"American Sniper" [6.4/10]: I was very disappointed. If you have seen the trailers, you have seen the movie. There are multitudes of better war movies. There are better movies about snipers ("Enemy At The Gates"). There are better movies about recent wars, and the experience of the soldiers in those wars. There are better movies that focus on the cause and effects of PTSD. I am at a loss to understand the acclaim/buzz that this movie is getting...just my opinion.
I particularly have issue with the numbers claimed which are insubstantiated and was completely alarmed that the guy is talking on a satphone to his wife and dad while on a combat mission.
Anyone ever want's to hear about a true "hero" whatever that means, in that vocation I highly recommend looking up information on Carlos Hathcock. It's obvious Eastwood did and used that material in his film.
"American Sniper" [6.4/10]: I was very disappointed. If you have seen the trailers, you have seen the movie. There are multitudes of better war movies. There are better movies about snipers ("Enemy At The Gates"). There are better movies about recent wars, and the experience of the soldiers in those wars. There are better movies that focus on the cause and effects of PTSD. I am at a loss to understand the acclaim/buzz that this movie is getting...just my opinion.
Have you read the book? The more and more I think of this movie the more I dislike it.
I keep thinking of how I would like to change the movie but then it would have made Chris way different than how he is in the book.
I think in the book he must have hidden some things about himself. The war had to have affected him more than he mentions in the book.
My idea is that he got to the point where he had to try to block out all the bad stuff during war whenever possible. I would have to maybe do the same to get through it.
I honestly am not sure if I could do what a Marine does. I'd probably be shipped home because of shell-shock after a week. I would be like Chris and try to convince myself every one was a "bad guy".
In the movie they portrayed him way more positively than he should have been. Please nobody put words in my mouth!
For example, in the book he mentions he could care less about Iraq and it's people. I can understand his point of view maybe. He wanted to protect Marines and his own country.
The movie's focus is very very very narrow. It's like it's afraid to say anything about the Iraq War. Doesn't have an opinion on it. Just what Chris thought. Just like the book it simplifies war too much.
The movie's altered history now makes it seem like a video game based movie. Mostly due to the added bad guys which Chris never actually encountered.
Even "Fury" makes this movie look brain dead, but "Fury" isn't as entertaining (but much more realistic). "Fury" would have been better if it didn't turn into a John Wayne movie towards the end.
It's amusing reading comments about "American Sniper" on the internet. One actor actually said "if you don't like American Sniper you don't like our country!"
Not getting into Michael Moore's comments. Seems rather clueless about how wars are fought. I guess he wants us to politely arrest all terrorists on the battlefield while they're trying to blow us up.
Don't think that works. They're probably less likely to surrender than the Japanese during WWII.
BTW the book wasn't that good to me and the movie is much better somehow. It's not a movie that requires much deep thinking, but it should be obvious.
One and I do consider him a hero for his service, but not because of his kill total. He's not any more a hero than a lot of the other guys that served. How come we never mention the ones that gave their life for our country?
It's also interesting how some news sites view him negatively. I think they must have forgotten that war generally involves killing and you're trained to kill (when necessary).
What do you think our grandfathers who were in WWII did? Protect islands from invaders and sit around all day?
PS if you want a good overview of what war is really like, read "IWO: Assault on Hell". I've never been to war so i'll never know for sure. I'd join the military but i'm too old.
I'd probably be like Ernest P Worrell going to war though. Not a good idea.
If you are looking for a "War film" that actually does not deviate from the story. BlackHawk down or Jarhead were very much true to the actual accounts.
A large portion of the failing I find with AS is that it falls into the SEAL's gone Hollywood hype that has surfaced over the last 20 years. The actual pre "en vogue" SEAL bio's have largely been ignored and more than a few of them deal with their troubles re integrating into society after being trained and working in such a narrow envelope. The face of warfare has changed. The way veterans are treated largely has not.
For a look at what the "reality" of combat is or was, a look at, oddly enough, another Eastwood film is in order. The anti war comedy Kelly's Heroes contains a single scene at a minefield that is very brief. In that one scene the director either intentionally or by pure happenstance captured the apprehension before, sheer terror and confusion during, and complete mental and physical low after a fight.
Evan Wright's Generation Kill is an awesome read, the mini series they made out of it is absolutely fantastic as well, easily my favorite war genre film/mini series.You should check it out if you haven't seen it parts of it seem like a comedy and other parts are super serious, they don't focus on or MICHAEL BAY EXPLOSIONSSSSSS the actual combat bits of it which I admire to some extent. One of the actors "Fruity Rudy" is played by the actual Marine.
Just seeing the ads for American Sniper I'm 99% sure it's the run of the mill Hollywood war flick, your opinions seem to confirm that.
Akira- 8.5/10 Really good but didn't leave me the same way "ghost in the shell" left me all shook up. Solid story, good character growth and wicked old school anime
"American Sniper" [6.4/10]: I was very disappointed. If you have seen the trailers, you have seen the movie. There are multitudes of better war movies. There are better movies about snipers ("Enemy At The Gates"). There are better movies about recent wars, and the experience of the soldiers in those wars. There are better movies that focus on the cause and effects of PTSD. I am at a loss to understand the acclaim/buzz that this movie is getting...just my opinion.
Have you read the book? The more and more I think of this movie the more I dislike it.
I keep thinking of how I would like to change the movie but then it would have made Chris way different than how he is in the book.
I think in the book he must have hidden some things about himself. The war had to have affected him more than he mentions in the book.
My idea is that he got to the point where he had to try to block out all the bad stuff during war whenever possible. I would have to maybe do the same to get through it.
I honestly am not sure if I could do what a Marine does. I'd probably be shipped home because of shell-shock after a week. I would be like Chris and try to convince myself every one was a "bad guy".
In the movie they portrayed him way more positively than he should have been.
I haven't read the book "American Sniper.". Many times I'll read a book and it will make me want to see the movie. ("Unbroken") More times than not, if I read the book first I am inevitably disappointed by the movie. ("Unbroken") Sometimes, I'll see the movie and like it enough that it'll make me curious, and I'll read the book ("Gone Girl"). I never go to see the movie and dislike it, and then read the book. I won't be reading the book that was used for the basis of this disappointing movie...I am grateful for every American life that Chris Kyle saved, but either the story didn't justify a book and a movie, or the author of the book, and/or Clint Eastwood screwed-up the telling of it.
@Redcarmoose
Wow...those ratings...
IMO Noah would be a 0, Captain America would be a 6, X-Men would probably be a 7.
The others (The Interview, Guardians of the Galaxy) I didn't watch (I was up in my own music wonderland), but I guess the rest of the family liked it.
Anyway, I have my own rating to share:
The Tale of Princess Kaguya: 9/10
Vice 2014. 2/10. Should have known better when Thomas Jane is the lead. Bruce Willis sliding further into B Moviedoom in this "thriller" which takes "Westworld" and makes it into softcore porn. Filmed in a style trying to ape JJ Abrams and failing miserably it takes on the look and feel of all those Canadian Film Tax Credit throwaways the Scifi channel has become known for. Brutally difficult to get through and so mind numbing you probably will forget where the theatre exits are if not how to actually operate a motor vehicle. I'd make a serious effort to avoid this one even if it was on TV.
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