Favorite War/Mercenary Movie

[Smith]

just about all the ones mentioned i would agree with. However, I would have to add "The Dirty Dozen" to the list. love those movies.

Rambo series, Patton, Kelley's Heroes, Behind Enemy Lines, The Kingdom.

Edited July 21, 2010 by Smith

[JAB]

Starship Troopers

I was going to say 'Star Wars'. Hey, it's a war movie. Even has 'war' in the title. 'Independence Day involved a war to save Earth from alien invaders so I'd have to mention that one, too.

If a more earthbound movie is required, I'd have to go with 'Kelly's Heroes'. I really liked '300', as well.

'Saving Private Ryan' was a great movie, no doubt. Kind of like 'Schindler's List', it is one that everyone should see at least once. Also like 'Schindler's List', though, it was more 'moving' than 'enjoyable' as entertainment - as in I don't think I'd want to watch it over and over, again. Honestly, though, I feel that way about a lot of war movies.

I saw part of a movie starring Steve McQueen entitled 'The Sand Pebbles' a few months back. It was on pretty late, though and I had to go to bed before it was over. Don't have TiVo so I will just have to try to rent it or catch it on cable some other time. That one looked pretty good.

Edited July 21, 2010 by JAB

[Guest coldblackwind]

just about all the ones mentioned i would agree with. However, I would have to add "The Dirty Dozen" to the list. love those movies.

Rambo series, Patton, Hogans Heroes, Behind Enemy Lines, the Jaime Fox movie about Iraq was really good although i can't remeber the name of it atm.

The Kingdom is the name

[brooksjr]

We Were Soldiers or The Patriot

[Smith]

The Kingdom is the name

Thanks I was on my phone and couldn't remember it. I was also excited to see someone else mention Zulu! Awesome movie. As I read the list, I'm finding there aren't too many war movies I DON'T like!

[Guest jackdm3]

Thanks I was on my phone and couldn't remember it. I was also excited to see someone else mention Zulu! Awesome movie. As I read the list, I'm finding there aren't too many war movies I DON'T like!

Bet you don't like that one with Wings Hauser and R. Lee Ermey!

[daddyo]

Where Eagles Dare

Inglorious Basterds

[Guest FroggyOne2]

Bet you don't like that one with Wings Hauser and R. Lee Ermey!

The Siege of Firebase Gloria.. then there is also of course Full Metal Jacket and The Boys in Company "C".

[Patrick Henry]

One favorite that comes to mind is Last of the Mohicans. I love the opening scene when they shoot the running elk. If you watch it in slow motion, looking through the trees, you can see a guy with a blaze orange hat running along side the elk.

[Guest jackdm3]

What was he? An animal wrangler?

[eapking]

I saw part of a movie starring Steve McQueen entitled 'The Sand Pebbles' a few months back. It was on pretty late, though and I had to go to bed before it was over. Don't have TiVo so I will just have to try to rent it or catch it on cable some other time. That one looked pretty good.

Sand Pebbles is a great movie. McQueen shows what a real talent he was.

My "recent" Fav's:

Blackhawk Down

Hunt for Red October

Full Metal Jacket (mainly the first 1/2)

Hurt Locker

The Kingdom

[Guest jackdm3]

Sand Pebbles is a great movie. McQueen shows what a real talent he was.

My "recent" Fav's:

Blackhawk Down

Hunt for Red October

Full Metal Jacket (mainly the first 1/2)

Hurt Locker

The Kingdom

That's my list, but take out Kingdom and add Saving Pvt. Ryan.

[StPatrick]

All my favorites have been mentioned already, so I thought I'd throw this in: "Tears of the Sun" was very enjoyable.

I'll fourth "Band of Brothers", of course.

I would also add the more recent HBO / Tom Hanks produced miniseries "John Adams". While not everything was perfectly historically accurate, I challenge anyone to watch it without feeling seriously and ragingly patriotic.

[hipower]

Thanks guys for some great movies I'd almost forgotten about...Zulu..absolutely great. Patton..fantastic. A Bridge Too Far, and all the others. This has given me the makings of a long weekend session of movie watching while sitting at the hospital.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I've seen most of the movies mentioned, and agree they are worth watching.

Dunno if the Kurosawa movies I referenced are any better or worse, but I remembered the Kurosawa flicks easily, and the others were kind of a blur. I don't especially go looking for violent movies, and am ignorant of military matters.

Some of the Kurosawa scenes seem more 'realistic' because the fighters show as much fear as courage. They make mistakes and scramble to dodge. Sometimes they run away. They don't make clean kills. They don't have superhuman ability to survive fatal blows. That just seems more realistic, though I don't know what would be realistic.

Also the Japanese medieval war tech is just interesting-- Armor, swords, flaming arrows, rifles, horses. And the culture and drama is interesting.

The hand-to-hand combat scene toward the end of Saving Private Ryan was reminiscent of a Kurosawa treatment, and may have been emulating his technique.

I recall a documentary from the 1970's. Can't recall the film title. It was an anthropology documentary perhaps set in New Guinea, about two neighboring primitive tribes that are perpetually at war for generations. Very primitive tribes, almost naked armed with sharpened sticks for spears.

The young men of both tribes would gather for battle almost daily in a valley separating the villages. The old men would stand on the valley ridges and act as generals or football coaches. The young men would do a lot of running and dodging, throwing those pathetic pointy sticks at each other. Very occasionally somebody would actually get killed. Then the victorious tribe would take off a week for feasting and celebration, and the losing tribe would go into mourning for a week over the lost warrior. Then the war would continue as usual. A powerful flick.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Lester Weevils