oldskibum2

Just watched this again after several years, and frankly, there isn't much I can add to the many reviews already posted except to agree: SOFG is one of the very best films produced on the Viet Nam war. It heads the very, very short list of films that I recommend to people who ask what's the best film about that war. (It joins WE WERE SOLDIERS and THE ODD ANGRY SHOT at the top.) I speak as a former Marine Tet Vet (got my own Purple Heart at Hill 34). The writing is (mostly) spot on and the production crew clearly paid attention when the military advisors spoke. Lee Ermey, bless him, delivers his usual almost-over-the-top performance without even acting. Hauser is almost as good, and manages to avoid the overacting so common among civilian actors doing war films. It almost seems petty to pick on the few technical errors: Ermey at one point refers to himself as being on a LRRP mission (the Army's recon team) when he's Marine Recon, and the magazines on the M-16 rifles seem to hold thousands of rounds...no one ever seems to need to reload. It's NOT being picky to point out two of the most glaring errors: The VC did NOT shoot their way into the US Embassy and start killing secretaries and staff; nineteen sappers broke into the embassy compound and all were killed outside on the grounds. And the Tet Offensive came as a complete surprise only to the news media. But SOFG does manage to stay away from the clichés and sermons that Hollywood seems determined to deliver in its films about the Viet Nam War, and that's what makes it so watchable. It's a just darned good action film.

Just caught this one again recently. It's difficult to write an honest, objective review of a movie that's this bad. Hard to believe that anyone remotely connected to the military had anything to do with the script or direction of this turkey. Ever war movie cliché ever uttered turns up here somewhere. Hard to decide if Tommy Sands' performance as the hard-as-nails rookie lieutenant is howlingly funny or just outrageously bad. This is Hollywood's version of war. It's watchable only if you don't mind being clubbed over the head with the "message" every few minutes (that being "why can't we all just get along?") As a lifelong fan of Sinatra, I'm hugely disappointed.

As a 40-year fan of the 007 films, I have to confess that I'm prepared to accept the fact that a few of the films have been real clunkers. I'm afraid that DIE ANOTHER DAY may be one of them. It's a great story spoiled badly by cartoonish stunts. The computer-created special effects in this film drag it down to a level somewhere between MOONRAKER and a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. The computer animators seem to have been carried away by their enormous budget, and some of the gags in this film are simply beyond all belief. Great stunts are exciting when the viewer can believe that an actual person is performing them and that the stunts lie within the realm of actual physical possibility. Let's face it, the special effects, gadgets, gimmicks, and outlandish stunts have taken over, and the story exists only to move us from one stunt to the next. The best part of the film was Bond's customary visit to Q (John Cleese does a wonderful job of replacing the late, much-loved Desmond Llewelyn). In the background we see many of the gadgets and paraphernalia from 007's past missions: Little Nellie from YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, the underwater sled from THUNDERBALL, and many others, each of them a reminder that once upon a time, these were genuine action movies that called upon some great stuntmen to perform their craft. The action film has become make-believe. I'll be generous and give it 7 stars, largely because of Halle Berry's wonderful performance. Otherwise, it was a great disappointment to me.