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The Great Raid (2005) Certificate 15

The Great Raid
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Rated 3.0 stars
Average rating
(61%)
 
Starring: Benjamin Bratt | James Franco | Robert Mammone | Max Martini | Joseph Fiennes | Marton Csokas | Natalie Jackson Mendoza | Dale Dye | Craig McLachlan
Director: John Dahl
Studio: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 124 mins
Genres: Action/Adventure | Drama
Languages: English
Dubbed: German, Italian, Spanish
Hearing-impaired: English
Subtitles: English, German, Italian, Spanish
Released: June 12, 2006

Following the 1942 Bataan Death March, thousands of U.S. and Filipino soldiers were imprisoned by the Japanese in a POW camp in Cabantauan in the Philippines. Brutalised, starved, and tortured, the prisoners languished in the camp for nearly three years. But in January 1945, an American battalion, with the help of Filipino guerrillas, planned a daring mission some called it suicide, to rescue the five hundred U.S. soldiers still alive there. The story is based on two books, THE GREAT RAID: RESCUING THE DOOMED GHOSTS OF BATAAN AND CORREGIDOR by William B. Breuer and GHOST SOLDIERS: THE EPIC ACCOUNT OF WORLD WAR II'S GREATEST RESCUE MISSION by Hampton Sides. In addition, several men involved in the raid served as consultants on the project. THE GREAT RAID stars Benjamin Bratt as Lt. Colonel Mucci, an offbeat military man who puts his faith in young Captain Prince (James Franco) to lead the dangerous mission. Among the men imprisoned in the camp are Joseph Fiennes as the ailing Major Gibson and Marton Csokas as Captain Redding, who is always trying to escape. Connie Nielsen adds romantic tension as a war widow smuggling much-needed medicine into the camp.

Highest rated reviews

26 out of 26 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5 stars
not to be missed!

jason pickford from England, 16th August, 2006

This is one of those few films that you really must see. Based on true events during the war in 1945, this film is a real eye opener and reminder of some of the terrible things that went on during the war.The film is well directed and has what I would consider to be a strong cast throughout.

The main story is based around the rescue of many ex-soldiers who have almost been forgotten about. At times this is sure to depress some,with some mild disturbing scenes.However,it should not be missed.

Jason Pickford

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8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4 stars
Great war movie,poor dvd release!

Nicola from Sleaford,Lincolnshire, 18th October, 2006

This is a good war film,even better its a true story of heroic events that succeeded in rescuing 500 men from the japanese,well directed with no stars stealing the main scenes. It took some time for this to come to dvd,and we are given a very poor release here in the uk,why not the 2disc collectors edition with commentaries,very annoying if you love movies. check out www.dvdcompare.net it tells of the best region versions over all. but still a very poignant moving movie deserves to be seen by more people!

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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5 stars
Spielberg Quality directing

A Customer from London, 11th January, 2007

Its based on a true story so you have to hope that they keep it as close to the events as possible, I believe they told it as it happened. The pace is good right from the start and keeps it that way. An emotive powerhouse of a film, had me close to tears at the end.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 2 stars
Utterly Ordinary

Rich from UK, 24th November, 2006

Sadly this movie has nothing really special going for it. Its a real throw back to the old 40/50's war movies where square jawed heroic yanks overwhelm hordes of evil monstrous Japs/Germans. This movie's only good point is its portrayal of the Phillipino soldiers which makes a bit of change. Its not a bad movie but its pretty average. Dont waste your time

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Most recent reviews

Rated 3 stars
great movie

dsmillie from , 28th December, 2009

This was an enjoyable movie. If a war movie fan youe will not be disapointed.

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Rated 3 stars
Well paced

Dungbeetle from , 5th November, 2009

A long war film but well directed with a good cast so it keeps your attention throughout. Jumping from one storyline to another then back was a little uneven sometimes but still a good effort.

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*** May contain spoilers ***


Rated 2 stars
The longest and the most boring raid I've seen

JustKewl from , 19th September, 2009

It's no wonder this filme is called the Great Raid. It's had to be given just How long it took for things to start happening here! The film was very boring for most part. Even when things got going in the last 30 minutes, it was boring and uneventful. An unconvincing and needless romance between a resistance woman and a soldier was taking up much of the film, though the two charactors never met in the film. The film has a narration at the beginning, in somes scenes during the film and at the end. The theme seems to be that these American soldiers were left and forgotten by the government for 4 years. However, their comrades did come back for them eventually! Oh well, that's alright then, leaving aside what the soldiers went through out there. It the subject matter, in this regard, seems to be treated with some moral fippancy. There's no feeling in this film, no connection the charactors to a real story. The film is rather cold in that respect. The scenes at the end are of genuine black and white footage, all portrayed in that flippant 'everything was alright in the end, so lets forget about what went on before'. No, this film smacks of back patting the government propaganda.

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Rated 2 stars
The Big Snooze

MontyMole from , 27th August, 2009

Ponderous, mis-cast and with a strange (because probably the budget was enormous) low-cost tv movie feel about it. Manges to turn one of the most exciting episodes of WW2 into probably its dullest movie.

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