This film chronicles the events on both sides, surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863.  It does so in a pretty good "historical drama" type of format, with some caveats... keep reading.

First off.  The Director's cut weighs in at a whopping 271 minutes.  Which seems like a lot (and it is) but consider that the original was "only" 261 minutes.  So pencil in a full afternoon for this one.  Once you get going into it, it really doesn't seem like that long, thankfully.  But I think I can spot the scenes that were left on the floor originally.  At least some of them.

I also can't speak to the historical accuracy of much (if any) of the movie, I haven't' done my homework, so keep that in mind.

I have to say, that this really could be more of an epic/classic film than it is.  It suffers on a few points, unfortunately.  The soundtrack being one of them.  I see plenty of reviews about how "emotional" and "moving" it is.  It actually could be, if it didn't sound like it came from a computer.  From the beginning, it had that "canned" feel to it.  A minor pick I know, but when you're dealing with 4+ hrs of screen time, it matters.

Second, there are some scenes which, and I should pick my words carefully, felt like they were either afterthoughts, rushed, reshoots, or something I'm not sure of.  The acting in them was wooden, especially (and surprisingly) at times from Martin Sheen (Gen. Lee) and Tom Berenger (Gen. Longstreet) ....  On the other hand, Jeff Daniels (Col. Chamberlain) and Sam Elliot (Gen. Buford) had it down.  I'm not sure whether or not to chalk this up to character acting or what.  It is decidedly difficult to recreate a persona based on written accounts and photos, which I suspect is what happened here.

On the other hand.  Once you get past some of the "closer in" talking heads scenes, as a historical battlefield drama it really is quite good.  I'm talking epic-scale.  Forget about your computer generated armies here, folks, what you have is hundreds of re-enactors out there on the battlefield recreating one of the bloodiest scenes of the Civil War.  It is really an impressive and jaw-dropping sight.  The movie also manages to convey just how particularly dreadful conditions were, how completely wasteful battles like this were, and the widely disparate conditions between officers and "grunts."

I did find it curious (as others who have reviewed it) that this movie would seem to side more with the Confederacy in its presentation.  The (drawn out) scene with Gen. Lee rousing the troops before the charge was a particular example of this.  A disproportionate amount of screen time seemed to be given to the South "behind the scenes", maybe due to Sheen and Berenger, getting them more screen time, who's to say.  I suspect some of the Lee scene, and some of the more lengthy battle scenes may have been dropped for the original release, maybe someone who has seen both can comment.

There are some poignant moments on the side of the Union, as well, particularly as it pertains to Chamberlain and Buford and their respective men.   Good stuff that should not be overlooked, but more could have been done with them.   A scene with the younger Chamberlain brother (C. Thomas Howell) and some captured "Rebs", is also not to be missed.

As for the Blu Ray presentation...  Not bad at all.  The sound inparticular is brilliant.  When those cannons start firing, hold onto your seat, because you will feel it there.  Picture wise, it appears to be an accurate and faithful representation of a '93 film, grain and all.  Not a bad thing, just don't expect crystal-clear HD.  No visible "black noise" to be found.  I have not delved into the extras yet, either.  The "book" retail packaging is a nice touch, tons better than those cheap little blue plastic things, and will stand out for sure on your shelf.

I would highly recommend this movie, even parts of it, as an educational tool in the classroom.  (Spread out over an entire week to be sure!)  It isn't particularly gory (it could have been), and no profanity or "adult bits" that I recall.

I will have to go back and watch this again, maybe a couple more times.  I think the length itself causes a bit of that "too long, didn't read" syndrome, which can cause you to stop paying real close attention.  And it did happen to me a couple of times.  Who knows, it may grow on me more!  I will have to do my homework next time as well

I have to cave, though, despite the things I didn't like above and give Gettysburg a 7/10.  The sheer scope of the film alone is worth it, and if it gets you interested in history then even better.  Overall, I actually did enjoy it when it was over, believe it or not.

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Marking the 150th-anniversary commemoration of the Civil War, Ronald F. Maxwell’s acclaimed film now arrives in a Director’s Cut featuring 17 minutes of compelling additional footage. Filmed at actual battle locations and full of authentic details, this rousing and soulful movie plunges you into the heat of the bloodiest battle fought on American soil. History comes alive with intense and spirited battles as well as the dilemmas, motivations and fears of the leaders. Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Martin Sheen and Stephen Lang star in this magnificent epic based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels.

