BeeeMaar

There's not much wrong with this film, but don't get taken in by the hyperbole in a lot of the reviews here. It certainly isn't a 10/10, and it isn't the greatest war film ever made - it's not even close to that. It's a solid, watchable film, about a real event that means a lot to Australian and Kiwi forces.

There's some decent action sequences, although I'd credit the Vietcong with slightly better tactics than simply running blindly towards automatic weapons, which seems to be the default for most of the film. You can also have fun ticking off the war film cliches - likeable character talking about what he's going to do when all this is over - check, man in desperate situation calling in fire support on his own position - check.

If you want an independent film that might actually be one of the greatest war films ever made, I'd strongly recommend Kajaki - this really isn't in the same league, good though it is.

Tom Hanks is his typical, likeable, vulnerable self (does he ever play anything else?), but this is essentially a CGI battle with almost no discernible plot. It's a shame really - it's very enjoyable, tense and exciting, but you are left wondering what the point was really. The attempt to build a back-story is just odd - it doesn't work at all. Could have been so much better.

Other reviewers have said it, so I'll keep it short - stunning.

This isn't Hollywood - there aren't chisel-jawed action heroes with kevlar plot armour to see them out of harm's way. This is reality - ordinary soldiers, who talk like soldiers actually talk instead of how scriptwriters think they should - in a horrendous situation. It actually happened, too.