The Movie Review Thread

[Arc-Angel (}}}]

Since we have a bunch of these scattered around - we should keep them to the same thread in so we can find em later!    I've combined all the older threads - from oldest to newest...

So.....   !review

-- JimmyT



We now return to our regularly scheduled programming....





i have a title to recommend to those of you who like a good WWII movie: it's called "saints and soldiers", came out in 2003, and is quite good.

it is about a small group of american soldiers who are trapped behind enemy lines (in the ardennes forest, i think), and have to get back into allied territory because they have vital intelligence about the movement of the german army. the movie was relatively low-budget, so the production is not as lavish as "saving private ryan" or "band of brothers", but it is well written and superbly acted. the action is generally good; there is some gun violence, a minimum of blood, no real gore and the language is (IIRC) clean. the movie had a PG-13 rating. it should be suitable for anyone who plays MOH or COD.

check it out; it is definitely worth watching.

"saints and soldiers" on IMdB

"saints and soldiers" on amazon.com






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[CupOJoe]

Thanks, Arc, I just added it to my Netflix Queue and will watch it sometime in July. 

[=JHF= phyZilla]

gotta love netflix, everytime i check the mail something bad to watch 

[CupOJoe]

Netflix is "da bomb"! It's so wonderful to remember "Oh, I didn't see that movie" and just go add it to my queue. When I used to go to the video store, I'd usually forget most of what I wanted to watch or either couldn't find it. Netflix is much cheaper, too. Long live Netflix!

[=JHF= UsualSuspect]

While were on the subject of war flics, The Lost Battalion is a superb movie.   Bout a batallion of American soldiers in WWI that pushes too far ahead of their advancing line, also takes place in the Ardennes if memory serves, and has to fend off German counter-attacks.  If Im not mistaken I believe the movie is based of true events, though regardless it is deffinatly worth seeing.

I recently stumbled on another jewel, though its not an english film it is still very good.  Called Tae Guk Gi "The Brotherhood of War"  it is a Korean film about two brothers in the Korean war.  Quite an excelent film that offers a perspective on the conflict from the south Korean point of view.  Similar in special effects to Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.  I was compelled to buy it while at Best Buy one day when it turned out to be the only film in the war section that I had not yet seen. 

If any of you have any suggestions on some good war movies please let me know, Im always on the prowl for another worthwhile movie to watch.

UsualSuspect

[Arc-Angel (}}}]

While were on the subject of war flics, The Lost Battalion is a superb movie.   Bout a batallion of American soldiers in WWI that pushes too far ahead of their advancing line, also takes place in the Ardennes if memory serves, and has to fend off German counter-attacks.  If Im not mistaken I believe the movie is based of true events, though regardless it is deffinatly worth seeing.

I recently stumbled on another jewel, though its not an english film it is still very good.  Called Tae Guk Gi "The Brotherhood of War"  it is a Korean film about two brothers in the Korean war.  Quite an excelent film that offers a perspective on the conflict from the south Korean point of view.  Similar in special effects to Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers.  I was compelled to buy it while at Best Buy one day when it turned out to be the only film in the war section that I had not yet seen. 

If any of you have any suggestions on some good war movies please let me know, Im always on the prowl for another worthwhile movie to watch.

"the lost battalion" is indeed a good movie; i almost recommended that one, too, as i have seen it somewhat recently.

i will look out for tae guk ki; thanks for the heads-up. i think i saw a trailer for it on apple's japanese-language movie trailers page, sometime last year i think.

if i think of any other good ones, i'll mention them as they come to me. i gather we are expanding our parameters beyond WWII? 







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[Arc-Angel (}}}]

Netflix is "da bomb"! It's so wonderful to remember "Oh, I didn't see that movie" and just go add it to my queue. When I used to go to the video store, I'd usually forget most of what I wanted to watch or either couldn't find it. Netflix is much cheaper, too. Long live Netflix!

totally. i've been using netflix so long now, all i can say is, "video store?? what is a video store?!?"

i checked my queue just now, and the korean movie "tae guk ki" that US recommended was already in there! needless to say, i've shifted it to the top, and i should get it this coming week or so.

vive le netflix!






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[=JHF= UsualSuspect]

if i think of any other good ones, i'll mention them as they come to me. i gather we are expanding our parameters beyond WWII?

Yea Ill watch them all, got nothing else to do with my time here.

i've shifted it to the top, and i should get it this coming week or so.

Let me know what you think about it when you do watch it Angel. 

UsualSuspect

[CupOJoe]

OK, Tae Guk Ki and Lost BAttallion are now in my queue.

FYI - Lost Battallion is WW I (set in 1918) and in the Argonnes (per Netflix movie review).

[=JHF= UsualSuspect]

Anyone else know or any good war flicks?  I went to the store to see if I couldnt find Saints and Soldiers, but alas it wasnt there, I will have to await my return to America.  But Im open to others suggestions, perhaps I will be able to find at least one.

UsualSuspect

[Arc-Angel (}}}]

Let me know what you think about it when you do watch it Angel. 

i watched "the brotherhood of war" (aka, tae guk gi) last night.

very, VERY impressive movie. IMO, it successfully conveyed all of the horror and brutality of war, mixed right in with heroism and patriotism. scary and moving, as well. an excellent recommendation, US. anyone looking for a gripping war movie, check this movie out. it is pretty intensely violent, on par with "saving private ryan", and more than "band of brothers" and "saints and soldiers". but the violence is not silly or gratuitous; it is graphic war violence.

also - on a geekier note - players of COD and MOHAA will see many familiar weapons here. the south korean soldiers are armed with WWII small arms from the USA, such as M-1 garand, M-1 carbine and M-1918A2 BAR with bipod. in one scene, you can see the M-3 "grease gun", which sadly does not appear in COD or MOHAA. i didn't recognise the north korean rifles (probably a chinese copy of a russian mosin-nagant), but i did see the PPSh-41 burp gun and the DP-type russian light machineguns. plus flame-throwers, stick-handle grenades and M-1911A1 automatics. good stuff.

tae guk gi at IMDb

tae guk gi on amazon.com

definitely a movie worth checking out.






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[Hoffa]

I rented Saints and Soldiers the other day.  I found it entertaining, though I did have to chuckle at a few "hollywood" additions.  Thanks for the recomendation Arc.

[CupOJoe]

Just finished Saints and Soldiers. Not at all what I expected, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'm an emotional kinda guy so a few parts messed with me good. Nice underlying message throughout. Bittersweet ending. W4, you'd enjoy it. Thanks for the recommendation, Arc.

[Arc-Angel (}}}]

Just finished Saints and Soldiers. Not at all what I expected, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'm an emotional kinda guy so a few parts messed with me good. Nice underlying message throughout. Bittersweet ending. W4, you'd enjoy it. Thanks for the recommendation, Arc.

you're welcome; i'm glad you enjoyed it. i've got another WWII movie coming this weekend; i'll post a review here once i've seen it.






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[Arc-Angel (}}}]

a while back, i read a book called "ghost soldiers" by hampton sides; it is a true story about a group of US army rangers going on a daring rescue mission to save hundreds of POWs in a japanese camp in the philippines. the soldiers are survivors of the bataan death march, and the fear is that the ones who aren't killed by disease will be killed by the japanese as they retreat. so 120 rangers sneak into territory held by thousands of japanese soldiers. it's an amazing story.

and now it's a movie, called "the great raid", due out sometime this year.

you can check out the trailer

as well as

read about it on IMDb

worth watching out for, probably. the book..

here at amazon.com

...was gripping.






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