Reviews (157)

Fantastic adaption of Clancy's novel
A first-rate thriller that provides the goods again and again. Excellent cast, good direction (the almost always reliable McTiernan--see "Last Action Hero" for the only real blemish on his record), plenty of suspense and thrills. There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but only purists will quibble about that. And yes, Scotsman Connery plays a Lithuanian, but he does it well, and as always, brings a touch of class to the role. I despise Alec Baldwin, but he's perfect as Ryan--the right age and look combined with the proper mix of guile, humility, and cockiness. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, with kudos to Sam Neill, Richard Jordan, and Courtney Vance for their performances. Scott Glenn and James Earl Jones are also solid in their roles. The occasional "technobabble" and military talk may confuse those unfamiliar with such terms, but it doesn't detract from the plot or action--in other words, you can still understand and follow the film even if you don't understand the terminology. The DVD features no extras of note, unfortunately, but the transfer quality--while a bit off-color at times--is still far better than VHS, and those of you with home theaters BEWARE--the sound quality (5.1 Surround) is frighteningly good at times (is that torpedo in your living room, or on the screen?!?). A so-so disc, but an incredible, intelligent thriller that's worth buying in any format.

Decent film; terrible DVD
"The Hunt for Red October" is a smart, tightly directed adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel of the same name. It's probably one of the more entertaining submarine movies (if you'll buy into the genre). There are some wonderful performances (especially by Joss Ackland, Courtney B. Vance, and the late Richard Jordan) as well as some inspired casting (most notably Tim "Dr. Frank-N-Furter" Curry as Dr. Petrov). While this film is certainly no "Das Boot," it is highly entertaining for all of its 134 minutes.
However, as an avid collector of DVDs and laser discs, this is perhaps the worst video transfer I have ever seen. In fact, I've seen Chinese bootleg copies of other films that have been superior in terms of video quality. For example: In the opening sequence there is a great deal of dust and dirt on the screen - like you're in a third-rate theater watching the film after it has been showing for about a month and a half. Another example: There is an important interior scene on the USS Dallas that features a wonderfully acted and written interplay between Seaman Jones (Vance) and Seaman Beaumont (Ned Vaughn). However, each shot of Jones is inexplicably awash with so much video noise that it completely distracts from the performances.
Why Paramount would neglect such a film is beyond me. The other huge disapointment on this disc is the complete lack of any extras. This disc is a complete bust. Frankly, I hope that another edition is released out of respect to this worthy film.

The best of the Jack Ryan film series.
Based on Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same title, "The Hunt for Red October" is the first Jack Ryan adventure on film. Although I like Harrison Ford better in the role of Jack Ryan than either Alec Baldwin or Ben Affleck, "Red October" is the best of the Ryan films partly because of the script, but largely because of the ensemble cast including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones and, of course, Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, the Lithuanian-born commanding officer on the Soviet nuclear submarine Red October who seeks to defect to the United States. Tension builds as Ramius and the Red October move closer to U.S. waters with the Soviet Navy in pursuit and U.S. forces unsure of Ramius' true intentions. "The Hunt for Red October" is a taut thriller, an excellent movie based on a modern masterpiece of a novel, and I fully recommend it.

One of the best movies you will ever see
Tom Clancy is a master writer. His books are amazing thrillers and the moives haven't been that bad either. This is the best of all the Tom Clancy books that have been made into moives and is one of the best book adaptations ever.

Captian Ramius(Connery) is the best the Soviet fleet has to offer. He's trained most of it and he's now in charge of a new Soviet sub. This sub has a new drive system that runs silent meaning it can't be detected by other subs sonars. After Ramius writes a letter to the Soviet Naval command the search is on. They alert the Americans saying Ramius and his crew has gone mad.

The Hunt for The Red October is on. The U.S. can't play around on this idea because the October could park in any U.S. bay and launch hundreds of Nuclear missiles. Jack Ryan(Baldwin) is a CIA Operative that gets selected to help with this mission. He's met Ramius before and doesn't believe that the man wants to harm the U.S. He believes that Ramius wants to defect along with his officers to the U.S., but he's not sure how Ramius is planning to do it. He now has only a couple of hours to prove the intentions of Ramius and save the ship before the U.S. or Soviet fleets find it and sink her.

All the actors are fantastic in the movie. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan is flawless. He played the role to perfection and it's the best movie he's ever made. Sean Connery is the man. Instead of killing Soviets he plays one to perfection in this moive. I love his accent and I though he did a great job of faking it. I loved Sam Neil in the moive. His character Vasily has always been one of my favorites because of his loyalty to Ramius. One of Neils best performances. Tim Curry is good as the weasal Soviet doctor. He plays a weasal better than anybody else. James Earl Jones is himself in this movie and like Connery is just the man. I also like Courtney Vance as 2nd Petty Officer Jones. He gives one of the most memorable performances of the movie. This is an all star cast and everybody is fantastic.

John Mctiernan is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He was one of the biggest when this moive was done with hit titles under his belt like Die Hard and Predator. He can make a good action thriller and this is one of the best ones ever made.

The cinematography is great in the film. You feel like your on real naval ships. The uniforms are authenic on both fleets. The sound is fantastic. This is such a well made movie and the is the movie that all submarine movies should stive to look like.

This is such a good movie. It's made to perfection with a great cast, well made, awesome score, and is just flawless. If you want to sit down and watch a good action thriller than this is it. You will struggle to find a better made movie than this.

Best of the Series
Though I have to admit that I prefered Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, I'll have to give THFRO the nod for the best in the series. The show's brilliant. Brilliant script that is well executed by wonderful acting. Sean Connery's the man. Can't imagine anyone else playing Ramius. Baldwin did a wonderful job playing Ryan. His best role till date. Would have been greeat to have seen him develop the character in the sequels. And furthermore, James Earl Jones aka the voice of Darth Vader makes his presence in all 3 movies felt though his air time's brief. His presence was greatly missed in The Sum of All Fears.

If the studios are planning another Jack Ryan movie..... please get rid of Affleckand bring back Baldwin. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Chips is a wonderful movie about a boy who gose to the army
chips is wonderful and hart warming it is about a boy who gose to the army that nobody likes and is scard of dogs he is put in the dogs for defence group but is scard of the dogs he then comes to no chip but could not do the program because he is scard of dogs so they make him the kennle atendentt chips is going to be thron out of the program but danny hides him and gives him a secret name and works with him at night then he gets cot and you will have to wacth the movie to find out the rest.

