An underrated, old-school (it was made in 1988, but feels like something from a different era entirely) Vietnam War film set before and during the big Tet offensive that saw America's grip on winning the conflict really slip away.
Former Marine Corps sergeant R. Lee Ermey stars as a tough-nosed sergeant - the man doesn't know how to play anything else - commanding troops at an isolated firebase named Gloria, which gets the attention of local NVA troops who lay siege to the location, launching attack after attack after attack at it.
Filmed in the Philippines, which stands in for Vietnam quite nicely, Australian director Brian Trenchard Smith helms what is quite a gritty film, with plenty of extra and explosions: the battle scenes were more sweeping than I expected, considering the opening scenes had a kind of low-budget feel to them - but not in a bad way.
There was some decent character development in between all the shooting, though Ermey's sergeant character didn't change one iota.
The film is notable for starring Wings Hauser, the father of Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser.
Former Marine Corps sergeant R. Lee Ermey stars as a tough-nosed sergeant - the man doesn't know how to play anything else - commanding troops at an isolated firebase named Gloria, which gets the attention of local NVA troops who lay siege to the location, launching attack after attack after attack at it.
Filmed in the Philippines, which stands in for Vietnam quite nicely, Australian director Brian Trenchard Smith helms what is quite a gritty film, with plenty of extra and explosions: the battle scenes were more sweeping than I expected, considering the opening scenes had a kind of low-budget feel to them - but not in a bad way.
There was some decent character development in between all the shooting, though Ermey's sergeant character didn't change one iota.
The film is notable for starring Wings Hauser, the father of Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser.