OT: War Movie Review/Recommendation Thread

[Raellus]

Looks interesting. I wonder when we'll get a release in the West.

http://news.yahoo.com/lady-death-wwii-sniper-film-aims-hit-russia-034543400.html

[Targan]

The Odd Angry Shot. Not quite an 80s film (initial release was 1979) but it very much encapsulates Australian humour of the time. Bearing in mind that it was filmed only 5 or 6years after the last Australian troops were withdrawn from the Vietnam War. Some fantastic soldier philosophising by the late great Graham Kennedy.

Bung: "So what are we doing here then?"

Harry: "You're a soldier, same as every other silly prick in this tossed-up, fucked-up, never-come-down land and that's why you're here. Because there's no-one else, and everyone's got to be somewhere, and you're here. So get used to it."

xsVJ8J1lLBk

[Schone23666]

The Odd Angry Shot. Not quite an 80s film (initial release was 1979) but it very much encapsulates Australian humour of the time. Bearing in mind that it was filmed only 5 or 6years after the last Australian troops were withdrawn from the Vietnam War. Some fantastic soldier philosophising by the late great Graham Kennedy.

Bung: "So what are we doing here then?"

Harry: "You're a soldier, same as every other silly prick in this tossed-up, fucked-up, never-come-down land and that's why you're here. Because there's no-one else, and everyone's got to be somewhere, and you're here. So get used to it."

xsVJ8J1lLBk

Hmmm....could use some more cowbell---er, Mark "Jacko" Jackson...

OI!!! :P

"Ducks incoming projectiles"

[Raellus]

Speaking of Aussie cinema...

It's not, strictly speaking, a war movie, but it's certainly post-apocalyptic. The summer movie I'm most excited to see is:

Mad Max: Fury Road

http://io9.com/remember-mad-maxs-legacy-in-this-great-new-fury-road-tr-1698064386

The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2 in Australia) is one of my favorite action films of all time. I thought Beyond Thunderdome wasn't half bad. I've only tried once, but I've never really been able to get into the original Mad Max. I really, really hope that this new sequel doesn't suck.

[kato13]

It's not, strictly speaking, a war movie, but it's certainly post-apocalyptic. The summer movie I'm most excited to see is:

Mad Max: Fury Road

http://io9.com/remember-mad-maxs-legacy-in-this-great-new-fury-road-tr-1698064386


I REALLY hope that this breaks the trend of disappointing reboots of movies from my childhood that we have seen recently (Looking at you Robocop, Total Recall, Tron, Karate Kid, Willie Wonka, etc). Miller being attached is a very good sign but I still have concerns.

If you want to try the original Mad Max again i recommend the undubbed version. The poor dubbing is certainly a distraction.

[Targan]

If you want to try the original Mad Max again i recommend the undubbed version. The poor dubbing is certainly a distraction.

There's a dubbed version? Let me guess... they dubbed in American accents?

[kato13]

There's a dubbed version? Let me guess... they dubbed in American accents?

Yeah. In the undubbed version there are one or two characters who I could not understand due to local accents, but I still like it better. This is similar to what happens sometimes in UK films.

The undubbed version was not readily available in the US until after 2000 IIRC so most people saw the odd one.

[RN7]

I REALLY hope that this breaks the trend of disappointing reboots of movies from my childhood that we have seen recently (Looking at you Robocop, Total Recall, Tron, Karate Kid, Willie Wonka, etc). Miller being attached is a very good sign but I still have concerns.

If you want to try the original Mad Max again i recommend the undubbed version. The poor dubbing is certainly a distraction.

The reboot of Tron was actually not so bad, but Robocop, Total Recall, the Karate Kid and Willy Wonka were just awful, as was Red Dawn. I do hope that nobody wants to remake Rambo 1, Apocalypse Now or the Deer Hunter.

[kato13]

The reboot of Tron was actually not so bad, but Robocop, Total Recall, the Karate Kid and Willy Wonka were just awful, as was Red Dawn. I do hope that nobody wants to remake Rambo 1, Apocalypse Now or the Deer Hunter.

I can't believe I forgot Red Dawn, but I have not seen even one minute of it, my fears of how awful it is are just so great.

[Askold]

At least Dredd was much better movie than the previous attempt at making a Judge Dredd movie.

It might not have a story of as "epic" proportions as the Stallone one, but it was actually a good movie.

The Robocop remake isn't as bad as people make it to be but it just wasn't as good as the old one. They did well at "updating" the movie and even the hated all black paintjob has a good justification. (If some company made a robocop now it WOULD be "tacticool" and black.)

[RN7]

At least Dredd was much better movie than the previous attempt at making a Judge Dredd movie.

It might not have a story of as "epic" proportions as the Stallone one, but it was actually a good movie.

