The Miramax Studios version of an epic World War Two POW rescue mission, The Great Raid, opens today.Five hundred thirteen American prisoners—of—war, including … The raid by U.S. Rangers was the most successful raid on a prisoner of war camp in American History. Written by Traveling thirty miles behind enemy lines, they intend to liberate over 500 American Soldiers from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever. Rommel ... See full summary ». 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"[4] He continued, "[The film] has been made with the confidence that the story itself is the point, not the flashy graphics. After " Stealth " and its high-tech look-alikes, which make warfare look like a video game, "The Great Raid" shows the hard work and courage of troops whose reality is danger and death. "The Great Raid" (2005) is a sadly forgotten movie about the daring POW rescue raid on Cabanatuan in the Philippines in 1945. [citation needed], Throughout the film, the viewpoint switches between the POWs at Cabanatuan, the Rangers, the Filipino resistance and the Japanese. Read our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're watching in March, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Boss Level, and Zack Snyder's Justice League. The film showcases the efforts of American soldiers and the Filipino resistance guerrilla, rescuing Allied prisoners of war from a Japanese POW camp. The story line is telegraphed from word one and the meticulous unfolding plot plods ahead inexorably without the slightest bit of suspense. As of June 2020 , on Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an approval rating of 38%, based on 119 reviews with an average score of 5.32/10. The Great Raid invades the home market in two versions: The Wide Screen Director’s Cut or Full Screen Edition. The Great Raid (2005) is available on Netflix United States. The Great Raid It’s been awhile since a movie recaptured the exhilaration of a good, classic World War II hero story. The Great Raid DVD 2005 War Movie - True Story of Historical WWII Rescue . Use the HTML below. “The Great Raid” is an outstanding film from 2005 that tells the story of perhaps one of the most unheralded, and yet successful rescue operations in U.S. Army history. Still, it's the one sequence in the film where everybody works with the same conviction. An inspirational true story of the most triumphant rescue mission in U.S. military history! In this film many of U.S. Service Men are trapped in a Japanese Concentration Camp who inflicted horrible tortures and slaughter hundreds of American Soldiers and women who are treated worse than animals. The Americans used a Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter to divert Japanese attention while the Rangers were crawling toward the camp; the aircraft used in the movie was a Lockheed Hudson, because none of the four surviving P-61s were airworthy when the film was made. "[8], James Plath of Movie Metropolis wrote, "In many ways, The Great Raid adheres to the genre right down to the character types and before-battle thoughts, but it's also a curious combination of modern war tale in the manner of Saving Private Ryan and the kind of patriotic films that were made in the waning years of the war and in the fifties. 6 of 8 people found this review helpful. Less forgivable is how Dahl squanders tension for an hour and a half cutting between the suffering prisoners and resistance intrigues in Manila and the long march of the Rangers, and a fictionalized romance story that might have made a nice little movie by itself. But director John Dahl (Joy Ride) and the screenwriters have conjured a dreary, old-fashioned 'last roundup' of war movie and prisoner-of-war movie cliches, small but forgivable sins. While drying out on the West Coast, an alcoholic hitman befriends a tart-tongued woman who might just come in handy when it's time for him to return to Buffalo and settle some old scores. [citation needed], James Franco wrote about the making of the movie in his novel Actors Anonymous. Ebert praised the film, saying, "Here is a war movie that understands how wars are actually fought. She was eventually released, but spent six weeks recovering from gangrene as a result of injuries sustained from beatings. The Raid at Cabanatuan (Filipino: Pagsalakay sa Cabanatuan), also known as The Great Raid (Filipino: Ang Dakilang Pagsalakay), was a rescue of Allied prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians from a Japanese camp near Cabanatuan City, Philippines. As of August 2014, the film had a score of 48 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 29 reviews. Set in the Philippines in 1945 towards the end of WWII, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci and Captain Robert Prince, the 6th Ranger Battalion undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. A memorial has been erected on the site and McDole, in his eighties, was able to attend the dedication. [3] The consensus on Rotten Tomatoes was that the film was too long with too many subplots, although the actual raid was exciting. A very realistic interpretation of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War. "[6] He said the film was made more in the style of movies from the 1940s, with the hero being the