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As a marine in Vietnam, in 1968, I find bits and pieces of this movie right on technically let's start with Explosions... Hand grenades do not make fire balls an M 60 machine gun does not sound the same as an M 16 AK-47s do not sound the same as an M 16 you do not salute officers in the bush. Everybody is not always yelling at each other. Claymore mines are generally not all bunched together Aiming down Generally the gooks did not wear their white straw hats while hiding in the grass or in a fire base you generally have a killing area without trees, or tall grass when using pop-up flares, you do not look at the pretty light or you will completely lose your night vision... Just to name a few they had no tanglefoot or trip flares around the fire base you don't have your shiny dog tags hanging outside of your T-shirt... Other than that I enjoyed the movie.

Most of Cannon Pictures' product is pretty much junk (they make Chuck Norris and J-C Van Damme movies, so what do you expect?), but this one is different. It doesn't have the rock-bottom cheapie look of most Cannon pictures, and the script, for once, actually makes sense (amazing, considering that Harry Alan Towers was one of the writers). The story concerns a young army lieutenant on his first combat assignment in Vietnam, and how he comes to earn the respect of his men. Michael Dudikoff is surprisingly good as the young officer who arrives at his post not knowing quite what to expect but determined to do his duty, and Robert F. Lyons is outstanding as the platoon's veteran sergeant who doesn't want a new lieutenant to get any of his men killed. The action scenes are very well staged and give you a real sense of being there, as opposed to the cardboard pyrotechnics that Cannon usually grinds out. All in all, a refreshing change from the usual Cannon crap. Recommended.

After making his directorial debut with his brother Chuck Norris with "Braddock: Missing in Action III" (1988), his follow-up would be another Vietnam War feature with Cannon productions starring Michael Dudikoff. The man with the poker face. All jokes aside. Norris' presentation might feel like a poor man's version of Stone's "Platoon", but it turned out to be a very solid nitty gritty portrayal of a war that was hard for the soldiers to come to grips with (nothing but pure propaganda). The performances are acceptably creditable (Robert F Lyons, Michael DeLorenzo, Brian Libby and William Smith chew it up in a major role) and a convincing Dudikoff actually brought across some emotional weight to the part. The script really does illustrate the dramas along with the horror in some arresting scenes ("What do you say to a girl with her arm shot off?") --- especially the transformation of Dudikoff's character throughout his duty, where at the beginning he was naïve to how things work but after an incident that sees him hospitalized he returns an improved soldier, better equipped for the experience and from this starts to gain respect. Comradely is formed. Norris' direction moves at a fast clip, if quite clichéd (cue in the patriotic sounding score) but the impulsive action is competently staged and fairly exciting in its tension fuelled fire-fights with glorious slow-motion and graphic violence. Pockets here, pockets there which leads up to the big explosive assault ala "Platoon" style. Filmed in South Africa, Norris gets a real earthy and humid authenticity which has you also caught in the thick of it. Despite the low-budget it's reasonably well-presented.

PLATOON LEADER is one of Dudikoff's best movies, perhaps because, since it was a rare theatrical release, more attention was given to make sure it was well-done. You really get a sense of what the war in Vietnam was like for the soldiers there, with hair-raising jungle ambushes and close calls. Naturally, the guys at the base don't take too kindly to Dudikoff when he first arrives, but ultimately grow to respect him, something I've really grown tired of seeing in the movies. But the battle scenes are well-executed, the direction by Aaron Norris (Chuck's brother) nothing special but good, and the music heroic and uplifting. War movie fans should enjoy it.

This movie is underrated probably because of the prejudices held by critics against Michael Dudikoff. Though his acting is widely thought to be mediocre (it is), he shines in this movie. "Platoon Leader" is gripping fare and deserves more respect than it currently garners. It is not just another throwaway Vietnam movie. It is, in fact, entertaining and is required viewing for any fan of action movies. 5/10

Unlike all of the Sundance film Festival critics on IMDb who give everything a one that isn't Star Wars or Rocky, I felt this was a very genuine and realistic look at a small platoon in Vietnam. Not only was the scope of the movie fairly accurate for what a platoon would have been tasked with doing in Vietnam but I believe everyone in the film played their role well. Obviously there were some tropes and stereotypes but that is an any movie to lend it dramatic affect. If you want to watch a fairly straightforward but nonetheless poignant film about being a soldier in Vietnam then I would recommend the movie. If you want to watch a cinematic masterpiece that only uses Vietnam as a backdrop then just go watch Apocalypse Now.

