I watched this as Monday Mystery Movie at my theatre and I think some people were expecting(hoping) for Amsterdam so when this started playing they sighed in disappointment. Bit harsh.
There's a lot of funny bits spread throughout the movie especially in the beginning. However, unless the Vietnam war means something to you, it's really not as moving in the beginning, it starts with several emotional scenes that assume you already care for the characters or the Vietnamese war itself(as an African, I didn't so much). Also, the acting starts out badly, especially from the sister, and after 'Gold' I thought Zac Efron was picking roles to show his acting abilities beyond just the "pretty boy" roles. For the first hour or so I was really just waiting for whenever the action starts, because it felt like a road trip through a war zone without really understanding the gravity of war as it's seen through Chickie's perspective.
Russell Crowe was by far the stand out in his role and dominated every scene he was in. It's a long movie so as it progresses you start to get more invested in it, not just the beer run but the war; but because it's so long it's almost too little too late, emphasis on almost.
The second half of the movie is much better if you wait it out, with huge intendment on politicians lying to keep their war in good public light. It's however not as moving and generic at the start. Being based on a true story is really what helps the message hold it's weight for the most part, and Efron is probably what's going to attract a lot of viewers.
It could've been better, still a decent movie in the end it just takes too long to find it's stride so it rewards those who wait. Third act of the movie is probably 8/10 for me, much much better towards the end so that might leave you with a more flattering impression than it deserves.
There's a lot of funny bits spread throughout the movie especially in the beginning. However, unless the Vietnam war means something to you, it's really not as moving in the beginning, it starts with several emotional scenes that assume you already care for the characters or the Vietnamese war itself(as an African, I didn't so much). Also, the acting starts out badly, especially from the sister, and after 'Gold' I thought Zac Efron was picking roles to show his acting abilities beyond just the "pretty boy" roles. For the first hour or so I was really just waiting for whenever the action starts, because it felt like a road trip through a war zone without really understanding the gravity of war as it's seen through Chickie's perspective.
Russell Crowe was by far the stand out in his role and dominated every scene he was in. It's a long movie so as it progresses you start to get more invested in it, not just the beer run but the war; but because it's so long it's almost too little too late, emphasis on almost.
The second half of the movie is much better if you wait it out, with huge intendment on politicians lying to keep their war in good public light. It's however not as moving and generic at the start. Being based on a true story is really what helps the message hold it's weight for the most part, and Efron is probably what's going to attract a lot of viewers.
It could've been better, still a decent movie in the end it just takes too long to find it's stride so it rewards those who wait. Third act of the movie is probably 8/10 for me, much much better towards the end so that might leave you with a more flattering impression than it deserves.