The movie is so good, you'd like to see it over and over!!
This is a loving story about a young army volunteer who, when he joins, he get also thrown into the K-9 dog program. Worse, he's scared of dogs AND he's been assigned to take care of a German Shepherd! They work together, and finally the training pays off when they are off to the REAL WAR!! Discover the growing friendship and bond between these two and see that if, with the right training, your dog can be a star!

This is a great feel good movie for anyone of any age.
I absolutly love this movie, and it is too bad that it is currently not avalible. I love the idea of how dog and boy, misfits apart, but together they are heroes. I always cry watching this movie. I really hope that they re-release it so I can enjoy it again and so can my family and friends.

Wonderful, a great family movie
I love Chips the war dog. Although I havent seen it in more than 2 years I still remember most of it. That proves its good, so good its stcks with you for years. Chips the war dogs is helpful, educational and fun story. Its one of my favorite movies!

Touching
This is a great movie about a boy who is scared of dogs and a chicken chassing german sheperd, and they both got sent to war and got hooked. ... Read more

Amazon.com

As he proved with The Black Stallion, Never Cry Wolf, and Fly Away Home, director Carroll Ballard has a gift for creating exhilarating movie experiences. And although Wind received only mixed reviews when released in 1992, it's a technically astonishing film that does for yacht racing what The Black Stallion did for horse racing--it puts you right into the action with breathtaking camerawork and gripping excitement. Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey star as experienced sailors determined to win the prestigious America's Cup yacht race. Their love for each other is put to the test when she's removed from the crew and joins up with a maverick designer (Stellan Skarsgård) whose new boat design represents the cutting edge of sailing competition. Eventually Modine leaves his millionaire sponsor (Cliff Robertson) and reunites with Grey, and their race against the Australian World's Cup champion leads to a thrilling climax on the high sea. Cinematographer John Toll (who later won back-to-back Oscars for Legends of the Fall and Braveheart) takes his cameras where no sailing movie had ever gone before, and the results are nothing less than spectacular. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (74)

CW Thompson
The best sailing movie I've ever seen. The action sequences were thrilling and makes you feel like part of the race. I've been waiting for the DVD release for some time now, we've almost worn out our VHS copy.

Adrenaline rush on the water.......
To start out with, like other reviewers have stated, it is terrific to see this movie out on DVD after so long. I realized, when I watched this movie for the first time, you don't have to be a fan of boat racing to love this movie.

The cinematography just can't be beat with absolutely wonderful shots putting you dead center in the action. It's a great experience in how the filmmakers shoot you back and forth onto the boats and then create sweeping panoramic views of strategic boat maneuvers. Top notch sailboat racing, bar none.

The DVD is remastered in high definition and is crystal clear with superb detail and color. As for sound, Dolby 5.1 or DTS would have been the icing on the cake but I won't sell this DVD short. The Dolby Surround it does have still gets the job done just fine and sounds excellent.

You can't go wrong with Wind and I recommend this movie to anyone who likes great racing and sporting competition.

Even the hard-core AC snobs and fanatics will admit --
...that they secretly love this movie. Despite its cheesy, Hollywood take on the America's Cup and its retelling of Dennis Conner's adventures 'on-the-other-side-of-the-pizza' this movie is not only beautiful eye-candy but more importantly it is exactly what they say in the movie: its good, clean fun.

If you're trying to get friends and family intersted in taking a sail, this is one of the best tools to get the blood following -- yup, there are a lot of yachts, but there is the scene with the 14s. Enough excitement to dispell the idea of sailing as a laid-back sport.

For the AC die-hards, its a chance to see the 12-meters in action once again, to hear the legendary PJ Montgomery comment on the races and read the tech/advisory credits which reads like a AC who's who list. So it isn't "real" or even possible (the 'whumper' is what kills it for some) but after all, you're looking at a movie. Enjoy it for what it is and appreciate the fact that this movie is the product of a love of sailing!

A must have in your DVD collection!
I got my DVD version from Amazon yesterday (3/13/03), a replacement for my battered VHS tape. I've noticed some scenes in the movie trailer that were not in the movie, and I don't know why they were excluded from it.

The digital enhanced video is overwhelmingly better than the VHS, but I wish the digital cameras were available back when they filmed this movie. The digital audio really puts you in the middle of the actions.

One regret, I wish I had seen this movie in the theater when it came out.

I can't wait to go sailing in a laser this summer...

1 of the 10 best Sports Event Movies EVER... On DVD AT LAST!
It's been more then a decade since this sleeper cult hit was in the theaters and an equally long period of time that this film was only available on VHS and Laserdisc.

Now, at long last, the wait is over!

Wind appeals for a number of reasons.

Primarily its a very human story of ambition, competition, love, loss, and redemption. What makes the film work is fantastic photography/camerawork by Mata Yamamoto, a soaring/pumping soundtrack by Basil Poledouris, and a compelling drama played out by some very brainy characters played by some very good actors.

Think of it as "The Cutting Edge" and "Strictly Ballroom" with a little more testosterone and in a sailboat!

The DVD is pretty bare-bones, but a Digital Widescreen Hi-Definition Remastering and Dolby surround make up for it. A Special Edition would have been nice, but, considering how long we had to pray for this one it's hardly required. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

good ol' fashion re-telling
Val Kilmer takes his part in playing Billy The Kid...another actor who played him was Emilio Estevez in the Youn Guns movies..fast paced shootings make this one a keeper...though dont get pulled in with some of the wooden things Kilmer does...but in the end hes always good

The ultimate Billy the Kid-movie
If you are going to watch only one movie about Billy the Kid and Pat Garrett,this is the one.Pat Garrett is unusually central as a character.We are left with a lot of new thoughts and feelings about him and his relationship with the outlaw Kid when the movie is finished.The movie has a very special,almost haunting atmosphere-you watch it...and the ever unresolved conflict of loyalty versus duty comes to life,along with the magic of the time and the place...and you`re there.

Good but not Perfect
This movie was pretty good, and I speacially like how they had Billy not drink much in the beginning. Sadly, they did the traditional thing and made Billy have very few partners. In the movie, Billy and Tom kill Brady and one deputy, in actuality, Billy, Jose Chavez Y Chavez, and 4 other regulators killed Brady and 3 deputies. I also hate how they skip the entire Lincoln county war.

Kilmer did good as Billy, but they made him too cold blooded. I admit, Billy wasn't a romeo or a Robin Hood, but Billy was not cruel! Every man he killed had it coming to them. In the movie they made Billy get mad fast and in the end he drank alot, where as in reality he didn't drink and he wasn't easily angered(or there'd have been alot more people killed by him).