Platoon leader is often at it's most effective when when it reminds us that these men are human beings and not machines and that they will show emotion at times of stress. It's tense, atmospheric, and exciting at just the right times, with plenty of gunfire and explosions to keep the viewer entertained. Michael Dudikoff gives an excellent performance in this well above war movie from Cannon Pictures. Shame about the village though. bcarruthers-76500

Michael Dudikoff stars as Lt Jeff Knight a new commander in charge of the platoon who fight in Vietnam in this really bad and very tedious drama. The problem with Platoon Leader is that nothing happens, the drama is poorly done and Michael Dudikoff isn't the best guy to go with in this type of movie. Platoon Leader is a poorly written, wooden and witless bore.

If you want to see the Vietnam War as it was experienced by a real Platoon Leader, this is it. Authentic, down to the mannerisms, slang, terror and disillusion of it all, this film has none of the wierd phantasms of Apocalypse Now or the left wing political hype of Oliver Stone's Platoon.

Richard C. Caporiccio, LTC, US Army, Retired, former Platoon Leader, 3rd Battalion, 503rd Infantry (Airborne), LZ Uplift, Republic of Vietnam from Jan 2 to December 24, 1969.

Platoon Leader is not as good as the big Vietnam War movies that came out around the same time as this. However, this Cannon Films production is an attempt to make a more serious dramatic war movie than Missing In Action. Speaking of which, this was directed by Chuck Norris's brother (Aarron Norris) and is the only movie he made without his brother starring in this. Platoon Leader is somewhere in between Missing In Action and the more serious war movies like Platoon and Hamburger Hill. Platoon Leader is much less well made and flawed than those films. But for the limited resources and talent on this production, it's clear everyone tries. Michael Dudikoff gives it his best shot and is actually halfway decent in this more dramatic role. Cannon Films also made The Hanoi Hilton around the same time and was good also. Platoon Leader is well worth checking out and is a good watch.

Originally filmed under the title "NAM" before being changed to "Platoon Leader" to cash in on the success of Oliver's Stone "Platoon". A young officer, just out of West Point is sent to Vietnam, where the men don't respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. Sound's like a good idea for war movie , right ? Sadly this is a dreadful movie Some people who defend this garbage claim that this is a good movie , because it's a realistic description of Vietnam War , compared to the "Apocalypse now " . I wanna tell those people that "AN" is a masterpiece on every level - acting , dialogue , plot . music , direction etc, etc . As a work of art it has every right to take some liberties to send it's message .

"Platoon leader" does have some good scenes in it . However the direction is crappy. Aaron Norris doesn't know how to create tension in action scenes , he uses slow motion in embarrassing way , the drama scenes suck and the pacing doesn't exist here . The acting is also terrible . Dudikoff is likable and charismatic enough action star , but here the role requires someone with far bigger acting talent . Dudikoff tries , hell everyone tries , you can easily see it , I like the ambition , but the most dramatic scenes in the movie are so badly acted that it's just painful to watch . It's not even funny bad , just bad.

The production values are poor , the movie looks terribly cheap . The music is generic "war drama" music , nothing inspired .

The script sucks . The philosophical dialogues are rubbish and the character development is non-existent. Nothing really happens and I 've got a feeling that I was watching an action movie somewhat camouflaged as war drama. I could see potential here and there with some scenes , but it really felt like poor man's "Platoon" . And the very ending scene feels like it belongs to buddy-cop comedy.

Interesting thing - this is the only film directed by Aaron Norris to not have his brother Chuck Norris in it.

I give it 1/10. If you want to see a good and little known war movie better watch "Bat 21" with Gene Hackman and Danny Glover or "Siege of firebase Gloria" with R. Lee Ermey .

Originally entitled "Nam," this film was released as "Platoon Leader" to cash in on the success of "Platoon," which had been released the previous year. Unfortunately, this sank it, and most everyone dismissed this is an imitation of the latter film. However, I feel that this might be one of the finest films about the Vietnam War around, and that's due to the fact that it knows the genre of war films and it knows what to take seriously and what to regard as pure action.

