The Great Raid is not a great movie, nor is it a great war movie when you compare it to the likes of Schindler's List or even Band of Brothers. The first half of the film is pretty evenly-paced, with just lots of talk and the occasional (and necessary) scenes of Japanese brutality, albeit tastefully shot so that the film could retain it's PG-13 rating.
The film only picks up during the last 30 minutes, when the actual raid takes place. Now that was 30 minutes of pure nail-biting suspense, especially when you remember that the story was based on true events.
A very beefed-up Cesar Montano appears in only 40% of the film, but it was nice that he wasn't made out to be an extra. His character (and the rest of the Pinoy guerills) were shown to be an indispensable part of the operation, and he even gets his own one-liner (watch out for the "Mga lintik kayo!") and solo screen shot. While I'm not sure if this film is his ticket to Hollywood stardom, it's still respectable exposure neverthless (compared to Paolo Montalban, whose screen time in this movie was a pitiful 30 seconds, maybe even less
As far as B-movies go, this one really isn't bad. I highly recommend it—to both history buffs and non-buffs alike—if only for us to gain a little more persepctive about our past, as well as appreciate the present that we have.
1 comment:
hey jac! didnt know na showing na pala itong movie! :)
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