ReaperFett
Jan 22nd, 2002, 10:46:01 PM
I love War movies. From films of epic scale like A Bridge too far, to Small event-based films like Zulu, through to character based ones like Three Kings, there is something about them that always perks up my intrest.
I had been following BHD's progress back from when they began filming. As each scrap of information came my way, it sounded better and better. Surely, it couldn't fail. Could it?
*FROM NOW ON SLIGHTLY MINOR SPOILERS MAY EXIST*
I think the first thing that has to be mentioned is the truly amazing cast. From veteran actors like Tom Sizmore to up and comings like Orlando Bloom, this movie was filled to capacity with quality. And to then get a director like Ridley Scott really puts the icing on the metaphorical cake.
The film begins with a brief text overview of the situation. Although not long, it tells you all the vital details. The first half hour or so if a true calm before the storm. You meet some of the characters. You learn Josh Hartnett is there to "make things better". Ewan McGregor, meanwhile, makes damn good coffee(Oh, and don't worry, his accent is better than that clip in the trailer). The only strange part was the arrest of an arms dealer. He is caught, and tells General Garrison this is there war. That works nicely, but they bizzarely flash back to him in his cell one of twice. Not doing anything, just drinking or smoking. WHY? You half expect him to laugh fiendishly at some masterplan but no, he just sits there.
And then, we hit the action. This was the first bit of Saving Private Ryan, lovingly extended over the course of the film. When filming, Scott didn't tell the cast what exactly what was going to happen. This mans that when a soldier is running down a street with bullets flying by, he actually does appear to be in the middle of a mass of confusion, which is perfect for the scene. There are some memorable scenes, and to me the final proper shootout is one of the gretest ever comitted to celluloid.
The acting was exceptional. From Tom Sizemore's Colonel through to Josh Hartnett's Sergeant, noone lets the side down. But to me, the best performances were from two of the Delta Force members, William Fichtner and Eric Bana. Fichtner played the part perfectly as this quite gung ho and over confident person, which is how I envision a Spec Ops member. But Bana is something else. His screen presence is amazing, and he made a character which could have seemed cheesy belivable. After seeing this, I look forward to The Incredible Hulk immensly.
To be honest, there was only one real problem with this film. When you have so many characters in similar clothing, it becomes very easy to lose a character. At one stage it looked to me like you cut from Hartnett to him again ina different place. But to be fair, I dont see how this could have been avoided.
So, how would I rate this? Well, very highly. For me this is up there with some of the alltime war classics. You never felt bored at any stage. I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed Lord of the Rings. A high praise indeed.
Were I able to vote in the Oscars, I'd vote like this:
BEST FILM: Black Hawk Down
BEST DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott(BHD)
BEST ACTOR: Eric Bana(BHD)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sean Bean(LOTR)
BEST ACTRESS: Angelina Jolie(Tomb Raider) -Hey, She is the ONLY main part actress I've seen this year, and she did her part well! :)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Left blank -Only seen the LOTR pair, and wasn't overly impressed
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: LOTR
BEST SOUND: BHD
BEST MUSICAL SCORE: Tomb Raider -Didnt like LOTR's, BHD didnt really have a prominant one, TR wins by default :)
OVERALL SCORE- 93%
I had been following BHD's progress back from when they began filming. As each scrap of information came my way, it sounded better and better. Surely, it couldn't fail. Could it?
*FROM NOW ON SLIGHTLY MINOR SPOILERS MAY EXIST*
I think the first thing that has to be mentioned is the truly amazing cast. From veteran actors like Tom Sizmore to up and comings like Orlando Bloom, this movie was filled to capacity with quality. And to then get a director like Ridley Scott really puts the icing on the metaphorical cake.
The film begins with a brief text overview of the situation. Although not long, it tells you all the vital details. The first half hour or so if a true calm before the storm. You meet some of the characters. You learn Josh Hartnett is there to "make things better". Ewan McGregor, meanwhile, makes damn good coffee(Oh, and don't worry, his accent is better than that clip in the trailer). The only strange part was the arrest of an arms dealer. He is caught, and tells General Garrison this is there war. That works nicely, but they bizzarely flash back to him in his cell one of twice. Not doing anything, just drinking or smoking. WHY? You half expect him to laugh fiendishly at some masterplan but no, he just sits there.
And then, we hit the action. This was the first bit of Saving Private Ryan, lovingly extended over the course of the film. When filming, Scott didn't tell the cast what exactly what was going to happen. This mans that when a soldier is running down a street with bullets flying by, he actually does appear to be in the middle of a mass of confusion, which is perfect for the scene. There are some memorable scenes, and to me the final proper shootout is one of the gretest ever comitted to celluloid.
The acting was exceptional. From Tom Sizemore's Colonel through to Josh Hartnett's Sergeant, noone lets the side down. But to me, the best performances were from two of the Delta Force members, William Fichtner and Eric Bana. Fichtner played the part perfectly as this quite gung ho and over confident person, which is how I envision a Spec Ops member. But Bana is something else. His screen presence is amazing, and he made a character which could have seemed cheesy belivable. After seeing this, I look forward to The Incredible Hulk immensly.
To be honest, there was only one real problem with this film. When you have so many characters in similar clothing, it becomes very easy to lose a character. At one stage it looked to me like you cut from Hartnett to him again ina different place. But to be fair, I dont see how this could have been avoided.
So, how would I rate this? Well, very highly. For me this is up there with some of the alltime war classics. You never felt bored at any stage. I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed Lord of the Rings. A high praise indeed.
Were I able to vote in the Oscars, I'd vote like this:
BEST FILM: Black Hawk Down
BEST DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott(BHD)
BEST ACTOR: Eric Bana(BHD)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sean Bean(LOTR)
BEST ACTRESS: Angelina Jolie(Tomb Raider) -Hey, She is the ONLY main part actress I've seen this year, and she did her part well! :)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Left blank -Only seen the LOTR pair, and wasn't overly impressed
BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS: LOTR
BEST SOUND: BHD
BEST MUSICAL SCORE: Tomb Raider -Didnt like LOTR's, BHD didnt really have a prominant one, TR wins by default :)
OVERALL SCORE- 93%