In war films, particularly ones about the Vietnam War, there has always been a question about which angle to approach: a human, emotional story or a pure action-adventure. This film handles the question well, and it shows us both. The film covers a new U.S. captain joining a platoon that is set up on a hill with orders to protect a small village. The story of how he must earn the right to be called the captain of such a motely group, and how the men themselves must struggle about just what they are fighting for in this war, is extremely moving. The writers choose to represent many different attitudes, all of which were present in the war: fear, reluctance, discontent, indifference, and honor. Each character is painted vividly and with wonderful acting, and through their tragedy and suffering, the viewer gets a better understanding of what went on during America's darkest hour.

On the other hand, this film also contains some nicely-directed action sequences that know how to get the heart-beat going. They don't neccessarily glorify war, but they are very Rambo-esque, and made in an effort to satisfy action fans. It is the essence of these action scenes, combined with the human characters who have to pick up the pieces of each battle and move on with their daily, emotional struggles, that really makes this film tick.

This film was directed by Chuck's brother Aaron Norris, who lost a brother to the Vietnam War. Indeed, this must have been a difficult film to shoot because of that, but he certainly paid his brother a fitting tribute in this underrated war epic.

**** out of ****

It just seemed so fake. The scenery did not give you a feeling it was Vietnam. That scene where they ambush the.VC with grenades was so ridiculous. There were 8-10 men tossing a single grenade, yet there must have been 20 explosions!

Golan/Globus Cannon Pictures nonsense pretending it's a serious film about the Vietnam War. The American Ninja, Michael Dudikoff, plays a young officer (not a ninja), just out of West Point and sent to Vietnam. Dudikoff must then earn the respect of his battle hardened men. Nothing you haven't seen before and done much better, but on the plus side, there is a small role for my all-time favorite character actor, William Smith, as a commanding officer. FUN FACT! This was directed by Chuck Norris' brother and is the only film he ever directed that didn't star Chuck.

Aaron Norris directs this action-packed Vietnam War flick for Cannon Productions, starring Michael Dudikoff in what has widely been credited as being his finest ever performance as Lt. Knight, a young lieutenant fresh out of West Point who arrives at a small outpost in the jungle full of hardened and bitter veterans. He is met with hostility, naturally, as it takes a while for him to lose the West Point and by-the-book attitude and just get the job done. The film charts his transformation from a rookie into a solid and respected leader, as his demands for reinforcements keep falling on deaf ears just as a major enemy push is on the horizon in the area.

Dudikoff and the rest of the cast are solid and what inhibits the film is some of the jingoistic action and the nature of the film that is typical of Cannon productions. With the source material and the talent on show I think that this film would have benefited from a less dramatic tone and would have been up their with the likes of "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" had that been the case. The budget was not an issue, the action scenes being testament to that, as well as the fine sets that equal those in the likes of "Platoon" and the TV series "Tour of Duty".

Knight's transformation is excellent and I really liked Sgt. McNamara, portrayed by Robert F. Lyons. He was very natural and what I imagine an NCO in this period would have been like.

I remember watching this movie back in the day, and even to this date I still vividly remember the scene where the helicopters are raining missiles down upon the Viet Cong at night. So if I've seen it before, why watch it again? Well, simply because I had forgotten about the storyline in the movie. And thus, as I had the opportunity to revisit director Aaron Norris's 1988 movie "Platoon Leader" here in 2025, I needed no persuasion to do so.

Writers Andrew Deutsch, Rick Marx, Harry Alan Towers and David L. Walker put together an enjoyable and entertaining script. While I haven't read the book written by James R. McDonough, upon which this movie is based, I have no idea how true to the source material that the writers were. Regardless, I found the storyline and narrative in the movie enjoyable and entertaining.

This 1988 movie is, hands down, the best of movies in the repertoire of Michael Dudikoff.

Of the entire cast ensemble, then I was only familiar with Michael Dudikoff. The acting performances in "Platoon Leader" were good.

There is a lot of action in the movie, as you would expect from a movie base a Vietnam War theme. And the action definitely adds to the overall enjoyment of the movie, and it was nicely executed on the screen.

"Platoon Leader" looked and felt like a proper Vietnam War movie, which was a good thing.

If you haven't already seen this 1988 movie, and you get the chance, you should definitely check it out.

My rating of "Platoon Leader" lands on a well-deserved seven out of ten stars.