The Robocop remake isn't as bad as people make it to be but it just wasn't as good as the old one. They did well at "updating" the movie and even the hated all black paintjob has a good justification. (If some company made a robocop now it WOULD be "tacticool" and black.)


I liked the new Dredd which was far better than Stallone's version back in the 90's and I used to read 2000AD when I was younger. There is some talk about a sequal. I think the original Robocop on the other hand was just better in every way than the new one.

[Targan]

The undubbed version was not readily available in the US until after 2000 IIRC so most people saw the odd one.

Well I've learned something new.

[stormlion1]

The remake of Red Dawn had issues, but its one of them films where if you can just ignore the fact its a remake, its not so bad.

[Matt Wiser]

Don't even mention the remake. When John Milius said that he wouldn't have anything to do with it, and none of the remaining original cast wouldn't either, it was doomed. And that was before MGM held it up, had the changes to please the PRC (to avoid being banned from the PRC movie market-the original premise was the Chinese as the invaders, not NK), trimmed it from two hours to 97 minutes, and so on....when my GF and I came out of the theater, we said "That's $17.00 and 97 minutes we'll never get back".

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Battleground, 1949.

A WWII movie made when WWII movies were not en vogue. It depicts a fictional Airborne Glider Infantry unit in the line at Bastogne. What is so fascinating about it is, if you have read Band of Brothers or D-Day, you come to realize how factual it is: the Glider Infantry Regiment is in the same area of operations that Easy Company was in real life, and many of the stories of the fictional Battleground are related as factual events in Ambrose's books, and not just the broad ones like the famous "Nuts!" declaration to the Germans' demand for surrender.

[Rainbow Six]

I liked the new Dredd which was far better than Stallone's version back in the 90's and I used to read 2000AD when I was younger. There is some talk about a sequal. I think the original Robocop on the other hand was just better in every way than the new one.

I liked the new one a lot. I thought it did quite a good job of capturing the way Dredd was in 2000AD much of the time - he wasn't on an epic mission to save Mega City 1, it was just a normal day in his life. And he kept his helmet on.

The remake of Red Dawn had issues, but its one of them films where if you can just ignore the fact its a remake, its not so bad.

I thought it was terrible.

Been a while since I last saw it, but one of the best War films I've ever seen is a Korean one called Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taegukgi_%28film%29

(Obviously link has spoilers)

Well worth a look.

[Tombot]

For the oldschool-MadMax-Gang: Kyuss & Mel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYpeA0Jm98k

[Sanjuro]

Testament of Youth.

Beautifully shot, well acted by a cast who were convincingly close to the age of the historical characters (typically 18-22). Historically accurate in many ways, even for shots no more than 5 seconds long. Very true to the book, with only minor conflating of characters and events.

Having said all that, I didn't enjoy a single minute of it. Google Vera Brittain and you will understand.

[Raellus]

Come and See is a Russian movie released in 1985, about a partisan recruit in 1943 Belorussia. I'm not sure what it's viewing availability is, but I rented it from Netflix on DVD (disc 1 of a Criterion Collection set).

In some ways, Come and See plays like an art film. The dialogue is sparing and there's no major battle scenes. The film focusses on the war's impact on civilians. The final act is pretty brutal, although very little gore is shown. The lead actor- a teenager- has the most intense shocked face I've ever seen. It's not a typical war movie, but it's worth checking out. Just don't expect to see much combat during its 2-hour and 20-minute run time.

-

[pmulcahy11b]

One of my favorites, which the Military Channel is currently showing about one a week lately, is the WW1 movie The Lost Battalion. It's World War 1, but has a kind of T2K feel, in the circumstances involved in the fight.

[Apache6]

Beast of No Nation is about a African civil war, but to me it's got a T2K feel to it.

[pmulcahy11b]

There is of course, the chilling Threads, for a total nuclear exchange and the aftermath (nightmare-inducing); but I've always liked Testament for a view of what's going on back home.

[Legbreaker]

Can't recommend The Front Line enough.
Last days of the Korean war.
https://youtu.be/dxFbRg9HS8Y

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Can't recommend The Front Line enough.
Last days of the Korean war.
https://youtu.be/dxFbRg9HS8Y
I'll second that recommendation.


And for something from the first days of the Korean War (although it came across as a tad melodramatic to me sometimes), Brotherhood Of War.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm2aZz45pGE

Points for spotting the factual errors in the film (I noticed a couple of them but apparently there's far more, about a dozen I'm told):p

[swaghauler]

THE OUTPOST has recently come out. It is based on the book and also loosely references the book RED PLATOON. I have yet to see it but my players have and highly endorse it.

[Raellus]

I just watched Mosul on Netflix. I thought it was pretty good. Not a perspective one sees very often. If nothing else, the combat scenes are beautifully shot.