Pretty Accurate Historically
There was Young Guns 1 and 2, which were certainly much more funner to watch, and then there's Val Kilmer's take on Billy the Kid. This movie is rather lackluster, but all in all, a pretty good western. Val does a good job portraying the Kid, and Duncan Regher plays a convincing slow and lanky Pat Garret. The thing I liked about it was that the history of the Kid and other characters is pretty darn accurate, more so than the Young Guns movies. A good watch but I don't know if you could get into it more than twice. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on Jon Krakauer's bestselling book, Into Thin Air re-creates an ill-fated 1996 expedition to Everest that claimed at least five lives, including those of two world-class climbers. Only 90 minutes in length, the film jumps right into the action at Everest base camp and compresses the two-month trek into just a few days of exhilarating adventure. Periodic voice-overs by Krakauer (Christopher McDonald) provide essential background information and guide us through the invisible, intensifying effects of altitude and stress. Krakauer joined the trip to write an article on the commercialization of Everest, but as conditions on the mountain deteriorate he is forced to focus all his energy on survival.

Unfortunately the film fails to really develop any of its characters before thrusting them onto the harrowing face of Everest. As a result, it's difficult to understand the relationships that play out as the group struggles to the summit and back. While the trio of leading actors is solid, only Nat Parker (who plays guide Rob Hall) has enough screen time to develop an interesting, complex character. Peter Horton's portrayal of unconventional guide Scott Fischer is almost hyperbolic and McDonald's Krakauer is stiff and difficult to read.

While the film succeeds in creating a palpable sense of agony and suspense, those in search of a more thoughtful, detailed account of the expedition will be better served by reading the book. --Claire Campbell ... Read more

Reviews (31)

A thrilling chiller for mountaineering enthusiasts
I first saw this movie in Global Studies, and even then Mr. Bockelman (my teacher) jumped right in to where Jon Krakauer is struggling to reach the summit of Mount Everest. We didn't even finish the whole film. Then, this weekend, I checked out Mr. Krakauer's book, "Into Thin Air", and found that from what I had seen, the director of the film stayed remarkably close to the book and to the horrific events that happened on Everest in 1996. Overall, I thought that the movie showed many people what happened on May 10, 1996, and of what climbing Everest is really like. Awesome, but chilling.

Buy the "Everest" video instead
This is a fair version of the Jon Krakauer book on the Everest disaster of 1996. The characters of the climbers are much richer in the book than this film. Of course, that's often true of any film. However, it's the people who experienced this climb that really make the story vibrate and live. The film takes about two steps back and puts the mountain and conditions first.

It's not a terrible film and a viewer who hasn't read "Into Thin Air" or "The Climb" may find it superficially enjoyable. But why take the time to watch this when you can see a much better view of Everest around the very time this disaster happened by viewing the IMAX film (or its video) and live the experience through one of the two books.

David Breashears, one of the creators of the IMAX film has an excellent book that uses his experience with the climb and the film to study the '96 disaster. This film takes a back seat to his book, too.

Don't plan on reading any of the books? This film is a fair alternative. But the viewer won't understand the complexities and drama of the event through this point of view.

Decent Watch
I watched this when it first aired on television. It was interesting enough that I went out and bought the book. After Reading "Into Thin Air" three times, I will say the book is a more captivating attention getter.

A good realistic movie
I have seen many movies and stories about climbing but I have to say that this DVD so far has been one of the best stories ever carried out comercially. Although the screening, acting, technical parameters of the filming were not that impressive, the crude reality of a tough mountain, altitude sickness and the necesity of team work are expressed at most. Cristopher McDonald's performance wasn't bad at all and check out the khumbu ice fall and Hillary pass scenification; come on, you can't have better than that. Please don't mention Vertical Limit wich I consider a looney toon story compared to this movie or some cliffhanger nickaround wich gives you nothing but a waste of time.
Perhaps, producers should put on a side Mount Everest and think about making a REAL!! movie about K2 wich I consider the toughest mountain ever to climb (what a shame vertical limit became the greatest insult to the K2 mountain). Although there is a fine movie about it (starring Michael Biehn and Matt Craven) I'm still waiting for a movie that can bring us the real shot to mountanier live: extreme danger, 90° rock walls, deadly avalanches and many nature-against situations that put human lives in a thin line.

I personally recomend Into thin air, death on everest.

Juan M. Pacheco

Poor movie
Into Thin Air:Death On Everest~1997
I'm afraid to say that this is a very poor movie based on a true story. If you want something along the similiar lines of this read Jon Krakauer's book or watch Vertical Limit anyway I will tell you the plot:
In May 1996, writer Jon Krakauer joined a party of experienced and amatuer climbers-lead by Everest veterans Scott Fisher and New Zealander Rob Hall-who attempted to reach the world's highest and most infamous mountain. Krakauer was one of the lucky ones, he made it back alive- 12 people didn't. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Movie of a Legend!!
Jimmy Dean's popular 1950 song"Big Bad John" is translated into an exciting,hilarious film.Also co-starring Ned Beatty,Jack Elam and ofcourse Jimmy Dean as the sheriff as they go cross country in search for Big Bad John.It's a must see movie!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Netherwoods (Keith Carradine and Daryl Hannah) are bad parents. They break into people's homes and steal food, leaving their daughter Janie (Julia Devin) in the car to occupy herself. So the state takes Janie away from them and puts her up for adoption. Unfortunately for Janie's new parents, the Cliftons (Moira Kelly and Vincent Spano), the state didn't catch the Netherwoods, and the bad parents want their daughter back. This summary, though accurate, isn't fair to The Tie That Binds; despite the broad strokes of the plot, the movie is surprisingly successful at creating suspense. The violent scenes are both effectively brutal and effectively restrained--what we see looks like it hurts, but the most gruesome violence happens offscreen. The performances aren't subtle, but like the movie itself, they're grounded enough in reality to sustain the suspense. The gorgeous cinematography lends itself to some beautiful images (a sheet blown away by the wind, fireflies flickering in front of an unfinished house) that create a unusually graceful sense of impending danger. This may not have played as well on the big screen, but in the intimacy of your own home The Tie That Binds has an accumulating creepiness that will last longer than the jagged shocks and jolts of most recent thrillers. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not Entirely Bad
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" was a little better than
"The Tie That Binds" but this movie is a good movie.After a couple break into a house to steal some food for their daughter and the cops show up their little daughter Janie is taken to an orphanage by the Cliftons,a decent couple who don't have any children.Problem is the Cliftons don't know that Janie's parents are outlaws and are trying to find her and will stop at nothing to do so.Even if they have to kill everyone they know to do it.
The movie has pretty good performances by Daryl Hannah and Keith Carradine.Don't listen to the other reviews on the internet,this is a pretty good movie.B for the movie,B for the acting.Enjoy!!!

