The Great Raid

Herr Oberst · #1 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 01:29 AM

I flipped on the tele and saw Marines kicking the crap out of some Japanese in some sort of camp then I had to go, I think the movie was called The Great Raid.....was it any good? Have you seen it?

Hufflepuff · #2 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 01:48 AM

I have not seen it but I am reading the book that it is based off of. Its called "Ghost Soldiers" and its in the War in the Pacific Section.

How was that movie?

Herr Oberst · #3 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 02:34 AM

HP, I only saw about 5 minutes then had to go out, so I don't know. I thought about renting it but I wanted some feedback first.

krieg · #4 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 06:31 AM

yes you will haft to see this film fellow's it is a good one i reaily liked it
cheers.krieg.

JulioMoc · #5 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 03:03 PM

I never saw it's first part, always caught it by the middle... It has a good story, but the "looks" are more Vietnan than WWII to me....

Hufflepuff · #6 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr Oberst

HP, I only saw about 5 minutes then had to go out, so I don't know. I thought about renting it but I wanted some feedback first.

I was asking the other people

sorry for the confusion

PS: To anyone, some reviews I saw said that "The Great Raid" was better than "Saving Private Ryan." For a war story or a rescue story, is this true? I would tend to think that a real-life rescue story is more intresting than a fictional one, even though Private Ryan is one of the best films I have ever seen.

**SouthWestPacificVet** · #7 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 04:39 PM

Colonel,

That was an Army operation.

Herr Oberst · #8 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthWestPacificVet

Colonel,

That was an Army operation.

Thanks, As I mentioned, I only saw a brief moment of the film, It looked like Filipinos and Marines(to be specific their covers) but now I'll have to rent it. Do you know what book it was based on or some similar reading? My In laws Dad was a translator for Merrill and I have not read alot about the PTO.

Otto · #9 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 10:03 PM

It's an ok film but was not compelling to me in any real way. I have a problem with films that are a bit too obvious and this was one of them. 60 second into the film Japanese soldiers are pouring gasoline over US POWs and lighting them on fire: enough already, I get it the Japanese are evil! There is also the obligatory Hollywood Love story.

The film was a bit too unimaginative, predictable and formulaic for my tastes. It's not close to as bad as that stinker Pearl Harbor, but there is a good reason you probably haven't heard of it.

Hufflepuff · #10 (**permalink**) March 30th, 2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr Oberst

Do you know what book it was based on or some similar reading?

Yes, the book is "Ghost Solders" by Hampton Sides. I'm in the process of reading it now, and its pretty good.

mikebatzel · #11 (**permalink**) March 31st, 2008, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto

It's an ok film but was not compelling to me in any real way. I have a problem with films that are a bit too obvious and this was one of them. 60 second into the film Japanese soldiers are pouring gasoline over US POWs and lighting them on fire: enough already, I get it the Japanese are evil! There is also the obligatory Hollywood Love story.

The film was a bit too unimaginative, predictable and formulaic for my tastes. It's not close to as bad as that stinker Pearl Harbor, but there is a good reason you probably haven't heard of it.

Hi Otto, I completly agree with this opinion. Gotta love the way Hollywood throws in them love storys too.

Here is a link about the movie: The Great Raid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HO, if your into an action pacted movie you will be disapointed. You probably saw it at the end. Coincidently, I always see it on satalite. Not the good stations but Stars and Encore etc. It's one of those movies they never stop playing.

Herr Oberst · #12 (**permalink**) April 2nd, 2008, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto

It's an ok film but was not compelling to me in any real way. I have a problem with films that are a bit too obvious and this was one of them. 60 second into the film Japanese soldiers are pouring gasoline over US POWs and lighting them on fire: enough already, I get it the Japanese are evil! There is also the obligatory Hollywood Love story.

The film was a bit too unimaginative, predictable and formulaic for my tastes. It's not close to as bad as that stinker Pearl Harbor, but there is a good reason you probably haven't heard of it.

Thanks for the review, sounds like that U (I forgot the number) Hollywood movie about Enigma which I missed, on purpose.

I didn't think Pearl Harbor was that bad....of course I like Kate Beckinsale and I didn't think it was good either

I liked the scene when the kids were taking a wizz in the field and the Japs flew by. The movie was way over the top and I could pick it to the bone but no need.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hufflepuff

Yes, the book is "Ghost Solders" by Hampton Sides. I'm in the process of reading it now, and its pretty good.

Thanks, I'll have to read that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikebatzel

HO, if your into an action packed movie you will be disapointed. You probably saw it at the end.

Thanks, I like good films like Italian for Beginners, Lawrence of Arabia, Das Boot, Ronin, Dangerous Beauty, Band of Brothers, Blade Runner, Good Fellas, Cross of Iron, Battleground, The Original Bond Films, Mr Smith goes to Washington, It's A Wonderful Life and The Wizard Of Oz to name a few. I saw the part with the bayonet on the Jap LMG and then had to shut it off and go out.

Wessex Wyvern · #13 (**permalink**) April 2nd, 2008, 08:42 AM

Quite a bit on You Tube.
YouTube - The Japanese Tanks and Military vehcles in"The Great Raid" 1
I hear they spend $100 000 on buidling a Sherman, cos they couldn't rent one.
Can't see why that was so hard?

C.Evans · #14 (**permalink**) April 2nd, 2008, 08:41 PM

Hi Gents, I watched this movie a few times in the past year. It was very well made and the actors all did great jobs IMO. This is one of the very few new movies that I can (and will) watch many times over. One of the last ones I could do that with was: Black Hawk Down.

At any rate, the movie was well made and is well worth purchasing on DvD.

bigfun · #15 (**permalink**) April 3rd, 2008, 12:28 AM

I liked it! For what it was! Like Otto said, the whole burning the POW's thing, and the obligatory love story, predictable! But honestly, I was told that it would be this way before I saw it, so I went in prepared! I thought it was well made and a decent flick!

Hufflepuff · #16 (**permalink**) April 3rd, 2008, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto

There is also the obligatory Hollywood Love story.

The film was a bit too unimaginative, predictable and formulaic for my tastes. It's not close to as bad as that stinker Pearl Harbor, but there is a good reason you probably haven't heard of it.

The book sounds like it is alot better than the movie, because I can see no love story (except the comaradery of the POWs) in the book as far as I have gotten. Pearl Harbor just tried to bring in too much stuff like the love story, the childhood friendship, the Battle of Britain, and the Doolittle Raid, all on top of a huge subject like Pearl Harbor. Tora Tora Tora is a much better film historically if people are willing to watch a good film about Pearl Harbor.

AnywhereAnytime · #17 (**permalink**) June 6th, 2008, 07:32 PM

Gents,
The burning of the POW's was not hollywood. That was for real. It happened in Palawan island close to liberation. Now the love story... that was fictional hollywood.

The rescuers were army rangers and Filipino guerrillas. Not marines.

Cheers