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tomfloyd2002
Reviews
American Soldiers (2005)
Left Wing Liberal's view of Duty to God and Country
The film started out well, a knock-off of Black Hawk Down. American soldiers pinned down, showing courage and teamwork, awaiting extraction, get rescued by MPs that are transporting prisoners to a secret camp. There, the good guys witness CIA sponsored torture for the purpose of getting information from insurgents. This (naturally) bothers the good guys. It would bother anybody with a conscience. I think that's where the expression "War is Hell" comes from.
Then, the unthinkable happens: Enlisted men take control of the situation, overrule the officers that are presiding over the situation at gunpoint. They (and it would take a left wing nut Canadian director Furie to lend further credibility to the situation) convince the officers that it is proper to disobey orders, so the officers join the mutiny.
Then starts the liberal drivel: there were no WMDs (I recall that both Hilliary/ Bill thought there were WMDs, as did Kerry, Britain, CANADA, as well as Israel), and we're dying for an ungrateful Iraq.
The movie ends with a mourning medic, questioning "What's it all about Alfie?" The writer Mellott could have provided an alternate ending on the DVD: the court martial for all survivors, with the final scene being jail house doors clanging shut at FT Leavenworth.
But, with a production company titled "Peace Arch", what else would you expect? This would be a great double feature w/ Farenheit 911; the French (and French Canadian) men would have orgasms over this proposed double feature, until they died of dehydration.
Joe and Max (2002)
Potentially good story, poorly executed.
A historical account of boxers Joe Louis vs Max Schmeling, America's democracy vs Hitler's nazis, black race vs white race, sprinkled with the German supremist attitude demonstrated by showing the persecution of jews & blacks. Both fighters are shown to have accomplished careers in the boxing ring, Schmeling becoming the European champion and Louis becoming the World champion. When they meet Schmeling takes the first bout in 1936, and Louis hospitalizes Schmeling in the 1938 rematch. Then problems in Louis' personnel life overshadow his athletic accomplishments culminating in his divorce and insurmountable debt to the IRS. Schmeling survives being hunted in WW II by american GI's who despise him for being perceived as a publicly visible Nazi. He is then hired by post war Coca-Cola as a spokesman and begins living a stable successful life. Max hears of Joe's hard times, locates him and kindles a friendship with his former opponent, which lasts until Joe's death in 1981.
The movie fails to deliver. Acting is mediocre, the lines are not compelling; I kept waiting for the movie to "get going", but it never did. The story is historically interesting, but dry in presentation.