Rip Off!
This movie was horrible and was just a rip off of The superior Hand that Rocks the Cradle which is like 100 times better! Keith Carradine, Vincent Spano, Moira Kelly and Daryl Hannah were wasted in this mess of a movie!

Disappointing
I watched it coz it wasfrom the same maker(s) of "The hand that rocks the cradle" & I had high expectations. All I can say is it's no near to that movie & this film is such a disappointment.

Extremely Disturbing!!
This was the most disturbing movie I have ever seen! It was way too violent and what the psychotic lady did to Vincent Spano's character's friend's baby was totally unnecessary and obviouly only for shock value! If you want to see this movie because you Liked The Hand That Rocks The Cradle that movie wasn't anywhere near as disturbing as this movie!

Watch it for Vincent Spano
Thrills, suspense, violence...All this with a sweet undertone of an innocent child. Carradine and Hannah played two psychotic killers...a great stretch for their normal roles. They were both convincingly scary, and I wouldn't want to come across them in the middle of the night. Sour story of spree killing. Not recommended for young children. If you love Vincent Spano, he does an excellent job in this movie. I watched this movie because he was in it. He gets 100 stars from me. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Beautiful Masterpiece against Bigotry and Hatred!!
This shocking but touching Disney film is based on the Christopher G. Janus novel Miss 4th of July,Goodbye is a reminder of other books and films such as"The Diary of Anne Frank" and "The Color Purple". Niki(Roxana Zal),a 17 year old girl, has immigrated with her parents from war torn Greece to a small town set in 1917 Montgomery West Virginia near Charleston around WW1.In their new home where the Ku Klux Klan thrives,Niki is apauled by the way the Klan treats certain people because of their ethnic,racial and religious differences.When she tries to befriends some African-Americans,the Klan brutally harasses both she and her family.She refuses to quit with friends at her aid and vows to stop the bigotry,racism and hatred that's representative of the minority of the townspeople.This movie also deals with a severe influenza epidemic that hits town which Niki courageously assists the ill and dying during that crises.Through all this because of her unselfish deeds to the community, she wins the coveted title"Miss 4th of July".This film has an excellent cast,Starring Roxana Zal, Lou Gossett Jr who portrays the character "Big John Creed" and sings superbly in the film "How Great Though Art",Chris Sarandon,Conchata Ferrell,Chynna Phillips and Chantal Contouri.It's a beautiful masterpiece against bigotry and hatred that's very well worth watching!!

Excellent!
This is one of my favorite movies. It is filled with such emotion and it typical of what I like to call "warm-fuzzy" movies. It is clean and a film that would be safe for older children. It is not for little children, because it deals with more adult subjects, but great for probably 8 and above. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A year after a devastating friendly fire incident during the Gulf War,Lt. Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is in a Washington, D.C., desk job assigned the rudimentary task of overseeing a Medal of Honor candidate who died in the war. However, the case and soldier in question are a political hot potato--Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) is America's first female soldier to be killed in combat.

Serling soon finds discrepancies in the case of a downed Medevac helicopter in the rocky Kuwait territory. What unfolds in flashback are several versions of Walden's tactics (à la Kurosawa's Rashomon) to rescue the soldiers and survive the downing. As with Glory, Director Edward Zwick's cast of unknown and famous faces always comes off as the real article. Walden's crew is especially convincing. Matt Damon as the medic comes off as the giddy scaredy-cat when telling his story to Washington. In battle he's a flawed, humorous soldier. The most surprising work in the movie is done by Lou Diamond Phillips (as the group's gunman), whose career hadbeen headed to straight-to-video oblivion.

Then there's Ryan. She has done well with dramatic work in the past (When a Man Loves a Woman, Flesh and Bone) but has never been able to escape the romantic-comedy image. With dyed hair, a light accent, and the dramatics of the situation, Ryan finally has an enduring dramatic film. Even though she has half of Washington's screen time, her brave and ultimately haunting performance makes Courage something special, right down to its curious but rewarding final scene. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Washington and Ryan in a Gulf War "Rashomon"
The basic plot line of "Courage Under Fire" is that Lt. Col Nathaniel Sterling (Denzel Washington) is investigating an incident during the Gulf War to determine whether or not the Medal of Honor should be awarded to Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan). It does not take us long to find out that the title of this film refers to both Sterling and Walden. The initial story on Walden, the pilot of a rescue helicopter, is that she made a spectacular rescue of a downed helicopter crew, then fought off attacking Iraquis after her own copter crashed, dying right before they were rescued themselves. But as Sterling questions the surviving members of Walden's crew, he discovers their various versions do not jive, and he begins to question what is the truth. Moreover, Sterling is haunted by his own actions during the Gulf War, where he was responsible for a "friendly fire" incident that resulted in the death of American soldiers. To complicate matters, Sterling is drinking too much, has grown distant from his family, and is being hounded by a commanding officer who wants the P.R. value of Walden receiving the medal and a reporter who knows something of what happened to the Colonel in Iraq.

"Courage Under Fire" makes excellent use of the "Rashomon" technique, wherein we get to see each person's version of what really happened in Iraq. Sterlings own feelings of guilt and responsibility for what happened in Iraq provide an additional level of depth to the narrative (more so than in Kurosawa's original classic film in fact). Some may find the parallel attempts to find redemption to be somewhat heavy handed, but ultimately the film succeeds because of the solid acting performances. In addition to Washington and Ryan, who knew have a scene together, there are solid performances from Lou Diamond Phillips and a very underweight Matt Damon as surviving members of Walden's crew, Michael Moriarity as the General, Scott Glenn as the reporter, and Regina Taylor as Sterling's wife. Certainly this film is closer to the reality of Desert Storm than "Three Kings," but the main enjoyment here is watching Ryan and her crew do the same lines with totally different meanings because of radical changes in context while Washington tries to find meaning in his own life.

Very Good
On the surface this was a good movie. Denzel Washington must investigate the situation surrounding a medical chopper being shot down and if the commanding office of that chopper, Meg Ryan, should receive the medal of honor. She would be the first woman ever to receive this decoration, and it would be posthumously. Denzel's character receives conflicting information and is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. The cast is rounded out by Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon and a few other familier faces.

Under the surface this becomes a better movie. Denzel's character is struggling with a friendly fire incident he was just involved in and is willing to take responsibility that the Pentagon will not allow him. His inner struggle is a fine secondary story line and as any good soldier would do he is doing without the help of his family (his wife is trying to help) or his friend and commanding officer (whom he will not turn to).

