beers, a few laughs and a few tears.

rob_gregor I think that the essence of this movie is that it had very little actual battle field footage, no blood and guts or real gore, and \relied more upon the interaction of the characters in the story. One interesting bit of trivia is that when the guys were in trouble during target practice the names used were green, brown etc. and that Bryan Browns name during that scene was brown, was that why he giggled??All in all a great movie that portrays the ideology of the Aussie psyche at that time and the irreverent nature which typifies the Australian spirit at that time.Graham Kennedy had a masterful performance even though he seemed about ten years over the age limit for the role.