unit involved in the action instead of individuals, a technique which is rarely used today and explains the "essentially starless" cast drawing mainly from television or film supporting roles. The Great Raid was based on William B. Breuer 's book The Great Raid on Cabanatuan: Rescuing the Doomed Ghosts of Bataan and Corregidor, and also stars Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen, and Marton Csokas. [2] As of June 2020[update], on Rotten Tomatoes, the film had an approval rating of 38%, based on 119 reviews with an average score of 5.32/10. Item information. What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Unrated Director's Cut. The Great Raid 70% 37% 2005 132 min R Drama, History, Military/War, Action/Adventure Feature Film In early 1945, as World War II is nearing its end, Gen. Douglas MacArthur selects Lt. Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) to command a bold rescue mission in the Philippines. Price: AU $19.95 . As World War II rages, the elite Sixth Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war. "[5] He concluded that the film "amounts to a noble failure. The Great Raid Watch Movies Online | Full Length Movies (HD 1080p), watch The Great Raid online movie 2005 As World War II rages, the elite Sixth Ranger Battali Condition: Like new. In particular, the film covers the resistance work undertaken by nurse Margaret Utinsky, who smuggled medicine into the POW camps. The film is well directed, and boasts a great cast of actors that elevate the film’s compelling story. The Great Raid isn't a perfect film, but it's an engaging one, and, at times, a powerful one. Movie Info In early 1945, as World War II is nearing its end, Gen. Douglas MacArthur selects Lt. Col. Henry Mucci (Benjamin Bratt) to command a bold rescue mission in the Philippines. “The Great Raid” is an outstanding film from 2005 that tells the story of perhaps one of the most unheralded, and yet successful rescue operations in U.S. Army history. Finally, the Great Raid script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the World War 2 movie by John Dahl starring James Franco, Benjamin Bratt, etc. Movies. Was this review helpful to you? The Price of Freedom: Making The Great Raid Captain Dale Dye's Boot Camp Sound Design Mixing The Great Raid The Mix Board War In the Pacific Interactive Timeline The Veterans Remember Sneak Peeks Play All The Yards Director's Cut The Brothers Grimm Secuestro Express Flightplan Play Movie The plot is so incredible that you have to … "[10], Mike Clark of USA Today said, "Just about any golden age Hollywood hack could have made a zestier drama about one of the greatest rescue missions in U.S. military history," and criticized "Franco's droning voice-over" for spelling out "every sliver of historical context", and also said "a huge chunk of time is given to an uncompelling romance between a major...and a widowed nurse. But Spielberg's story, for all its gut-wrenching intensity, was a fiction. In fact, it's worth a lot."[13]. Steven Rea of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "The Great Raid, which documents the largest rescue mission in U.S. military history (and ends with archival footage of many of the real soldiers portrayed in the film), lacks the visceral sweep of Saving Private Ryan. Here is a war movie that understands how wars are actually fought. When American submarine Swordfish is torpedoed the survivors are picked up by a passing German U-boat but an outbreak of meningitis threatens all aboard. It's an exhausted sprawl with multiple story foci, none of them terribly compelling," concluding, "Dahl does vividly re-create that least heralded burden of war: the boredom. Adapted from Breuer’s The Great Raid on Cabanatuan and Sides’ Ghost Soldiers, this film reaffirms familiar oppositions between bravery and iniquity, by way of a by-the-numbers WWII movie plot.And its representations of variously raced characters -- Japanese, the Filipinos, the Caucasians -- are careless. Dahl's movie, slower in pace and conscious of its own artifice, addresses the same issues of courage and sacrifice – and tells a true story. In addition, numerous local Asian students were employed to play Japanese soldiers. "[6], Joel Selvin of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "very boring"; a "story without irony, perspective or any leavening that would make it something other than an ordinary military-action caper. In 1945, American forces were closing in on the Japanese-occupied Philippines. This word today about the JAPS sounds very cruel and offensive to the Japanese people, but during the War Years during WW II in the Pacific this word was used in most American Newspapers and spoken about during this horrible war with a nation that killed and raped many people in Nanking, China. A law student becomes a lieutenant during World War II, is captured and asked to defend a black prisoner of war falsely accused of murder. That's worth something. It was finally released in August 2005, by Miramax Films, which coincided with the formal departure of co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein from the company. It was directed by John Dahl. "[4], Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe criticized a lack of character development and the pace of the