An excellent insight into human emotion, the conflict of war, the battle of the sexes and one man's struggle to do what is right. A worthwhile addition to any DVD library.

Good movie, compelling story...
Courage Under Fire stars Denzel Washington, who plays a very convincing LTC Nathaniel Sterling, a tank commander in the Gulf War; and Meg Ryan as a CPT Karen Walden, a pilot killed in action during the Gulf War who is considered for recommendation for the Medal of Honor, the first woman to be considered for this award.

Meg Ryan appears in the movie only in several of the numerous flashbacks. The movie revolves around two storylines: the facts behind the death of Meg Ryan's character, CPT Walden, and the life of LTC Sterling who has the unfortunate assignment to uncover what really happened when CPT Walden was killed.

Throughout the movie, LTC Sterling must face his own demons, including a drinking problem, difficulties with his wife, and a Washington reporter hounding him for information on the story he's researching.

Lou Diamond Phillips and Matt Damon also appear in the movie, both of whom portray soldiers who witnessed the events that led to CPT Walden's death.

Good, involving story
Yes, I praise the film for its veracity and the qualities of the various members of the cast. But, let's remember the only woman who has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor in all the
history of the award, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, of Civil War fame.
Don't lose sight of the real thing!

Big-name stars: A great story, brilliantly acted.
First off, the time for this review is a little off. (09/2003) Right now the "anti-war" crowd seems to hold sway ... at least in the media. But take it from a former soldier, this is a great and very realistic story about what happens under fire.
(War ... IS ugly. But perhaps September 11th, 2001 taught us there are some battles you should not run away from.)

You should also read a few of the other reviews about this movie, they are very well-done.

This story is about Denzel Washington's character (Sterling) who is assigned to investigate a dead helicopter's actions after their aircraft went down in the first Gulf War. (1990) The deceased helicopter pilot is Meg Ryan's character (Walden); she gets precious little screen-time in this movie ... it is perhaps the only criticism I can think of that is valid.

I don't need to tell you the rest of the details, story and technique of this film, other reviews do this as well as anyone possibly could. What I do have to offer is a word about the acting of this movie.

Normally Denzel Washington plays action characters, and Meg Ryan almost always seem to do a comedy/drama about a woman in love. Here both actors are engaged in a radical departure from their normal fare.

I don't know how many Oscar's this film was nominated for, (and I don't really care, Oscar's seem to be as much about politics as anything else); but Washington, Ryan, and Damon all give performances that are quite worthy of this award. And the rest of the cast is very good as well. I would personally like to say that this film could have easily been the best picture of the year, and the actor's could have easily walked away with several statues. The director could have won an Oscar as well.

In the end, you are irrevocably drawn into the story and live it, just as you should be with a really good film. My only word of warning is that this is a real tear-jerker, the end of this one could have you crying like a baby.

There are few films that I would recommend to anyone, this movie is definitely one of those. (Of course you have to put the kids to bed, some of the words, action, and violence are not really suitable for children.) A+ ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Good Movie Based On a Totally Bogus Premise
I place Courage Under Fire in the same class with A Few Good Men as "A military movie that would have been a lot better if the people writing/directing it had actually done a bit of research on the military." Let me hasten to add, I enjoyed Courage Under Fire, but I had two gripes:

(1) In the scene where the Meg Ryan character dies while charging the Iraquis and firing an M16, we can see down the muzzle of the rifle, and the "muzzle" is a mere pinprick. Obviously, this is a blank gun. A small thing, but jarring to those who know guns, at a key moment in the film.

(2) The entire premise of the movie is bogus. An Army helicopter pilot played by Meg Ryan has been killed in combat, and has been nominated for a posthumous Medal of Honor. Denzel Washington's character is tapped to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death. This is a political hot potato because, if he recommends her award, she will become (drum roll) THE FIRST WOMAN EVER AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOR.

False. Historically, factually false. Dr. Mary Edwards Walker of the Civil War Union Army was awarded the Medal of Honor on November 11, 1865. This is, um, kind of an important point. Either the folks making this movie didn't know that, in which case they're sloppy, or they chose to ignore it, in which case they're willfully dishonest.

Did I mention I enjoyed this movie?

A Gulf War Rashomon with Washington and Ryan
The basic plot line of "Courage Under Fire" is that Lt. Col Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) is investigating an incident during the Gulf War to determine whether or not the Medal of Honor should be awarded posthumously to Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan). It does not take us long to find out that the title of this film refers to both Serling and Walden. The initial story on Walden, the pilot of a rescue helicopter, is that she made a spectacular rescue of a downed helicopter crew, then fought off attacking Iraquis after her own copter crashed, dying right before the besieged group was rescued. But as Serling questions the surviving members of Walden's crew, he discovers their various versions do not jive, and he begins to question what is the truth of what really happened. Moreover, Serling is haunted by his own actions during the Gulf War, where he was responsible for a "friendly fire" incident that resulted in the death of American soldiers. To complicate matters even more, Serling is drinking way too much, has grown distant from his family, and is being hounded by both a commanding officer (Michael Moriarity) who wants the P.R. value of Walden being the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor and a reporter (Scott Glenn) who knows something of what happened to the Colonel in Iraq and wants to know the rest.

"Courage Under Fire" makes excellent use of the "Rashomon" technique, wherein we get to see each person's version of what really happened in Iraq. Serling's own feelings of guilt and responsibility for what happened in Iraq provide an additional level of depth to the narrative (more so than in Kurosawa's original classic film in fact). Some may find the parallel attempts to find redemption to be somewhat heavy handed, but ultimately the film succeeds because of the solid acting performances. In addition to Washington and Ryan, who never have a scene together, there are solid performances from Lou Diamond Phillips and a very underweight Matt Damon as surviving members of Walden's crew, Michael Moriarity as the General, Scott Glenn as the reporter, and Regina Taylor as Serling's wife. Certainly this film is closer to the reality of Desert Storm than "Three Kings," but the main enjoyment here is watching Ryan and her crew do the same lines with totally different meanings because of radical changes in context while Washington tries to find meaning in his own life.

