LaFountaine

“The Great Raid” Movie

Yesterday I saw the movie “The Great Raid”, which starred: Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen and Max Martini.

The movie story involved the following: “In January 1945, soldiers from the 6th Ranger Battalion snuck 30 miles behind Japanese enemy lines in the Philippines to rescue 500 POWs--survivors of the hellish Bataan Death March--from the notorious Cabanatuan prison camp. The result was one of the most audacious and successful rescue missions in U.S. military history. Led by Colonel Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) and Captain Robert Prince (James Franco), the Rangers--many of whom have never seen a street fight, let alone battle--crawl through thick jungle, hide in tall grass from enemy convoys and plot their daring raid from a nearby village the Japanese have seemingly failed to notice. Back at the camp, word spreads that General MacArthur has landed, forcing Major Gibson (Joseph Fiennes), who's dying of malaria, to stop his fellow prisoners from escaping. The camp is kept alive by a Philippine underground unit, led by Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), an American nurse. Margaret, whose husband recently died as a prisoner in the camp, stays behind out of obligation, supplying the prisoners with precious quinine--and also becoming the object of Major Gibson's affections. But with the arrival of Major Nagai (Motokui Kobayashi), a sadistic Japanese commander sent to exterminate the prisoners, the camp grows antsy with fear and anticipation. Meanwhile, the Ranger battalion makes its way closer to the final showdown, setting the stage for their daring rescue.”

I give this movie a “C+”, and it is the worth of an admission ticket, a small popcorn and a small soft drink. The movie lacked likeable characters, but the battle scenes saved the movie.

posted by Frank LaFountaine @ 9:04 AM