The Bottom Line
This movie is heavy-handed and corny at times, but for me the importance of the subject matter and the way Gibson brings Moore to life on the screen far outweigh the film's flaws.
Pros
- Emotionally engaging
- Approx. 90 minutes of exciting combat footage
- Mel Gibson has never been better
Cons
- Sometimes heavy-handed and corny
- A couple of scenes didn’t work for me
- Violence may be too graphic for some
Description
- DVD containing Vietnam War movie We Were Soldiers
- Stars Mel Gibson, Madeleine Stowe, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliott, Chris Klein, Keri Russell
- Based loosely on book by Lt. Gen. Harold G. Moore (Ret.) and Joseph L. Galloway
- DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002
Guide Review - We Were Soldiers DVD Review
The first part of the film is set in 1964 Fort Benning, GA, where Lt. Col. Moore (Gibson) has come with his wife (Stowe) and kids. Moore heads up an air cavalry unit, which he is assisted in training by the seasoned Sgt. Maj. Plumley (Elliott) and helicopter pilot Maj. Crandall (Kinnear). In the second part of the film these men and others, including photojournalist Joe Galloway (Barry Pepper), go in November, 1965, to the Ia Drang Valley, where they are involved in a grim battle against North Vietnamese troops. The outnumbered Americans acquit themselves well, but suffer unacceptable losses. This movie is heavy-handed at times, but for me the importance of the subject matter and Gibson’s performance far outweigh the film's flaws.