Three days in the summer of 1863, at a place called Gettysburg. Although it received a theatrical release, this four-hour depiction of the bloody Civil War battle was shot as a made-for-television film. But no taint of cheapness or shortcuts should stick to this magnificent picture (well, except maybe for those phony-looking mustaches). Based on Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels, this film takes a refreshingly slow, thorough approach to the intricacies of battle. In ordinary circumstances, those intricacies might seem of importance only to fans of military strategy or Civil War enthusiasts, yet in Gettysburg they come across as the very stuff of life, death, and unexpected heroism. If the film has a problem, it's that it climaxes too early: the first long segment, detailing the struggle of a "civilian soldier," Union Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), to hold his ground against long odds, is an enthralling piece of moviemaking. Daniels, in a heartbreaking performance, does his best film work. Other cast members include Tom Berenger, Sam Elliott, and Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee. Richard Jordan, in his final role, gives a powerhouse performance as Confederate general Lewis A. Armistead. Oh, and you can also try to spot Ted Turner, whose company produced the film, as a Confederate soldier. Writer-director Ronald F. Maxwell seems inspired by the gravity of the battle; long as it is, every moment of Gettysburg is informed by a nobility of purpose. --Robert Horton

DVD Information

Binding: Blu-ray
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Brand: Turner
Manufacturer: Warner
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Tom Berenger
• Jeff Daniels
• Stephen Lang
• Martin Sheen
• Richard Jordan

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2. Vietnam in HD (2011, Blu Ray)
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The facts are pretty well known, as is the story, so I won't even attempt to lay it all out here.  The movie starts with the death of FDR, and from that point on focuses mostly on President Truman as he is (and his staff are) presented with the details of this new secret superweapon and the struggle with the decision on if, when, and how to use it.

Then there's the Japanese viewpoint, which, while present, doesn't seem to be as well thought out.  Why exactly I can't say.

Overall I think it presents a pretty good estimation of what Truman was handed, and what it might have been like for him and his staff, to have to make such a decision.  Ultimately, as history, and this film would portray it was a decision that once made, proved to be the right one, and one that he didn't regret.

I did appreciate that, for the most part, it didn't descend into a giant anti-nuke anti-war treatise.  It stuck to its guns as a historical docudrama, and managed to present the various sides to the story without necessarily favoring one over another.

The actors chosen for their respective roles did an excellent job in portraying the people as we have become accustomed to seeing them in newsreels, etc.  At first, it would seem that Kenneth Welsh's portrayal of Truman is wooden and, I dunno, absent...  But paired up against actual footage it seems pretty spot on.  Wesley Addy is particularly good, IMO, in his role as War Dept. Secretary Henry Stimson and his objections to using such a weapon.

Also of note are the (all too) infrequent interviews with people who were involved either with the Manhattan project itself, the US government/armed forces, and with bomb survivors and former Japanese military.  These should have been either more prominent, or left on the floor entirely.  While they did add a lot to the experience, there just wasn't enough of it for my tastes.

The entire package is quite lengthy, weighing in at approximately 3 hrs., but its necessary to get everything in there, so fair warning!  It actually doesn't feel like 3 hrs once you get into it.  It's paced well enough and incorporates enough of the side-stories that it manages to hold your interest throughout.  The only reason I say above that its not great, is that it is rather flat, and while people may be portrayed accurately, its done without a lot of depth or emotion.

I would actually recommend this as an education piece, either at home or in school.  I don't recall anything except for maybe a few passing instances of profanity that might prevent it from being used as such.

I would also recommend viewing the Japanese film, Japan's Longest Day, as a bookend, companion piece, or counterpoint (depending on your own persuasions) to this film, as it provides an almost parallel and much more complete look at what was going on there during this same period.  The Sun might be included in that as well.

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Hiroshima Sale Price: $39.94   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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THE GRIZZLY EVENTS LEADING TO THE FIRST ATTACK WITH A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Brand: PLATINUM DISC LLC
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Kenneth Welsh
• Naohiko Umewaka

Reviews

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I wasn't sure what exactly to expect from this movie.  Would it be another preachy anti-Vietnam movie? Would it be an all out combat movie?  No.  No on both counts.  It's actually a damned interesting story, and one which pretty much lays out why Vietnam was a mistake from the beginning.

