Category Archives: Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews, WWII

Movie Review: Fury

Fury [Blu-ray]
Directed: David Ayer
Starring: Brad Pitt
The story of World War Two is one that has seen more than a few movies and books produced about it. One by-product of that is that is it not often that a new take is seen on the big screen for sure. Fury is a movie that is new, but also oh so familiar in dealing with the subject matter.
The film takes place in the last month or so of WWII. Germany is on the ropes and the hard fighting tankers have seen their share of combat through France and Belgium and now into Germany. These men are war-weary veterans that have seen so much death and destruction that they are almost immune to it, almost. In the dirt and grime of their routine a new crew member is introduced who is seeing it all for the first time.  Is he the hero or are the men that make up the tank crew the hero? Honestly, are there any heroes left that close to the end of a war.
I don’t want to say that this is an anti-war movie but it sure is not pro-war. It is just a war movie. Dirty, bloody, horrible, terrible and at the same time glorious and honorable and full of bravery and sacrifice. Yes, the Germans are nameless faceless constructs out of a video game but in flashes you see that they too just want to go home. And to be totally honest the tank battles are top-notch, the best and are the highlight of the movie. The strange interlude in the middle probably wasn’t needed, but it fleshed out the two leads in away that may have been missed otherwise.
I can not recommend this enough, especially if you are a WWII fan. Actually here is my suggestion. Watch Saving Private Ryan, watch the Battle of the Bulge episodes of Band of Brothers, then finish off the war with Fury. That is the Machete Order for WWII.
Frontier, Movie Reviews

Movie Review: The Last of the Mohicans: Director’s Definitive Cut

The Last of the Mohicans Director's Definitive Cut

 

Welcome to the first in the recurring feature of movie reviews. Since this is the first one of these features I’ll tell you a little bit about how I will be doing these. First I will say outright, I am not a professional movie reviewer. I will tell you what I like and don;t like, whether I think it is worth viewing and what not. When I can I will speak to the authenticity and how well the military aspects have been captured in the film. Also I will not limit myself to American Military History for this feature, so every era and conflict is fair game.

With all said let’s start with the first feature. The Last of the Mohicans: Director’s Definitive Cut is set in the American Colonies during the French & Indian War in the middle of the 18th century. Daniel day Lewis stars as Hawkeye a white man who was adopted into the Mohican tribe who falls in love with Madeline Stowe’s character Cora Munro the daughter of a British Colonel. Yep, a love story set against the frontier war fought between the French and British with both sides using the natives as pawns in the over all game of colonial conquest.

So the verdict? Considering that there are really a few movies that deal with this particular conflict in the Americas it sort of stands in the rare air. While the war itself plays out mostly in the background it does a fair job of showing the tactics and strategy involved when fighting on the frontier. The hit and run tactics of the natives, the ambushes, the sieges, all shown in fairly accurate detail.

Director Michael Mann tells a very good story and of course Daniel Day-Lewis takes Hawkeye to a different level. If you want a flavor of what warfare on the colonial frontier looks like, watch this movie. It runs 112 minutes but it flows well. Take the chance if the subject interests you.