-

[Targan]

I watched it too after the recommendation on the Facebook T2K page. I thought it was an excellent film. Incredibly bleak though.

[Spartan-117]

I want to watch that one (Mosul). Is there anything about the dam in it? I'm evac site if it goes and there was always talk of it being bombed back in the day.

[Raellus]

I want to watch that one (Mosul). Is there anything about the dam in it? I'm evac site if it goes and there was always talk of it being bombed back in the day.

No mention of the dam, unless it's in the original Arabic and the sub-titlist missed it. ;)

-

[swaghauler]

https://youtu.be/AuZ1BD0-_Vg

[Raellus]

Top Gun: Maverick

Yeah, it was a bit cheesy here and there, and it definitely played fast and loose with military tech, tactics, and the chain of command, but I found TG:M to be a tight, entertaining, feel-good action flick that did nostalgia right.


SPOILERS AHEAD!

...

Interesting how the bad guy- never identified by name in the movie- was a mashup of Russia (the OPFOR 5th Gen fighters were clearing Su-57s), North Korea, and Iran (the F-14).

The Darkstar looked a lot like the F-19 stealth fighter mockup that Tom Clancy modeled the stealth fighter from Red Storm Rising on.

Some :rolleyes: moments:
GPS jamming rendering the F-35 useless
Flares fooling radar-guided SAMS
A naval aviator being surprised that an F-14 would take off with its wings extended
An F-18 Super Hornet carrying drop tanks and LGBs when launched to tackle enemy 5th Gen fighters
No redundancy measures for mission (i.e. why not a third pair of Hornets?)

-

[micromachine]

Liked the show, good continuation of the franchise. Another Red, White and Blue wins the battle despite the odds being stacked against them.

****Spoilers Alert*****

- No AA guns or MANPADS present at objective, despite the issues with SAM along improbable approach route to HVT.
-No CAP accompanying carrier based Hawkeye.
-No jammer/wild weasel support or fighter cover on infiltration/exfiltration route.
-Pristine enemy F14 armed and sitting in the hardened aircraft shelter without any ground crew/guards milling about, despite being attacked by cruise missiles.
-No CAP over carrier group despite being the fact they are in harms way and just launched a major strike on another country, not once but twice...airfield and enrichment facility.
-No BVR engagement by either side.
-No Drop tanks released despite over maximum g being applied to aircraft on ingress or egress.

[Heffe]

Throwing out one I watched a month or two back that was pretty fun - Black Crab (or Svart Krabba in original Swedish).

It's not without it's pitfalls, but overall the movie has a pretty strong military post-apocalypse feel to it that wouldn't be entirely out of place within a Twilight 2000 setting.

[ToughOmbres]

The Battle of Algiers-not quite war but OOTW? Very dark and very realistic-the anguish of the French Republic and ALN.

[Targan]

Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E0J11-rB7Q). A company of Aussie infantry and a couple of Kiwi forward observers (backed by nearby artillery batteries) vs a battalion of VC and a battalion of NVA. And Ragnar Lothbrok in khaki. I enjoyed it and it sticks close to the actual events.

[Homer]

Second on Danger Close. Nice to see a film that shows combined arms. Also nice to see a Vietnam war film that focuses on the non-US forces.

Another recommendation I’d throw out is The Great Raid. It’s about the Cabanatuan Raid in 1945- a joint US/Filipino operation to liberate US POWs held by the Japanese. Scaled down and relocated it would make a great scenario.

[JHart]

In the tangentially related, when the kids get ready to fight the monster in second part of season 4 of Stranger Things, one of them channels Jed Eckert from Red Dawn with the gray hoodie and camo bandana. If your going to war, go with style!

[Raellus]

Although most folks probably wouldn't classify Oppenheimer as a war movie, it is definitely war-adjacent.

I worried that it was going to be ponderous, obtuse. Nolan's made some of my favorite films of the 2010s (Dark Knight, Inception, and Interstellar), but, due in part to sky-high expectations going in, I was very disappointed by his last few movies (Dark Knight Rises, Dunkirk, and Tenet). Not liking his only other historical war picture (Dunkirk), I went into Nolan's Oppenheimer feeling a little bit leery.

I'm pleased to report that I enjoyed it greatly. For a 3-hour long movie, it didn't drag at all. I did jump around a bit, but it wasn't difficult to follow. Despite knowing what was going to happen each step of the way, it was quite suspenseful. The acting was outstanding by the whole cast, and the cinematography/sound was awesome (I didn't even see it in IMAX). I recommend it highly.

-

[Homer]

If you can find it, Gunner Palace from 2004-ish is pretty good. Atypically, it’s a documentary following the day to day routine of soldiers during later 03 and 04. Highly recommended to get a picture of the average day at war during the post-invasion days of OIF.