It also leaves you with some pretty conflicting feelings about Vann as a person.  On the one hand he seems to start off with the best of intentions, and has really solid ideas on how to get things done.  Of course brass won't have any of it, and he's essentially drummed out of the military early on.  His personal life, however is a complete mess, as his incurable cheating ways lead to his divorce back home.

When he returns in the civilian aid program, he again tries his hardest to do some good, but tries too hard, making enemies and inadvertently causing the destructino of the village he's working in.

He manages to predict the Tet Offensive in 1968, and partly due to that, he gets back into the graces of the military and consulate, and becomes a civilian general (not sure how that works) in an advisory role, basically dictating strategy and tactics throughout the region.

The final battle at Kontum, all the pieces which have been building throughout come together, as the ARVN general he crossed as an aid worker completely doublecrosses him at Kontum.   The resulting "rolling thunder" B-52 action is quite impressive.  Shortly thereafter he's killed in a weather-related helicopter crash.

One thing that bugs me, is the ending.  He's finally portrayed simultaneously as a hero, and as a man who's sold out, and enjoying the power he appears to have grabbed.  I haven't read the book, so I can't say how it plays out there.

If nothing else, it is definitely an interesting and engaging two hours of film, and an excellent story.  When its done you should come away with a better understanding of what the war was about at a higher level.  Not that it really makes sense, but a better understanding the same.

Production-wise I'd give it high marks all around.  Despite the lack of a 5.1 sound and the 4:3 aspect, it still managed to deliver some excellent battle scenes, and the locations and sets are all top-notch.  The B-52 scene near the end is simply amazing, I'd think that its a pretty accurate take on what that must have been like (not that I have any clue!)....

Here's the Battle of Kontum scene.  You can see a bit of what I'm talking about when they portray him as a hero here, but if you watch the entire movie, its a bit uncomfortable....  Still, a solid 7 from this reviewer.

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This stirring adaptation of Neal Travis' award-winning book stars Bill Paxton as Lt. Col. John Paul Vann, a military advisor sent to Saigon in 1962 to help South Vietnam's battle against the Communist North. After revealing his critical findings to a reporter, Vann is dismissed from his job, but returns years later as a civilian advisor during the Johnson administration. With Vivian Wu, Donal Logue and Amy Madigan. 118 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish; biographies.

Based on Neil Sheehan's controversial book about the making of the Vietnam war, this HBO production is told from the perspective of Lt. Colonel John Paul Vann (Bill Paxton), one of the original military advisers sent in 1962 to prop up the fledgling South Vietnamese army against the Viet Cong. Battle-ready and enthusiastic upon his arrival, Vann quickly learns that political and social pressures are causing the South Vietnamese to doctor evidence of their victories and local military brass to take undeserved credit for overhyped battles. As the propaganda draws America ever deeper into a war most people clearly don't understand, Vann takes issue with the corruption and finds his career in tatters--only the beginning of a long journey that piles tragedies upon ironies. Written and directed by Terry George (Some Mother's Son), A Bright Shining Lie has a somewhat rushed and brittle quality to it, made all the more dry by passages from Sheehan's book read, documentary-style, by Donal Logue. But George also makes a case for Vann's more blatant personal contradictions--such as the casualness of his womanizing when he so clearly loves his wife (Amy Madigan)--that only grow as years pass and political myths supporting the war fold over onto themselves. (Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg, more or less played in this film by Eric Bogosian, has taken issue with this depiction of Vann's character.) Sustaining the whole project is Paxton's focused, thoughtful performance, and an enduring public hunger to know just what it was that happened in Vietnam. On both counts, the film is well worth seeing. The DVD includes cast bios, English and Spanish audio tracks, and English, Spanish, and French subtitles. --Tom Keogh

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Brand: HBO HOME VIDEO
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Bill Paxton
• Amy Madigan
• Eric Bogosian
• Donal Logue
• Vivian Wu

Features

• Actors: Bill Paxton, Amy Madigan, Vivian Wu, Donal Logue, Eric Bogosian
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround). Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only).
• Rated: R. Run Time: 118 minutes.

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An admirable goal to be sure, but be warned:  The first half of this movie is a bit, well, dull and uninteresting, I hate to say it.  Focusing on the crew in "hurry up and wait" mode as they contemplate their navels and write poetry, all the while dodging the bad-luck-bringing antics of the press officer Derringer (John Lithgow)....

