The casting, at first glance, seems quite odd and doesn’t bode well for the movie, at least to me. But it turns out that everyone plays their role very well. When I think “great actors”, George Clooney and Ice Cube don’t exactly spring up at the top of the list. But they each establish a definite personality for their character, and maintain it consistently throughout the film. Mark Wahlberg’s performance is even better, and even Nora Dunn and Jamie *bleepin* Kennedy are convincing as what they set out to be (noble artistic integrity and moronic comic relief, respectively).
Not really a “War” movie because, well…the war’s over when the film starts. It blends action, drama, and comedy (sometimes obvious and sometimes cutely subtle) without any of the three elements taking away from any of the other three. Quite a trick, really. In that way it’s a bit Princess Bride-ish (that’s a compliment) without the romance (unless you count Clooney’s quickie).
A bit overlooked when it came out, this should have done a lot better than it did.
An excellent film.
Inspirational Quote: “Major Gates Major Gates!!!”
Grade: A
3/7/15: So did Schmitt’s Gay rip off the intro or vice-versa?
In all seriousness…
I never understood the policy of not standing happy endings.
I never understood the policy of not standing sad endings.
I never understood the policy of not standing neutral endings.
Provided they’re done realistically, they should all be accepted for what they are: part of life. Grade: A