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David McK (3425 KP) rated Forrest Gump (1994) in Movies
Jul 25, 2020
"Mama always told me life is like a box of chocolates ..."
While, today, you may recognize his voice as that of Woody from, the Toy Story movies, for me this is perhaps his best work, as the titular Forrest Gump in a movie that tugs in your heartstrings.
Hanks plays the titular Forrest Gump: a good-hearted man of low IQ who is seemingly involved in every major American event from the 50s through to the 80s, teaching Elvis his moves (whilst Forrest is still a kid), through the Vietnam War and Watergate with detours to meet several American presidents along the way, and with his life long love for Jenny, the abused kid who lived next door when he was but a child himself.
With two parallel strands - life as seen through Forrest's eyes, and life as seen through Jenny's (much bleaker) - this eventually culminates in a satisfying conclusion, with nary a dry eye in the house.
While, today, you may recognize his voice as that of Woody from, the Toy Story movies, for me this is perhaps his best work, as the titular Forrest Gump in a movie that tugs in your heartstrings.
Hanks plays the titular Forrest Gump: a good-hearted man of low IQ who is seemingly involved in every major American event from the 50s through to the 80s, teaching Elvis his moves (whilst Forrest is still a kid), through the Vietnam War and Watergate with detours to meet several American presidents along the way, and with his life long love for Jenny, the abused kid who lived next door when he was but a child himself.
With two parallel strands - life as seen through Forrest's eyes, and life as seen through Jenny's (much bleaker) - this eventually culminates in a satisfying conclusion, with nary a dry eye in the house.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated 1968 Tunnel Rats (2009) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
It is no secret that many films have often tried to convey the true horrors of war. Films ranging from “Platoon”, “Saving Private Ryan”, and “Apocalypse Now”, have attempted to convey the carnage and brutality of war by showing it through the eyes of individuals who were not prepared for the reality of combat.
In the film “1968 Tunnel Rats” controversial director Uwe Boll has crafted a solid and moving depiction of war, brutality, and how fragile the human psyche can be.
Set in 1968 Vietnam, the film tells the story of a group of soldiers who operate from a jungle camp under the command of LT. Hollowborn (Michael Pare).
The new arrivals are welcomed by their fellow soldiers and the early moments of the film focuses on the life in the camp, ranging from bad food and showers, gambling, smoking, their homes, and bibles. All of this of course is secondary to what the new arrivals really want to know, and that is how to survive. As the men bond we get to see the dreary nature of their lives, as they are surrounded by danger, and use faith and dreams of what life will be like when they return home to keep them going. One individual dreams of opening a hamburger franchise and sees this as the wave of the future.
The camp is not without issues as the execution of an enemy sniper draws the ire of some of the men, who see it as murder. Nonetheless, a squad sets off in the morning to patrol the jungle and investigate a newly discovered tunnel.
The Vietcong have hundreds of miles of tunnels in the countryside, and when discovered soldiers enter the tunnel and explore. Since the tunnels are trapped and rife with danger, the unit usually asks for volunteers to go first, and the newly discovered tunnel is no exception as the squad soon finds themselves under attack.
As events unfold, the survivors find themselves forced to seek refuge in the dark and claustrophobic tunnels and survive the constant dangers that face them both below and above ground in a desperate battle for survival.
Boll wrote, directed, and produced the film, and has crafted a solid war film that is easily his best work. While the characters are not all fleshed out, you see them as real people and their flaws make them all the more real.
The action scenes are solid if at times hampered by some jerky camera work, but the violence of the film is a stark contrast to the beauty of the African locale which substituted for Vietnam.
The story of the tunnels is a dimension of the war that has not been fully explored in many previous films, and Boll uses them in many ways as the main character of the film as the actions and outcomes of all the characters in the film are in some way related to the tunnels.
While more character development might would have been nice, the film is a solid effort that shows that Boll should focus his efforts on more original work than his customary video game adaptations, as “1968 Tunnel Rats”, is a not only his best film, but an effective war film.
In the film “1968 Tunnel Rats” controversial director Uwe Boll has crafted a solid and moving depiction of war, brutality, and how fragile the human psyche can be.
Set in 1968 Vietnam, the film tells the story of a group of soldiers who operate from a jungle camp under the command of LT. Hollowborn (Michael Pare).