A Meg movie that is not a comedy
Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serving (Denzel Washington) makes the ultimate boo boo. In the heat of the moment he targets our side. While still in a slump over this he is challenged to check out Captain Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan) who is inline for the Medal of Honor. We go through several versions of her story. And she does a good job of portraying the different personalities describe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST
Video hunk Casper van Dien surfaces as a wrongly accused murderer in the made for TV Night Scream. A muddled script and a less than marvelous cast hinder the overall effect of this baffling mystery. Candace Cameron Bure plays the dual role of Laura Fairgate, a young beauty murdered..supposedly by her boyfriend van Dien. She also plays Drew, a double for the murdered girl, who mysteriously shows up in Laura's hometown on the anniversary of her murder. We find out Drew's really van dien's new girlfriend, who he has asked to go through this charade in order to clear his name. Teri Garr appears as Laura's grief-stricken mother, and that's about it..she appears. Garr, a capable actress, has little emotion in her weak and lifeless portrayal. Garr has remarried a man who didn't approve of her late husband's plans for the little town of Shrevestown, Oregon..hint, hint.
Cameron is not a strong enough actress to carry off this duplicity convincingly, and it is ultimately her lack of real talent, that sabotages this movie.
It has a few twists, but little suspense, and has all the markings of a t.v. movie. Not that that's bad, but it hurts this one! ... Read more

Reviews (157)

Fantastic adaption of Clancy's novel
A first-rate thriller that provides the goods again and again. Excellent cast, good direction (the almost always reliable McTiernan--see "Last Action Hero" for the only real blemish on his record), plenty of suspense and thrills. There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but only purists will quibble about that. And yes, Scotsman Connery plays a Lithuanian, but he does it well, and as always, brings a touch of class to the role. I despise Alec Baldwin, but he's perfect as Ryan--the right age and look combined with the proper mix of guile, humility, and cockiness. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, with kudos to Sam Neill, Richard Jordan, and Courtney Vance for their performances. Scott Glenn and James Earl Jones are also solid in their roles. The occasional "technobabble" and military talk may confuse those unfamiliar with such terms, but it doesn't detract from the plot or action--in other words, you can still understand and follow the film even if you don't understand the terminology. The DVD features no extras of note, unfortunately, but the transfer quality--while a bit off-color at times--is still far better than VHS, and those of you with home theaters BEWARE--the sound quality (5.1 Surround) is frighteningly good at times (is that torpedo in your living room, or on the screen?!?). A so-so disc, but an incredible, intelligent thriller that's worth buying in any format.

Decent film; terrible DVD
"The Hunt for Red October" is a smart, tightly directed adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel of the same name. It's probably one of the more entertaining submarine movies (if you'll buy into the genre). There are some wonderful performances (especially by Joss Ackland, Courtney B. Vance, and the late Richard Jordan) as well as some inspired casting (most notably Tim "Dr. Frank-N-Furter" Curry as Dr. Petrov). While this film is certainly no "Das Boot," it is highly entertaining for all of its 134 minutes.
However, as an avid collector of DVDs and laser discs, this is perhaps the worst video transfer I have ever seen. In fact, I've seen Chinese bootleg copies of other films that have been superior in terms of video quality. For example: In the opening sequence there is a great deal of dust and dirt on the screen - like you're in a third-rate theater watching the film after it has been showing for about a month and a half. Another example: There is an important interior scene on the USS Dallas that features a wonderfully acted and written interplay between Seaman Jones (Vance) and Seaman Beaumont (Ned Vaughn). However, each shot of Jones is inexplicably awash with so much video noise that it completely distracts from the performances.
Why Paramount would neglect such a film is beyond me. The other huge disapointment on this disc is the complete lack of any extras. This disc is a complete bust. Frankly, I hope that another edition is released out of respect to this worthy film.

The best of the Jack Ryan film series.
Based on Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same title, "The Hunt for Red October" is the first Jack Ryan adventure on film. Although I like Harrison Ford better in the role of Jack Ryan than either Alec Baldwin or Ben Affleck, "Red October" is the best of the Ryan films partly because of the script, but largely because of the ensemble cast including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones and, of course, Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, the Lithuanian-born commanding officer on the Soviet nuclear submarine Red October who seeks to defect to the United States. Tension builds as Ramius and the Red October move closer to U.S. waters with the Soviet Navy in pursuit and U.S. forces unsure of Ramius' true intentions. "The Hunt for Red October" is a taut thriller, an excellent movie based on a modern masterpiece of a novel, and I fully recommend it.

One of the best movies you will ever see
Tom Clancy is a master writer. His books are amazing thrillers and the moives haven't been that bad either. This is the best of all the Tom Clancy books that have been made into moives and is one of the best book adaptations ever.

Captian Ramius(Connery) is the best the Soviet fleet has to offer. He's trained most of it and he's now in charge of a new Soviet sub. This sub has a new drive system that runs silent meaning it can't be detected by other subs sonars. After Ramius writes a letter to the Soviet Naval command the search is on. They alert the Americans saying Ramius and his crew has gone mad.

The Hunt for The Red October is on. The U.S. can't play around on this idea because the October could park in any U.S. bay and launch hundreds of Nuclear missiles. Jack Ryan(Baldwin) is a CIA Operative that gets selected to help with this mission. He's met Ramius before and doesn't believe that the man wants to harm the U.S. He believes that Ramius wants to defect along with his officers to the U.S., but he's not sure how Ramius is planning to do it. He now has only a couple of hours to prove the intentions of Ramius and save the ship before the U.S. or Soviet fleets find it and sink her.

All the actors are fantastic in the movie. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan is flawless. He played the role to perfection and it's the best movie he's ever made. Sean Connery is the man. Instead of killing Soviets he plays one to perfection in this moive. I love his accent and I though he did a great job of faking it. I loved Sam Neil in the moive. His character Vasily has always been one of my favorites because of his loyalty to Ramius. One of Neils best performances. Tim Curry is good as the weasal Soviet doctor. He plays a weasal better than anybody else. James Earl Jones is himself in this movie and like Connery is just the man. I also like Courtney Vance as 2nd Petty Officer Jones. He gives one of the most memorable performances of the movie. This is an all star cast and everybody is fantastic.

John Mctiernan is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He was one of the biggest when this moive was done with hit titles under his belt like Die Hard and Predator. He can make a good action thriller and this is one of the best ones ever made.

The cinematography is great in the film. You feel like your on real naval ships. The uniforms are authenic on both fleets. The sound is fantastic. This is such a well made movie and the is the movie that all submarine movies should stive to look like.

This is such a good movie. It's made to perfection with a great cast, well made, awesome score, and is just flawless. If you want to sit down and watch a good action thriller than this is it. You will struggle to find a better made movie than this.

Best of the Series
Though I have to admit that I prefered Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, I'll have to give THFRO the nod for the best in the series. The show's brilliant. Brilliant script that is well executed by wonderful acting. Sean Connery's the man. Can't imagine anyone else playing Ramius. Baldwin did a wonderful job playing Ryan. His best role till date. Would have been greeat to have seen him develop the character in the sequels. And furthermore, James Earl Jones aka the voice of Darth Vader makes his presence in all 3 movies felt though his air time's brief. His presence was greatly missed in The Sum of All Fears.

