Military Mondays: “We Were Soldiers” Review

9/12 ForReel Score | 3.75 Stars

While there are plenty of cult Vietnam War film classics none do as much justice to the soldiers on the ground than We Were Soldiers.

The film is based on the book We Were Soldiers Once… and Young & revolves around the Battle of Ia Drang on November 14, 1965.

We Were Soldiers spends alot of time developing our main characters - so much so that it seems to bog the film down at times. Still, once they land in the countryside of Vietnam the films picks up significantly. It was refreshing to see a Vietnam War film which keeps itself away from the politics at home. The film also presents the north Vietnamese soldiers in a more human way. Both are wins. Wallace proves himself as a capable action film director.

All in all, We Were Soldiers succeeds not as a cult classic but as a refreshing war film which avoids politics, portraying a one sided conflict, and attempts to stay true to events. As Galloway said in his book, “Hollywood got it wrong every damned time” - with We Were Soldiers they finally got it right.

Acting and Casting - 1 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 2