Review of The Great Raid (2005) by Nathan H — 30 Mar 2009

An ultimately forgettable war film that falls victim to the same weaknesses that sunk "The Alamo" remake a few years back. The movie has some great panoramic shots, some excellent recreations of gigantic and intense battle scenes, and it has some talented actors in place.

But it has no heart, no soul. Like "The Alamo," it feels as if we're watching a museum diorama come to life, beautiful scenery and historically accurate uniforms, but there's a plastic shine to it all, a frustrating perfection to the cinematography and dialogue and music.

Perhaps I'm the only one who finds fault in such things, but quite simply, I like my war films to give me a bit of the grit and chaos of war, not the slickness of Hollywood.