If the studios are planning another Jack Ryan movie..... please get rid of Affleckand bring back Baldwin. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The absolute best western of modern times!
This western is for all who love the mistyque and folklore of the old west and of gambling. A must have if you love Kenny Rodgers or even if you don't, this movie will surprise you. It's Great! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Before Harrison Ford assumed the mantle of playing Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan hero in Patriot Games, Alec Baldwin took a swing at the character in this John McTiernan film and hit one to the fence. If less instantly sympathetic than Ford, Baldwin is in some respects more interesting and nuanced as Ryan, and drawing comparisons between both actors' performances can make for some interesting postmovie discussion. That aside, The Hunt for Red October stands alone as a uniquely exciting adventure with a fantastic costar: Sean Connery as a Russian nuclear submarine captain attempting to defect to the West on his ship. Ryan must figure out his true motives for approaching the U.S. McTiernan (Predator, Die Hard) made an exceptionally handsome movie here with action sequences that really do take one's breath away. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (157)

Fantastic adaption of Clancy's novel
A first-rate thriller that provides the goods again and again. Excellent cast, good direction (the almost always reliable McTiernan--see "Last Action Hero" for the only real blemish on his record), plenty of suspense and thrills. There are a few differences between the novel and the film, but only purists will quibble about that. And yes, Scotsman Connery plays a Lithuanian, but he does it well, and as always, brings a touch of class to the role. I despise Alec Baldwin, but he's perfect as Ryan--the right age and look combined with the proper mix of guile, humility, and cockiness. The film also boasts an excellent supporting cast, with kudos to Sam Neill, Richard Jordan, and Courtney Vance for their performances. Scott Glenn and James Earl Jones are also solid in their roles. The occasional "technobabble" and military talk may confuse those unfamiliar with such terms, but it doesn't detract from the plot or action--in other words, you can still understand and follow the film even if you don't understand the terminology. The DVD features no extras of note, unfortunately, but the transfer quality--while a bit off-color at times--is still far better than VHS, and those of you with home theaters BEWARE--the sound quality (5.1 Surround) is frighteningly good at times (is that torpedo in your living room, or on the screen?!?). A so-so disc, but an incredible, intelligent thriller that's worth buying in any format.

Decent film; terrible DVD
"The Hunt for Red October" is a smart, tightly directed adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel of the same name. It's probably one of the more entertaining submarine movies (if you'll buy into the genre). There are some wonderful performances (especially by Joss Ackland, Courtney B. Vance, and the late Richard Jordan) as well as some inspired casting (most notably Tim "Dr. Frank-N-Furter" Curry as Dr. Petrov). While this film is certainly no "Das Boot," it is highly entertaining for all of its 134 minutes.
However, as an avid collector of DVDs and laser discs, this is perhaps the worst video transfer I have ever seen. In fact, I've seen Chinese bootleg copies of other films that have been superior in terms of video quality. For example: In the opening sequence there is a great deal of dust and dirt on the screen - like you're in a third-rate theater watching the film after it has been showing for about a month and a half. Another example: There is an important interior scene on the USS Dallas that features a wonderfully acted and written interplay between Seaman Jones (Vance) and Seaman Beaumont (Ned Vaughn). However, each shot of Jones is inexplicably awash with so much video noise that it completely distracts from the performances.
Why Paramount would neglect such a film is beyond me. The other huge disapointment on this disc is the complete lack of any extras. This disc is a complete bust. Frankly, I hope that another edition is released out of respect to this worthy film.

The best of the Jack Ryan film series.
Based on Tom Clancy's 1984 novel of the same title, "The Hunt for Red October" is the first Jack Ryan adventure on film. Although I like Harrison Ford better in the role of Jack Ryan than either Alec Baldwin or Ben Affleck, "Red October" is the best of the Ryan films partly because of the script, but largely because of the ensemble cast including Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones and, of course, Sean Connery as Captain Marko Ramius, the Lithuanian-born commanding officer on the Soviet nuclear submarine Red October who seeks to defect to the United States. Tension builds as Ramius and the Red October move closer to U.S. waters with the Soviet Navy in pursuit and U.S. forces unsure of Ramius' true intentions. "The Hunt for Red October" is a taut thriller, an excellent movie based on a modern masterpiece of a novel, and I fully recommend it.

One of the best movies you will ever see
Tom Clancy is a master writer. His books are amazing thrillers and the moives haven't been that bad either. This is the best of all the Tom Clancy books that have been made into moives and is one of the best book adaptations ever.

Captian Ramius(Connery) is the best the Soviet fleet has to offer. He's trained most of it and he's now in charge of a new Soviet sub. This sub has a new drive system that runs silent meaning it can't be detected by other subs sonars. After Ramius writes a letter to the Soviet Naval command the search is on. They alert the Americans saying Ramius and his crew has gone mad.

The Hunt for The Red October is on. The U.S. can't play around on this idea because the October could park in any U.S. bay and launch hundreds of Nuclear missiles. Jack Ryan(Baldwin) is a CIA Operative that gets selected to help with this mission. He's met Ramius before and doesn't believe that the man wants to harm the U.S. He believes that Ramius wants to defect along with his officers to the U.S., but he's not sure how Ramius is planning to do it. He now has only a couple of hours to prove the intentions of Ramius and save the ship before the U.S. or Soviet fleets find it and sink her.

All the actors are fantastic in the movie. Alec Baldwin is Jack Ryan is flawless. He played the role to perfection and it's the best movie he's ever made. Sean Connery is the man. Instead of killing Soviets he plays one to perfection in this moive. I love his accent and I though he did a great job of faking it. I loved Sam Neil in the moive. His character Vasily has always been one of my favorites because of his loyalty to Ramius. One of Neils best performances. Tim Curry is good as the weasal Soviet doctor. He plays a weasal better than anybody else. James Earl Jones is himself in this movie and like Connery is just the man. I also like Courtney Vance as 2nd Petty Officer Jones. He gives one of the most memorable performances of the movie. This is an all star cast and everybody is fantastic.

John Mctiernan is one of the best directors in Hollywood. He was one of the biggest when this moive was done with hit titles under his belt like Die Hard and Predator. He can make a good action thriller and this is one of the best ones ever made.

The cinematography is great in the film. You feel like your on real naval ships. The uniforms are authenic on both fleets. The sound is fantastic. This is such a well made movie and the is the movie that all submarine movies should stive to look like.

This is such a good movie. It's made to perfection with a great cast, well made, awesome score, and is just flawless. If you want to sit down and watch a good action thriller than this is it. You will struggle to find a better made movie than this.

