|
|
Rating:  - Surprisingly decent
You probably won't remember this movie the week after next, but as you watch it, it's fine entertainment, based, as noted, on a true POW story. The actors are uniformly good, and the script, even if you've seen things like it before - "The Deer Hunter" - is intelligent. The suspense works well, and the jungle scenery is fascinating. I expected a loud shoot-em-up based on the dvd cover, and was pleasantly surprised to encounter more of a psychological survival tale. It was filmed from ending to beginning, so the actors could start out emaciated, and gradually regain weight. Watch it.
Rating:  - Visually arresting, but a forgettable film.
This movie was specifically requested by my brother as the film upon which we would build our Blu-Ray collection. We watched it the first night we had gotten our Playstation 3 and HDMI cable. That was also the last time we watched it.
Visually, we couldn't have picked a better movie to inaugurate ourselves into the world of Hi-Def films. Herzog's cinematography is exceptional. The colors and details are so arresting and intense that, honestly, it is almost overwhelming for a moment. Unfortunately, the sightseeing doesn't get to last very long, as once Christian Bale's Deiter Dengler gets captured, the tone shifts visually to the muddy prison camp for much of the rest of the film.
I wish I had more to say about this movie, but unfortunately there's not much more to say: Christian Bale's performance is engaging, but on par with what we'd expect from him. The real star performance comes from Steve Zahn, who finally reveals that he can act. He performs well beyond what one would expect from the guy that starred opposite Jack Black in Saving Silverman, and if I had to pick one real reason for seeing this movie, it would be his performace. Ultimately, though, the plot drags through most of the second act, and while it's not a bad film by any stretch of the term, it's just not a movie I've had a strong desire to watch again.
I would say that fans of Christian Bale should get this movie, but if you are a big Bale fan, you probably already have it.
Rating:  - Not that good
My wife and I watched this movie but it wasn't that good at all. The seller sent it to us very fast, but after watching the movie I wouldn't watch it again.
Rating: - Harrowing tale of survival
Flying a bombing mission over Laos in 1965, Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale) is shot down, tortured, and imprisoned in a POW camp. Refusing to give up hope, he leads the other, dispirited captives (Steve Zahn, Jeremy Davies, Abhijati "Meuk" Jusakul, and Lek Chaiyan Chunsuttiwat) in an escape attempt.
This film is quite good at presenting not only the physical privations of torture and starvation but also the mental toll exacted by the fear, boredom, and hopelessness of incarceration. Set against this backdrop, Dieter's refusal to give up becomes a powerful testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. Director / screenwriter Werner Herzog is famous for shooting his films in difficult locations; in this case, the gorgeous Thai countryside provides a stunning setting and steeps the film in authenticity. This may be Herzog's most conventional film, but it is well worth watching.
Rating: - Close to being great
I had high expectations for this movie and for the most part was satisfied. It just felt like it should have gone the rated R direction for being a POW/war movie. I understand it was more than anything an inspirational movie about survival but Christian Bale's character seemed to take the situation a little too lightly. This was the major issue in the movie for me. Other than that it was a very good looking movie that I enjoyed watching.
|
|