That's not to say none of it is worthwhile, though.  It's character development, and without it I don't think you'd feel as much for the rest of the crew, led by Dearborn (Matthew Modine) as they get the snot pounded out of them by the Luftwaffe....

....and speaking of actors, Memphis Belle is a veritable who's-who of late 80's (Astin, Modine, Gains, Stolz, Sweeney, Donovan) and up-and-coming 90's (Zane, Connick, Diamond, Browder) stars.  Many of which were no-names at the time, at least to film.  And each one of them pulls off a great performance, even if a bit cliched, with just the right amount of "aviator swagger" and just-beneath-the-surface fear....  and the musical bit by Connick (to be expected at the time) actually isn't half bad, or out of place... (I can't believe I said that...)

But, as is usually the case with "airplane movies" the real action is in the skies.  Despite some iffy special effects, even for 1990, you'll be pleased.  Nothing overly graphic, at least on film, but a bit descriptive in narrative....  I would consider letting the older kids watch this one, if they're interested, and can handle a fair amount of the obligatory war movie profanity and locker-room talk.

Unfortunately the DVD I received from Netflix was an ancient one, 16:9 letterboxed to fit a 4:3 screen, which meant I was watching in a small-ish box on my kit (what do you mean I can't zoom in over HDMI?!?! GRRR!!).... so I would love to see (and hear) this on Blu Ray one of these days.

I'd only ever seen Memphis Belle once that I can remember, not long after it was released, but I didn't remember much from it.  I'm glad I revisited it, though.

Of note is the fact that the Memphis Belle herself is currently undergoing extensive restoration, and will hopefully be airworthy and making the rounds of the air-show circuits before too long....

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100133/
Amazon: Memphis Belle (1990)

A bit of the air combat:

And a bit about the old girl herself.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis Belle (aircraft)

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Memphis Belle (Keepcase) List Price: $12.97 Sale Price: $4.65 You save: $8.32 (64%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

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Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Harry Connick, Jr., Billy Zane. A WWII throwback about a heroic and fearless group of young airmen, their beloved B-17 aircraft and its final bombing run to Dresden. 1990/color/107 min/PG-13/widescreen.

If you've never seen an aviation movie before in your entire life, you'll be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Memphis Belle shamelessly (and yet gloriously) incorporates just about every cliché in the flight-movie handbook. If you're a big fan of aviation movies--especially movies about World War II bomber crews--you'll be glad that the genre's clichés have been handled with such professional flair. As it follows the crew of a B-17 bomber on its final and most dangerous mission over Germany, Memphis Belle may be little more than a slick and highly authentic presentation of familiar thrills and characters, but it's a rousing piece of entertainment. Featuring an ensemble cast of fresh faces who've since enjoyed thriving careers (including Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, and Harry Connick Jr.), the movie exists as a fitting tribute to the men who fought and often died in the air over hostile territory. It's the Hollywood version of a 1944 wartime documentary made by legendary director William Wyler (whose daughter served as one of this film's producers), and as such it's a bit contrived and melodramatic. And yet, this exciting movie is almost certain to grab and hold your attention, offering an honorable reminder of the bravery and integrity that were crucial ingredients of any bomber's crew. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Information

Binding: DVD
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Brand: Warner Brothers
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Original Release Date:
Actors:

• Matthew Modine
• Eric Stoltz
• Tate Donovan
• D.b. Sweeney
• Billy Zane

Reviews

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The tale of William Wallace, 13th century champion of Scottish independence, Braveheart is indeed an epic film in every sense of the word.

Painted here as a simple man from a simple upbringing, Wallace (Mel Gibson) loses his wife Murron (Catherine McCormack) to the blade of English tyranny, and so begins his quest to bring freedom to Scotland.  Well, firstly to just kick some English arse, as it were, but destiny has other plans for William.

Early on,  he starts to unite the clans, and bring them together under the flag of Scotland and Robert the Bruce.  Together they fight in several battles, complete with plenty of gratuitous piercings, slashings, crushings, and dismemberments.

King Edward Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan) sends his daughter-in-law, Princess Isabelle (Sophie Marceau) to try to make peace, but is turned down each time.

In the end, he is betrayed and subsequently captured, tortured and killed, while Longshanks lay on his deathbed.

OK, so its quite well known that the film isn't exactly getting high marks for historical accuracy.  Even the script writer seems to acknowledge this, basing it on the 15th century tales of Wallace by Blind Harry.

