In the years since the completion of the Vietnam War there have been many books and movies made on the experiences of our men and women in this horrific conflict. Classic films such as Oliver Stone’s “Born on the 4th of July”, and “Platoon” took a look at the conflict through the eyes of an individual and those around him, and illustrated how the war changed them. The late Stanley Kubrick gave audiences a gripping and unforgettable look at Marine training in “Full Metal Jacket”, but no matter how many times a film is set in Vietnam, it is often compared to the classic “Apocalypse Now” as that film set the standard for Vietnam movies with its diverse characters and dramatic scenes.

Mel Gibson is no stranger to war movies as his recent turn in “The Patriot”, was a grand epic about Americas struggle for independence. In the new film “We Were Soldiers”, Gibson plays real life hero Lt Colonel Hal Moore. A soldier who is given the task of training platoons in the new armored Calvary of mobile infantry. His men will be the first to use helicopters to enter combat zones and engage the enemy. With the crisis in Vietnam heating up, Moore understands that it is only a matter of time before his unit will be called into action, and struggles with the notion of not having combat ready troops in time to do the missions they are asked to undertake. A keen student of history, Moore realizes that he will be pitted against a determined enemy with twenty years of combat experience who are fighting on their own soil. Moore is also a content family man and a devote Catholic who loves his wife Julie (Madeline Stowe), and his children. The call to deploy does arrive and Moore is asked to lead 350 men in a retaliation strike against a recent raid by the Viet Cong. Smelling a trap, Moore leads his men in with the promise that he will be the first to enter the field of battle, the last to leave, and that no soldier living or dead will be left behind. The enemy is engaged and Moore and his troops soon find themselves against a well-fortified force of nearly 4000 enemy troops. What follows is a three-day battle of what was to be known as the Valley of Death and how Moore and his men fared against overwhelming odds. The film gives a dynamic look at the battle as the only diversions from the action are when the scene switches to the enemy side where we see their strategy and thoughts on the conflict as well as back in the states where Julie Moore has taken up the task of delivering the telegrams to wives informing them that there husbands have been lost in battle. Based on the book We Were Soldiers Once and Young by Joe Galloway (who is played by Barry Pepper in the film), and the now retired General Moore, Soldiers does not glorify war, and instead paints the conflict in the most basic of human terms, there is some graphic violence in the film but it is factual and never gratuitous. The dedication, fear, loyalty, and loss, of troops on both sides are well illustrated and the film is informative without being preachy or grandstanding. The supporting cast is excellent and Sam Elliott and Greg Kinnear do fantastic work in support of Gibson. Gibson is a marvel as his portrayal of Moore is intense, but never seems forced or out of character for the man he is portraying. He is cool under fire, yet cares for every man under his command, and is not above getting to know his men on a personal level as well as offering words of support and gratitude in the midst of a pitched battle. I found the pacing of the film to be appropriate to the story as director Randall Wallace knows when to hit the accelerator and when to slow things down for the right emotional impact without being overly sappy. The only negative I had with the film was the role of Lt. Jack Geoghegan (Chris Klein), who I felt was a little unfinished after being established early in the film and sharing a great chapel scene with Moore where they discuss Gods view of the conflict and the fine line of being a soldier and a father. Nevertheless, the film is a well-crafted movie that shows one again that Gibson is a talented actor who has an uncanny eye for projects and has once again given audiences a winner.

4 stars out of 5

Historically speaking, Vietnam was a nightmare of a war. It changed the face of American warfare from the moment troops were sent in. Men died, families cried and our pursuit of the "red menace" continued. As the war magnified, America began to devour itself from within. It wasn't our war and it became our undoing. We lost that war and it was probably the most un-honorable war ever to be fought.

In the new Mel Gibson film, "We Were Soldiers", a sliver of that war is looked at again. Gibson stars as Col. Hal Moore, a family man and career soldier, who has to lead a regiment of "green-horns" into one of the fiercest land campaigns in the Vietnam War. The battle Moore's regiment will end up in the middle of is dubbed "The Valley of Death" which was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Moore promises he will be first off the chopper into the heat of battle and the last to get on the chopper when it concludes. Moore is honorable and drives passion into his men. Moore is also a "war-history" analyst and tries to examine all sorts of military campaigns. He seems to focus on General Custer when he is assigned the 7th Cavalry for his tour in Vietnam. Who will survive to see his wife's face again? Who will face a bayonet to the gut?

On many levels, I had a lot of problems with "We Were Soldiers". The film is conceived like one of the old war movies of the 1950s except with tons of juicier squibs being exploded throughout. After witnessing "Black Hawk Down" and "Saving Private Ryan", this film is quite tame and I anticipated more from it.

From a historical angle, "We Were Soldiers" doesn't even try to capture the horror or the truth behind Vietnam. The battle scenes hardly even scratch the surface of the actual horror the men must have felt. The film does mark Hollywood's first attempt at making an honorable Vietnam film, if that is possible. In a post 9-11 era, this film will be appreciated and in some cases embraced. But I do believe that there have been so many other films about Vietnam that are twice or three times better than this. Films like "Apocalypse Now", "Platoon", "Full Metal Jacket" and "The Killing Fields" show Vietnam as the way it probably was and with more realism.

While watching this film, I had to remind myself that this was even a Vietnam film. In some of the action sequences, I half expected Gibson to meet up with John Wayne and attack the Japanese. The thing that seems to separate World War II and Vietnam War films is the horror of war and the pessimism often displayed by soldiers in Vietnam. The soldiers knowing that they are being consumed and are desperate to survive. "We Were Soldiers" seems to display more of the "Gung Ho-John Wayne" style of war films where the consuming desperation is no where to be seen. Is this good? Well on the realistic side probably not but in some ways it probably is for sensitive people still dealing with the events of 9-11.

The film does pay homage to the men who died but not to the historical event as a whole. If we are going to honor the men who died at least tell an accurate account with some realism and passion. The men deserved a better tribute.

I did really enjoy how much Mel Gibson embraced his character but I really didn't feel that his character grew from the beginning of the story to the end. He seemed to be the same man throughout. War changes us so how come Moore wasn't affected.

The performance that I probably enjoyed the most of the film was Barry Pepper, who plays a reporter who is swallowed by the battle and has to choose to fight or observe. He was the only hi-light in "Battlefield: Earth" and wonderful as baseball legend Roger Maris in "61*". Pepper is an unsung actor that needs to be recognized.

I also enjoyed Sam Elliot as the film's stubborn Sgt.-Major. It's nice to see Elliot front and centre again. I have really have missed the veteran actor.

"We Were Soldiers" doesn't pave any new ground or try to. It just is what it is. How can Hollywood make an honorable war film about a dishonorable war? Well they have now.

(2.5 of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.

Side Note: Is it just me or is Madeleine Stowe, who plays Gibson's wife in the film, starting to look more and more like Cher?