Review of Taps (1981) by Markus B — 12 Sep 2017
Taps enters a long line of movies I?ve watched recently that don?t live up to the opening act of the film. I adored the idea of this military cadet school that is being closed unexpectedly, and a new Cadet Major who has only one year to prove the school is worth saving.
It falls apart quickly from there. The movie lost all sense of honor and decorum that I thought was established, and had a bunch of young men behaving in a way that seemed like a ridiculous overreaction.
I struggled to find any justification for why these people would behave in this fashion. The movie spins its wheels for a very long time once the plot is established, and turns extremely dark and depressing.
The story simply doesn?t flow the way it should, because the stakes get raised almost immediately and never vary all that much. There?s some serious problems with the script for Taps, but the cast almost makes up for it.
Timothy Hutton might be a bit too mild-mannered, but he still was sympathetic in the lead role. Sean Penn and Tom Cruise were superb as the figurative angel and devil sitting on Hutton?s shoulders. And even though George C.
Scott had a limited role, he made a huge impact on Taps. There were some highlights in the movie, but unfortunately it all falls apart and makes for a lackluster finished product.
This review of Taps (1981) was written by Markus B on 12 Sep 2017.
Taps has generally received positive reviews.
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