But it really doesn't matter.  What you get here is a brilliant epic about good triumphing over evil, about standing up for principle, even to the very end.  Pie-in-the-sky? Yeah, probably, but it makes for a damn good movie.

Although some aspects I think could have been left out, such as the Prince's, ah, preferences shall we say.  Comedic, yes, but necessary, no. Ditto the weird Irishman.  (Although I'll let him stay, just because he did bring some welcome comedy relief!)

The performances are good across the board.  McGoohan is simply regal as Longshanks.  Gibson is, well, Gibson, what else can you say.  That "Sergeant Riggs" look is perfect for the role.  Sophie Marceau is stunning as always, and you couldn't have picked a better sidekick than Gleeson as Hamish.

The battle scenes though (this is a war movie blog, remember) are the true gems of the movie.  The carnage, the strategy, the carnage (wait, did I already say that?) are spectacular.  If you get nothing else from it, watch for these alone.

As for the Blu Ray (thanks Netflix!), I'm afraid I was somewhat disappointed.  They've done a more-or-less straight transfer from film here, complete with numerous (and noticable) specks and dust and the like.  I would have thought a proper restoration might have been in order, but apparently not.  Neither is the sound anything really to shout about, at least I didn't notice anything that would set it apart from a DVD copy.  And unfortunately, there are spots where the transfer starts to take on some of that eternally annoying "low light noise."  How this happened is beyond me, but it was noticeable.  Not very often, but I did see it.

If you've already got Braveheart on DVD, I don't think I'd upgrade just yet.  But even with the aforementioned flaws the picture was still excellent.

Just on the 'epic' and well-done nature of the entire package, I'm throwing it an eight.  I'm sure I'll hear about it, but it definitely qualifies as a classic.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112573/
Amazon: Braveheart [Blu-ray]

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Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a documentary of that same story, told from the man himself, Dieter Dengler.  And if there was ever a more engaging, interesting, and just plain curious documentary, or individual, for that matter, I think I've yet to see it.

Told entirely by Mr. Dengler, he revisits the locations involved in his story, and with amazing clarity and presence of mind, recounts the story in great detail.  To be quite honest, I was simply amazed at his ability to put himself back into those situations, back into shackles, and walking through the jungle.  All this while (at least for the camera) maintaining a bizarre and seemingly out-of-place sense of humor about the whole thing.

In fact, in my review of Rescue Dawn, I noted that the movie seemed to be a little too light-hearted for the situation.  But after seeing "Little Dieter" I think I fully understand why it was this way.

In any case, Little Dieter Needs to Fly will glue you to your screen, make you laugh, move you to tears, and introduce you to one of the real heroes of the Vietnam war.  Of course he would deny that, but I'll let you be the judge....

Here's a little clip, I hope you can see what I mean from this one....

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Le grows up in a small village in rural Vietnam, far from the politics the rest of the world.  Honestly, I'm sitting here trying to think about how to summarize the first part of this film in a nice neat package, and there just isn't a good way.  It's just that complex, taking Le from the village, to fighting for the VC, to being the VC's enemy, to having a her rich boss' baby...  And much more inbetween.  This is the best part of the film, showing how she copes with life during the war, trying to make the best of a bad situation.  The relationships with all of her family members, including her mother (Joan Chen) and father (Haing Ngor) are complex, sad, and wonderful.

And then she meets Marine Steve Butler, an American looking for some company.  She winds up falling for him, and manages to escape the fall of Saigon with him back to America.  And then film takes a turn.

We go from her life in Vietnam, to being some sort of statement about fat, lazy, stupid Americans living life to excess with problems that she doesn't understand.  Butler is in dire straits, and has some psychological problems of his own it seems.  Things go from bad to worse, as the abuse starts, they split up, she tries to save him, but its just too late.  Throughout she remains a strong and excellent character, dealing with ignorance and prejudice, but the contrast is just too over the top.

Life after Steve returns her to Vietnam, where she's reunited with her family along with her now grown children.  Here the film regains its sanity as they discuss the problems they faced after she left.

If it wasn't for the "trip to Oz" that she goes through, I think this would be an absolutely stellar look at an alternate viewpoint of the war.  As it is, it just goes from dead serious and thoughtful, to a sad comic episode that doesn't belong.