The new arrivals are welcomed by their fellow soldiers and the early moments of the film focuses on the life in the camp, ranging from bad food and showers, gambling, smoking, their homes, and bibles. All of this of course is secondary to what the new arrivals really want to know, and that is how to survive. As the men bond we get to see the dreary nature of their lives, as they are surrounded by danger, and use faith and dreams of what life will be like when they return home to keep them going. One individual dreams of opening a hamburger franchise and sees this as the wave of the future.
The camp is not without issues as the execution of an enemy sniper draws the ire of some of the men, who see it as murder. Nonetheless, a squad sets off in the morning to patrol the jungle and investigate a newly discovered tunnel.
The Vietcong have hundreds of miles of tunnels in the countryside, and when discovered soldiers enter the tunnel and explore. Since the tunnels are trapped and rife with danger, the unit usually asks for volunteers to go first, and the newly discovered tunnel is no exception as the squad soon finds themselves under attack.
As events unfold, the survivors find themselves forced to seek refuge in the dark and claustrophobic tunnels and survive the constant dangers that face them both below and above ground in a desperate battle for survival.
Boll wrote, directed, and produced the film, and has crafted a solid war film that is easily his best work. While the characters are not all fleshed out, you see them as real people and their flaws make them all the more real.
The action scenes are solid if at times hampered by some jerky camera work, but the violence of the film is a stark contrast to the beauty of the African locale which substituted for Vietnam.
The story of the tunnels is a dimension of the war that has not been fully explored in many previous films, and Boll uses them in many ways as the main character of the film as the actions and outcomes of all the characters in the film are in some way related to the tunnels.
While more character development might would have been nice, the film is a solid effort that shows that Boll should focus his efforts on more original work than his customary video game adaptations, as “1968 Tunnel Rats”, is a not only his best film, but an effective war film.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Last Flag Flying (2017) in Movies
Jul 11, 2019
The true cost of war goes beyond the numbers of the dead and wounded that we see in textbooks, lectures, and in news reports. Each number represents a person who either perished or was injured. We overlook the extended impact that this loss of life or experience has on their families and friends. Even more, we often overlook the lasting impact that warfare has on the men and women exposed to it.
In Last Flag Flying Steve Carell (The Office, 40-Year-Old Virgin), Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad), and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) play veterans who reunite thirty years after serving together in Vietnam to bury one of their sons who has been killed in Iraq. Doc (Steve Carell) tracks down his friends in order to find some closure as to events they faced in their past and to find some sanity and clarity in the death of his son.
The film brings home the horror of war and demonstrates how men and women, out of a sense of duty, find themselves in the same situation as previous generations as they left home to serve their nation. The film is uncomfortable, with good reason, as it makes audiences reflect on the meaning of sacrifice, duty, and honor. The three characters offer the film the opportunity to demonstrate the contrast between youth and experience. It demonstrates how people can have the same experiences but are changed by it to varying degrees. Nothing is uniform about how they adapt to their experiences or in how they cope with the horrors they witnessed.
Last Flag Flying offers a much-needed, sobering perspective about war and how the experiences of war never quite leave those who survived. Carell, Cranston, and Fishburne offer up performances that demonstrate the power of friendship and brotherhood that forms for those who serve together. For those who served and those who haven’t, the film offers audiences the ability to gain a greater understanding of what life is like for those men and women once they take off the uniform.
In Last Flag Flying Steve Carell (The Office, 40-Year-Old Virgin), Brian Cranston (Breaking Bad), and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) play veterans who reunite thirty years after serving together in Vietnam to bury one of their sons who has been killed in Iraq. Doc (Steve Carell) tracks down his friends in order to find some closure as to events they faced in their past and to find some sanity and clarity in the death of his son.
The film brings home the horror of war and demonstrates how men and women, out of a sense of duty, find themselves in the same situation as previous generations as they left home to serve their nation. The film is uncomfortable, with good reason, as it makes audiences reflect on the meaning of sacrifice, duty, and honor. The three characters offer the film the opportunity to demonstrate the contrast between youth and experience. It demonstrates how people can have the same experiences but are changed by it to varying degrees. Nothing is uniform about how they adapt to their experiences or in how they cope with the horrors they witnessed.
Last Flag Flying offers a much-needed, sobering perspective about war and how the experiences of war never quite leave those who survived. Carell, Cranston, and Fishburne offer up performances that demonstrate the power of friendship and brotherhood that forms for those who serve together. For those who served and those who haven’t, the film offers audiences the ability to gain a greater understanding of what life is like for those men and women once they take off the uniform.
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
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