''We Were Soldiers'' Is A Solid War Movie. Review on We Were Soldiers Movie

I saw this movie at a special screening whose audience was made up of mostly Canadian army and naval reserves. I actually got the tickets for the screening from my university economics teacher who is also in the naval reserves, but who could not go last night. Many of those reserves in the theater were in uniform. And there were many older men who looked very tough, and were either still serving or had served themselves. There were also a lot of other people in the theatre, who probably weren't with the Canadian army or navy, and like myself, most of the theatre was in tears by the end of this movie.

And I will admit that I did have this horrible gut feeling that ''We Were Soldiers'' was going to be a horribly cliched, popcorn fluff of a movie. But how wrong I was, for ''We Were Soldiers'' actually puts together a strong ensemble cast in a fascinatingly true story that ties that everything together almost seamlessly. The cast is lead by Mel Gibson, who turns in a finely textured performance as Hal Moore, a respected leader and tactician in the US Army. And Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear, Sam Elliot, Madeleine Stowe and Keri Russell all bring in strong performances.

''We Were Soldiers'' finely paints the birth of what would become the Vietnam War, ne of the movie's many themes explores beginnings and ends, as well as opposites and similarities among people. In that respect, it's a smart movie that goes beyond the standard action-oriented war flick, moving into the more cerebral and tactic-formation thoughts that lie behind a war.

Like ''Saving Private Ryan,'' and even this year's ''Black Hawk Down,'' ''We Were Soldiers'' presents us with some amazingly strong visual images and action sequences. The action is raw and real, as if we really are one of the combatants, and at times the camera itself is covered in blood, or engulfed in the flames, or sitting in the cockpit of the helicopter under fire. It's amazingly jarring and realistic, and like ''Saving Private Ryan,'' at many times you find yourself shaking and crying at the horrible reality of the hell so many young men faced.

But, unlike ''Saving Private Ryan,'' ''We Were Soldiers'' takes the time to introduce us to its cast of characters before sending them into the heart of hell. In fact, the film serves as an interesting introduction to the Vietnam war, by showing us the development of the tactics that would be used to fight it. So, by the time it does get into the heat of battle (especially for those who have no army or naval background) we have a strong sense of what they are doing and why. And in that respect we are given a very chilling foreshadowing of what would become a long and drawn out war.

My only real qualm with ''We Were Soldiers'' is that director Randall Wallace (who also wrote the screenplay based on a book by General Hal Moore), doesn't rely on the strength of his story. At times, the director lapses into what he probably feels are wonderful images, such as when a photographer is taking his pictures and the stills fade in and out around him, or when letters are being handed out to wives who have lost their husbands to the battlefield. These scenes could easily be cut and more fittingly belong in a made-for-television movie. These same ideas could be conveyed in a much simpler tone that doesn't scream out at its audience as a cue to make them cry. In fact, I felt angry that the director was belittling me in this way with these corny scenes, by giving me such powerfully simple and effective scenes elsewhere that did make me cry so easily. But those scenes are few and far between in comparison to so many which are so powerful, which allows me to enthusiastically recommend ''We Were Soldiers.''

My Grade for ''We Were Soldiers'': B+

(Movie originally reviewed on February 22, 2002)