Wouldn't win Oscars, but so entertaining.
I watched this movie twice in theaters, despite its bad reviews. I have to say I'm a bit puzzled as to what critics were expecting when they saw this. Saving Private Ryan? Black Hawk Down? I'm sorry, the movie is just not that deep. Does it make the movie bad? Not even remotely.
It's a little cliche, a little overacted, and contains a little too much bravado. Last I checked, these are all on the checklist for being a Marine. It's a fun, thrilling ride, full of action, and it's just plain entertaining.
Not into that sort of thing? Prefer to stick to your thought-provoking Oscar nominees? That's fine, keep walking. If you want an exciting bit of entertainment, you can do much, MUCH worse than this movie.
Science fiction war, at it's best
This is a movie that really isn't anything new. In fact, if you seen Black Hawk Down and District 9, it may look familiar. What this film does that makes it so great is that it can combine these elements together so well, that you really can't believe that this hasn't been done before. They made the right choice by including a Marine platoon into the script, rather than some nameless group of soldiers or whoever wears a uniform so that Johnny Civilian can get the picture that they are U.S. troops. It isn't the most perfect depiction of Marines, as I was one and remember the "F" bomb being used a whole heck of a lot more frequently, but it is passable. Aaron Eckhart really does a great job in his role as a battle tested Staff Sergeant. I think anyone else playing this character would have a hard time pulling it off exactly how he did. The rest of the cast is not all that bad either, given the scope of the story. And I am not a fan of Michelle Rodriguez, but she was tolerable- for the...
So much better than what the critics and some viewers are saying.
This movie tells the story of a small group of Marines, in a bad situation, in small place in time and in a limited scope to the actual "war", as they follow orders and hold fast to their honor, courage and commitment. As the father of a young Marine, I couldn't help but be emotionally moved to the point of saying to my wife that I really don't want my son to be in combat, knowing full well that he is trained and ready to the mission.
This movie isn't about the aliens as much as it is about these young Marines. The one waiting for his child to be born. The one who looks like he should still be in high school. The officer who has never commanded in combat. The one who is planning to be married. The one who suffers from PTSD. The veteran who is scarred by his past service. All cliches but certainly reflective of today's military service men and women. Open your eyes and see it for what it is. See the sacrifice and the committment. Committment to duty and to one another...
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