Mel Gibson Ultimate Collection (1999)

Irresistibly watchable

Well it is Mel all right; he started getting gung ho with whit "Brave heart" hand has been gearing up ever since. The only problem I have with this movie is I can not figure out what he has to say even when he tells you. With the probable exception of "All Quiet on the Western front", most war movies just use war as a back drop to their main purpose as in "Apocalypse Now" (an updated "Hart of Darkness"). This movie has the look and feel of an updated "Green Berets" Pluck out John Wayne and plug in Mel.

We know the base story is of the stand off of the NVA at Ia Drang November 1965 against overwhelming odds, with a little help of superior technology. The uniforms and equipment look pretty authentic. The terrain was well done also; it could be the real thing as much as California. Not all of Vietnam is swamp.

Even though there is a lot of action (more phosphorus than C4) this is not just a shootemup movie. They also focused on the wives back home, showing how they had to cope with the situation. There were also some cursory sub stories as a combat photographer getting more than he expected.

I have the same conundrum as others do that have not been there. The Vietnam I was in (67-68) had a few firefights; but most of the time it was our spies against their spies and there was no front. When we tangled both sides lost an even average of 15% but if you could find them and drop something on them you got your 15% from a safe distance. I was in the special reactionaries and trained for just the situation this movie depicts. I was the RTO and was supposed to fight out and retake the base to not let the NVA get a foot hold. However it never came.

One thing you can say about this movie is that you will get involved and almost forget that it is a movie.

January 14, 2007

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