American Ninja's Michael Dudikoff branches out to make a war movie about Vietnam and falls extremely short of making anything worthwhile, enjoyable or even interesting. The story follows Dudikoff as a tough new commanding officer who must win the respect of his men and wax philosophical on the war itself, while drugs and the Viet Cong are all around are soldier boys. Michael Dudikoff is certainly a credible action star with some screen presence and low key charisma but this type of movie requires an actor who can pull of emoting as well. Richard F. Lyons comes off best but really this is a repetitive war movie with no sense of excitement, authenticity or even a point. Really one is better of seeing Platoon or Full Metal Jacket for authenticity, while for entertainment one should look to Rambo or Missing In Action. Platoon Leader on the other hand is just a labored failure that offers colossal boredom.

*1/2 out of 4-(Poor)

i was there. plain and simple, this movie gives a very accurate account of the times during the Viet War... you would have had to be there to appreciate that fact.

i (or any other vet) hardly expects the great unwashed masses that's never been to a hell hole like that or never been fired at or never picked up a weapon to do battle against a merciless foe to understand it. so naturally bad comments like, Worst Movie Ever, etc, etc...are to be expected. those sorts want only pure ENTERTAINMENT---and any historical value or memorial value or 'happened like REAL LIFE' value means NOTHING to them. :-( MD did a good, solid, very realistic job of portraying a young, green, Platoon Leader barely hanging onto his job AND his life (and that of his platoon's)in a VERY frightening (read impossible) situation...so good in fact that he reminds me of several of my own "Lutes" that i fought with (most of them died, sadly.) no, the film isn't perfect, but it's good solid fare for people REALLY interested in how it was in 'Nam. the rest of you clueless cats can eat it and die...who cares anyway what "YOU" think. you weren't there so you don't know jack-C--P about REAL war! btw...the 'grenade' comment is again obviously from somebody that has never fired a gun (or thrown a grenade) in anger. we only saw a FEW guys toss grenades in the film. quite possibly they were 'other' soldiers out of eyeshot ALSO tossing grenades! ---or possibly there were unseen explosives that the exploding grenades set off? d'oh! give this movie a break. and give it a look, cause it ain't bad at all for Hollywood combat. like the other fellow said...cause the Vets say it...and cause "I" say it! :-)

Frequent Cannon Group hero Michael Dudikoff does fairly well in the role of Lt. Jeff Knight, an officer fresh out of West Point who is immediately sent to Vietnam. His soldiers, including the much more experienced Sgt. McNamara (Robert F. Lyons, "The Todd Killings"), treat him with disdain until he is wounded in combat. He returns to the field a wiser and savvier man. His teams' mission is to protect a Vietnamese village that is important because it is the only one in the region not under the VC's control.

Originally given the simple title "Nam", this adaptation of a book / true story got its title changed to cash in on the success of Oliver Stones' "Platoon". While it might not take its place among the truly great 'Nam based films, it's still not bad at all, and is worthy of some respect. Certainly it doesn't sugarcoat the horrors of combat, with some very effective bloody violence bound to turn off some viewers. It's vivid, and believable enough, and benefits from location shooting (in South Africa!) and a haunting music score by George S. Clinton. It can also boast a solid cast of character actors, with veteran actor Lyons emerging as a standout. They are well supported by Brian Libby ("The Shawshank Redemption"), Michael DeLorenzo ('New York Undercover'), Jesse Dabson ("Death Wish 4: The Crackdown"), Rick Fitts ("The Hanoi Hilton"), Tony Pierce ("Stone Cold"), and the legendary movie tough guy William Smith ("Any Which Way You Can").

It's often at its most effective when it reminds us that these soldiers ARE human beings and not machines, and that they WILL show emotion at times of stress. It's tense, atmospheric, and exciting at just the right times, with plenty of gunfire and explosions to keep viewers paying attention.

Seven out of 10.

I had a lot of fun at uni fast forwarding to the frankly risible lines of dialogue, fantasy-world scenes and other complete bollocks. It is very entertaining because it is so rubbish. MD is terrible in it, the script stinks, the acting is appalling, there's a wafer thin budget, the location could be somebody's back garden. Was there a military adviser on this? If there was he did a bang up job of ballsing it up. It isn't authentic in the slightest.

However for all this, it is dreadful example of film making and war film making in particular, one which I would try and make everybody watch at least once all the way through. Then I'd get drunk and fast forward to the funny bits and wooden lines.

I'll leave you with this thought: "...some people are in the shoe business..."

Check out the bit with the heroin overdose and two sets of overacting, the 'oscar speech' (see above), the bit where he goes "deeeeeeead's gooooooood!!!!", the terrible pyros, just see it!!!!!!!!!! Coz it has to be seen to be believed.

Canon you say? I would never have guessed.