bbowens

I walked out after an hour. Isn't that long enough to see if there's anything there?

Bombs, aimless shooting, sepia-toned desert cinematography--it's all there, but the story isn't. I was desensitized so quickly that the tension everyone so enthusiastically noted was not there for me. I observed very little in the way of character development, as well.

If you're into video games, guns & blowing stuff up, and military culture, perhaps you'll like this film, but I don't see how liking this movie has anything to do with supporting our troops; just get them outta there.

I'm glad that I didn't read the reviews prior to watching this film, because it was very entertaining and engrossing. The Dylan character was poorly played and over-the-top, like everyone says, but otherwise, this is a wild ride, and interesting to look at.

The director's commentary is interesting, too, and Hickenlooper makes it clear which scenes were added in, and why, on the DVD version. I can see why the theater release was reviewed so poorly, as re-watching this film makes it clear how relevant the "restored" scenes are.

Also, a lot of the reviews cite that the Edie character elicits no sympathy. That may be true, depending on the viewer, but there's no rule that says a good movie requires a sympathetic character (but I did feel sympathy for Edie).