Best of the Series
Though I have to admit that I prefered Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan, I'll have to give THFRO the nod for the best in the series. The show's brilliant. Brilliant script that is well executed by wonderful acting. Sean Connery's the man. Can't imagine anyone else playing Ramius. Baldwin did a wonderful job playing Ryan. His best role till date. Would have been greeat to have seen him develop the character in the sequels. And furthermore, James Earl Jones aka the voice of Darth Vader makes his presence in all 3 movies felt though his air time's brief. His presence was greatly missed in The Sum of All Fears.

If the studios are planning another Jack Ryan movie..... please get rid of Affleckand bring back Baldwin. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Washington and Ryan in a Gulf War "Rashomon"
The basic plot line of "Courage Under Fire" is that Lt. Col Nathaniel Sterling (Denzel Washington) is investigating an incident during the Gulf War to determine whether or not the Medal of Honor should be awarded to Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan). It does not take us long to find out that the title of this film refers to both Sterling and Walden. The initial story on Walden, the pilot of a rescue helicopter, is that she made a spectacular rescue of a downed helicopter crew, then fought off attacking Iraquis after her own copter crashed, dying right before they were rescued themselves. But as Sterling questions the surviving members of Walden's crew, he discovers their various versions do not jive, and he begins to question what is the truth. Moreover, Sterling is haunted by his own actions during the Gulf War, where he was responsible for a "friendly fire" incident that resulted in the death of American soldiers. To complicate matters, Sterling is drinking too much, has grown distant from his family, and is being hounded by a commanding officer who wants the P.R. value of Walden receiving the medal and a reporter who knows something of what happened to the Colonel in Iraq.

"Courage Under Fire" makes excellent use of the "Rashomon" technique, wherein we get to see each person's version of what really happened in Iraq. Sterlings own feelings of guilt and responsibility for what happened in Iraq provide an additional level of depth to the narrative (more so than in Kurosawa's original classic film in fact). Some may find the parallel attempts to find redemption to be somewhat heavy handed, but ultimately the film succeeds because of the solid acting performances. In addition to Washington and Ryan, who knew have a scene together, there are solid performances from Lou Diamond Phillips and a very underweight Matt Damon as surviving members of Walden's crew, Michael Moriarity as the General, Scott Glenn as the reporter, and Regina Taylor as Sterling's wife. Certainly this film is closer to the reality of Desert Storm than "Three Kings," but the main enjoyment here is watching Ryan and her crew do the same lines with totally different meanings because of radical changes in context while Washington tries to find meaning in his own life.

Very Good
On the surface this was a good movie. Denzel Washington must investigate the situation surrounding a medical chopper being shot down and if the commanding office of that chopper, Meg Ryan, should receive the medal of honor. She would be the first woman ever to receive this decoration, and it would be posthumously. Denzel's character receives conflicting information and is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. The cast is rounded out by Lou Diamond Phillips, Matt Damon and a few other familier faces.

Under the surface this becomes a better movie. Denzel's character is struggling with a friendly fire incident he was just involved in and is willing to take responsibility that the Pentagon will not allow him. His inner struggle is a fine secondary story line and as any good soldier would do he is doing without the help of his family (his wife is trying to help) or his friend and commanding officer (whom he will not turn to).

An excellent insight into human emotion, the conflict of war, the battle of the sexes and one man's struggle to do what is right. A worthwhile addition to any DVD library.

Good movie, compelling story...
Courage Under Fire stars Denzel Washington, who plays a very convincing LTC Nathaniel Sterling, a tank commander in the Gulf War; and Meg Ryan as a CPT Karen Walden, a pilot killed in action during the Gulf War who is considered for recommendation for the Medal of Honor, the first woman to be considered for this award.

Meg Ryan appears in the movie only in several of the numerous flashbacks. The movie revolves around two storylines: the facts behind the death of Meg Ryan's character, CPT Walden, and the life of LTC Sterling who has the unfortunate assignment to uncover what really happened when CPT Walden was killed.

Throughout the movie, LTC Sterling must face his own demons, including a drinking problem, difficulties with his wife, and a Washington reporter hounding him for information on the story he's researching.

Lou Diamond Phillips and Matt Damon also appear in the movie, both of whom portray soldiers who witnessed the events that led to CPT Walden's death.

Good, involving story
Yes, I praise the film for its veracity and the qualities of the various members of the cast. But, let's remember the only woman who has ever been awarded the Medal of Honor in all the
history of the award, Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, of Civil War fame.
Don't lose sight of the real thing!

Big-name stars: A great story, brilliantly acted.
First off, the time for this review is a little off. (09/2003) Right now the "anti-war" crowd seems to hold sway ... at least in the media. But take it from a former soldier, this is a great and very realistic story about what happens under fire.
(War ... IS ugly. But perhaps September 11th, 2001 taught us there are some battles you should not run away from.)

You should also read a few of the other reviews about this movie, they are very well-done.

This story is about Denzel Washington's character (Sterling) who is assigned to investigate a dead helicopter's actions after their aircraft went down in the first Gulf War. (1990) The deceased helicopter pilot is Meg Ryan's character (Walden); she gets precious little screen-time in this movie ... it is perhaps the only criticism I can think of that is valid.

I don't need to tell you the rest of the details, story and technique of this film, other reviews do this as well as anyone possibly could. What I do have to offer is a word about the acting of this movie.

Normally Denzel Washington plays action characters, and Meg Ryan almost always seem to do a comedy/drama about a woman in love. Here both actors are engaged in a radical departure from their normal fare.

I don't know how many Oscar's this film was nominated for, (and I don't really care, Oscar's seem to be as much about politics as anything else); but Washington, Ryan, and Damon all give performances that are quite worthy of this award. And the rest of the cast is very good as well. I would personally like to say that this film could have easily been the best picture of the year, and the actor's could have easily walked away with several statues. The director could have won an Oscar as well.

In the end, you are irrevocably drawn into the story and live it, just as you should be with a really good film. My only word of warning is that this is a real tear-jerker, the end of this one could have you crying like a baby.

There are few films that I would recommend to anyone, this movie is definitely one of those. (Of course you have to put the kids to bed, some of the words, action, and violence are not really suitable for children.) A+ ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Meg movie that is not a comedy
Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serving (Denzel Washington) makes the ultimate boo boo. In the heat of the moment he targets our side. While still in a slump over this he is challenged to check out Captain Karen Emma Walden (Meg Ryan) who is inline for the Medal of Honor. We go through several versions of her story. Meg Ryan does a good job of portraying the different personalities as describe. ... Read more