Heaven & Earth could be a top notch movie, in fact it might make you rethink your attitudes towards the war, and think about what things were like for the people on the other side.  But you'll have to endure things like the wide-eyed trip to the supermarket, and the unreal Thanksgiving dinner episode to get there.

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What you've got is a Vietnam-era Navy A-6 Intruder pilot, Jake "Cool Hand" Grafton (Brad Johnson) who loses his bombadier/RIO in a mission and starts to get the feeling that his number is up soon.  He gets paired up with the quirky legend and long-timer "Tiger" Cole (Willem Dafoe) and things start to go all over the board.

On one hand I think this picture tried to be another "Top Gun", that seems to be clear.  Otherwise they wouldn't have thrown in the brief and useless love story/encounter with the single mother Callie (Rosanna Arquette.)  at the end of the supposed-to-be comical trip to town. At least that's what it felt like to me.

Then there's the whole "lost wingman" bit, and the "hooa!" take on everything.  Danny Glover's role as the carrier CO reminds me of that guy from Top Gun as well, you know.  But then it starts to morph from just another Top Gun remake into something else entirely.

Now Cole and Grafton decide to explore the "lets make Vietnam mean something" route, and plan a rogue mission to make a bombing run into downtown Hanoi.  WTF?  Forget that they're breaking every rule in the book here on what amounts to a suicide mission....

....which they end up botching and just barely returning from in their shot up A-6.  So briefly we foray into the realm of military courtoom drama, as the pair are (rightfully) court martialed, but then let off the hook just as Linebacker II starts up.  Sigh, make up your minds guys?!

THEN, they get orders to make a full out bombing run at enemy SAM positions in front of a B-52 run, and the Captain (yes, the Captain, why's he flying again?)  gets himself shot down and pinned down.  Well who should come to the rescue but Cole and Grafton, only to get *themselves* shot down.

Now we're in some sort of revisit of Platoon, as Dafoe sacrifces himself so the Sandies can take out the anti-aircraft guns and the rescue choppers can get in.

Sigh.  Bouncing back and forth from one thing to the next.  Don't get me wrong, parts of this film are really good.  The entire ending battle surrounding the downed A-6, the dogfight scenes, the bombing runs....  Taken piece by piece each bit is really quite good.  But slapped together sort of haphazardly as it is, it just doesn't make a lot of sense in the end.

I'm sure a lot of folks like this picture, I'm not one of them.  Yeah its nice to see some awesome military aircraft action, but figure out what the story is!  Flight of the Intruder just has too many stray ends for me.

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Perennial slacker and altogether oddball Bones Conway (Pauly Shore) convinces his friend Jack (Andy Dick) that the solution to their problems is to sign up for the Army Reserves.  Insert the usual comedic-basic training routine here, where they meet up with fellow water-purifiers Christine (Lori Petty) and dentist Fred (David Alan Grier)...and then they return to the real world....

...and are subsequently called up to a mythical conflict between the African nations of Chad and Libya.  Thrown into the mess over there, their convoy is attacked while they struggle to fix a flat on their truck, and proceed to get lost in the desert, captured by Libyans, escape by providence, and have to execute the mission that the special forces couldn't complete.

If only to prove in typical hollywood fashion that the slackers can actually get the job done.  Lauded as heroes, they return to civilization to start the store they dreamed of, complete with camel in tow.

Now, I know what you're thinking, he likes it??  Yeah.  Despite Pauly Shore.  Really, he leaves a lot of his MTV schtick behind in this one, with it only making a few well-timed and not too inappropriate appearances.  This isn't Encino Man, Bio Dome, or Son-in-Law.  Hate to say it, but he's actually not bad here.  The supporting cast does a fine job of doing just that, as well.

You also have to give kudos for trying to fill in a gap that really went unfilled for the most part, trying to pay some sort of homage to the veterans of Desert Storm (this is '94 remember) without making it too cornball.  I think they managed to do that well, what with the reserves angle and all.  The settings and equipment really lend an air of authenticity to it.  For a low-budget comedy, I was fairly impressed by that aspect.

If you've never seen In The Army Now, (probably because you hate Shore!) then just overcome it and take a look.  You'll probably be quite surprised.  Here's a trailer, looks like from TV.  Couldn't find any cliips of decent quality for some reason.  Does nobody but me like this picture?!

And yeah, I'm putting it under "Gulf War" movies, since we know that's what they were after....

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