We Were Soldiers

Starring: Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, Keri Russell, Barry Pepper, Duyong Don, Jon Hamm, Clark Gregg, Dylan Walsh, Taylor Momsen
Directed by: Randall Wallace
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, War
2002

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: American soldiers face off against overwhelming Vietnamese forces in the first major battle of the Vietnam War.

Review:

Tim: I am struggling a bit with why I don't like We Were Soldiers more. I've seen the film twice now, and both times, I left feeling underwhelmed. That is a bit puzzling, because you can make the case that the film has some real strengths. For example, the movie is incredibly realistic and gritty. This is one of the more realistic war movies you'll ever see. There is also an impressive cast, many of whom give good performances. There is good action, and some intense war scenes. And yet, the whole thing feels just a bit hollow. The movie isn't as memorable as it needed to be. As a whole, I find this to be a decent movie, but not much more than that.

The cast is very strong. Mel Gibson does a good job in the lead role, although I never really loved him in the part. This isn't one of his better performances and his character is a bit too forgettable. He is fine, but not great. Madeleine Stowe is fairly good as Gibson's wife. She does have a few very powerful scenes. Greg Kinnear gives a good turn as a very brave helicopter pilot. Chris Klein is not a great actor, and does not give a great performance here. His role is important, but the impact is diminished because Klein just isn't very good. Keri Russell is fine in a small role. I actually really loved Barry Pepper here. He is such an underrated actor, and his performance here really impacts the movie positively. He's quite strong. Finally, it was fun seeing Jon Hamm and Clark Gregg in small roles, but neither has a whole lot to do.

The film depicts the first major battle of the Vietnam War, when several hundred American soldiers face off against thousands of Vietnamese troops. The action scenes are fairly good and there is a real sense of gritty realism in them. The movie is certainly not interested in a Hollywood depiction of these events, as it works hard to portray the film through the eyes of the soldiers. The movie deserves credit for this. Unfortunately, this isn't always the best way to make an entertaining experience for viewers. I felt a bit numb after a while- I knew the Americans were fighting the Vietnamese, but the actual back-and-forth and strategies got a bit lost. The movie lacks that one big moment that makes you stop and think. The film moves along, and then it ends. It needed something special- one big scene or moment that would sear the film into our memories. Without that, the film ends up being too forgettable.

I do believe some of the issue here comes from director Randall Wallace. This is only the second film directed by Wallace, and it shows. Now, this isn't meant to be an attack- it's pretty stunning that Wallace was able to pull a film with this huge scope off with only his second time behind the camera. However, with more experience, he could have generated more emotion out of this story.

We Were Soliders is a realistic portrayal of the Vietnam War, and for that, the movie should be applauded. Any film that shines a light on the sacrifices our soldiers made for the good of the country is definitely positive. However, a piece of entertainment, the film falls short. It doesn't do enough to stand out from the crowd, and as such, this movie doesn't make a lasting impact on you. That is a shame, because many of the right pieces were in place here. Unfortunately, that wasn't capitalized upon, and as such, this is only a decent movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Windtalkers, Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, Apocalypse Now