Blogcritics Category: Video: Military

DVD Review: Behind Enemy Lines - Colombia

The Masked Movie Snobs — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 03:30:12 EST

Thankfully, I made it out alive, though I�ll probably never be the same again.
Written by El Puerquito MagnificoOkay, I’ll be perfectly honest with you. The only reason I even watched this movie was because it starred Ken Anderson, better known as Mr. Kennedy of World Wrestling Entertainment fame. I hadn’t seen the first two films in the Behind Enemy Lines series and really had no desire to. I didn’t have...

Movie Review: Munich

Brandon Valentine — Fri, 2 Jan 2009 16:16:28 EST

Despite its lengthy running-time, Munich is a remarkable feature and a valiant effort from all involved.
Despite its lengthy running time, Munich is a remarkable feature and a valiant effort from all involved. Director Steven Spielberg is back to the top of his game (after War of the Worlds), composer John Williams accentuates Spielberg’s prowess, and the cast is without a weak spot. Inspired by real events, Munich is utterly stirring to...

Movie Review: Valkyrie

Jordan J. Ballor — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:19:19 EST

Cruise's Valkyrie delivers acceptably, despite a narrow focus and flattened development.
The year is 1943 and Valkyrie, the second release under the revamped United Artists brand, opens with German officer Claus von Stauffenberg (Tom Cruise) on assignment in Africa. He had been sent there because his opposition to Hitler and the Nazi regime had become dangerously explicit and bellicose. His promotion to lieutenant-colonel of the...

Movie Review: Valkyrie

James O'Neil — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:03:48 EST

Valkyrie is a moment in history that needed to be retold.
December is notorious for holiday flicks. It is also a time where American families reconvene and blitzkrieg the box office to see these saccharine seasonal movies in massive battalions. If you find yourself at the theater and all the “holiday” movies are sold out or you just don’t want to rediscover the true meaning of boredom I...

Movie Review: Grave of the Fireflies

Jordan Richardson — Mon, 8 Dec 2008 07:14:07 EST

Isao Takahata's poignant, distressing masterpiece.
One of the most poignant and distressing animated features ever made, 1988’s Grave of the Fireflies is a powerful film about the human condition, youth, death, and war. Directed and written by Isao Takahata, colleague of Hayao Miyazaki, this movie is an adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel of the same name written by Akiyuki Nosaka....

DVD Review: Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. - The Final Season

The Masked Movie Snobs — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:05:07 EST

It still plays well, some of the stories are tired and appear to be retreads of previous efforts.
Written by Hombre DivertidoWhether it was because CBS was canceling all its rural comedies, or because the simple fish-out-of-water premise that served as the basis for Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. had run its course, the fifth season was the last for this classic series. All 30 episodes of the final season, which ran until September 1970, are available...

DVD Review: Tropic Thunder: 2-Disc Unrated Director's Cut

Jordan Richardson — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:14:47 EST

Somebody said they were close to me?
One of the most raucously hilarious comedies of the year stands tall on DVD with the Tropic Thunder: 2-Disc Unrated Director’s Cut. Loaded with features that provide insight and entertainment, this is one DVD set that is well worth the purchase price.Tropic Thunder comes off like a sort of Hearts of Darkness riff. Built around the idea of...

DVD Review: Popeye the Sailor: 1941-1943, Vol. 3

The Masked Movie Snobs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:22:21 EST

It belongs in the collection of any fan of the golden age of animation.
Written by El Puerquito MagnificoWith the third volume in the Popeye series, Warner Home Video rounds out the rest of the black and white Popeye cartoons from the 1940s. There’s 32 theatrical shorts featured on two discs as well as a gaggle of extra material. The cartoons on this disc cover the transition from Fleischer Studios to Famous...

DVD Review: Tropic Thunder (Unrated Director's Cut)

The Masked Movie Snobs — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:45:17 EST

The bonus features are often as entertaining as the movie and make this a must-own DVD.
Written by General JabboThe idea of a movie about actors whose life ends up imitating their art is not new — Three Amigos comes to mind as one of the more famous ones. Tropic Thunder is the latest in such a line of films and it delivers on all levels.The movie tells the story of a group of actors filming a Vietnam War movie based on the book...

Movie Review: The Battle of Algiers

Brandon Valentine — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:19:38 EST

Even after more than forty years, The Battle of Algiers is one of the most relevant films on war and persecution today.
“Acts of violence don’t win wars. Neither wars, nor revolutions. Terrorism is useful as a start. But then, the people themselves must act.” The Battle of Algiers outclasses the usual attributes that make a motion picture commendable. This violent wartime classic goes above and beyond a simple inspired vision. In terms of...