film, saying, "On screen, at least, the raid to free the prisoners isn't all that great – just a bunch of explosions and combat maneuvers. This is a great picture which still remembers all the men and women who gave their lives to fight back at the mistreatment of American soldiers. The Great Raid is not a hyper-kinetic flash-banger like Pearl Harbor, nor it is a cerebral rumination like The Thin Red Line; it's just a well-hewn and efficient re-telling of true story that's worthy of remembrance. "[10] He opined that the film was delayed not because it was bad, but because its old-fashioned style is a "tough sell...in today's marketplace. (2005). Two U.S. Marines in World War II are assigned to protect Navajo Marines, who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher. The behind the lines mssion by the U.S. Rangers was one of the great adventure stories of World War II. The Great Raid is a 2005 war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan on the island of Luzon, Philippines during World War II. However, it received more praise from Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who gave it three stars. Landing ... See full summary ». [citation needed]. Taking place towards the end of WWII, 500 American Soldiers have been entrapped in a camp for 3 years. As of August 2014, the film had a score of 48 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 29 reviews. Their mission was to support and protect the Allied Troops marching to Berlin. On August 15, 1944 the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team (PRCT) jumped over the south of France. Janelle Monae to Lead Charlie's Angels Reboot in 2019? [citation needed] The movie ends with the prisoners being liberated. War often presents us with horrible choices: Fall asleep in the theater or fall asleep to the History Channel? The Great Raid is a surprisingly engaging war drama about a real event during the war that tells the story of one of the most daring rescues during the Second World War. Details about The Great Raid DVD 2005 War Movie - True Story of Historical WWII Rescue . However, it took many men and women lives in order to accomplish this mission. [citation needed]. In the epic tradition of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE GREAT RAID is an inspirational true story of the most triumphant rescue mission in U.S. military history! "[5], Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post praised the film as "a riveting, even inspirational account of an American feat of arms about which few know but about which many more should. Search for "The Great Raid" on Amazon.com, Title: [citation needed], The movie was shot in 2002 but it was pulled from release schedule on several occasions. The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Great Raid. Its worldwide gross stands at $10,769,311. Like soldiers on a march, it puts one step in front of another, instead of flying apart into a blizzard of quick cuts and special effects. The massacre is the basis for the recently published book Last Man Out: Glenn McDole, USMC, Survivor of the Palawan Massacre in World War II by Bob Wilbanks, and the opening scenes of the 2005 Miramax film, The Great Raid. As World War II rages, the elite 6th Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war. Beginning to give up hope they will ever be rescued, a group of Rangers goes on a dangerous mission to try and save them. America makes every effort to find these lost prisoners of war and is horrified how the Japanese soldiers treated our people and make a great effort to free all these prisoners. The Great Raid It's a long wait. He is assigned to the Pavia Division on the southern line in Egypt. However, it received more praise from Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert, who gave it three stars. The Great Raid - Official Trailer (HD) The inspirational true story of one of the most the triumphant rescue missions in U.S. military history. "[12] Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Rangers were sent to help rescue the troops whille this movie tells it's true story. It is directed by John Dahl and stars Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Connie Nielsen, Marton Csokas, Joseph Fiennes with Motoki Kobayashi and Cesar Montano. A great deal of effort has been made to achieve a level of anthropological correctness: The weapons are right, the uniforms are right, the equipment is right...The raid itself is a dynamo of action filmmaking, exactly like what the real thing must have been – swift and brutal, with a lot of shooting and no prisoner-taking. Exclusive 1:1 Interview with The Equalizer's Marton Czokas, Ranked: Every Summer Movie Season Since 1980 - Part 1, Hannity & Colmes: Episode dated 12 August 2005. [6] He praised its accuracy, saying, "The war stuff is first-rate all the way through. The life stories of the six men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a turning point in World War II. Menu. The Great Raid (2005) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The film opens with the massacre of prisoners of war on Palawan by the Kempeitai, the Imperial Japanese military's secret police (though factually, it was committed by the Japanese Fourteenth Area Army). The movie was a box office bomb, covering only 12% of its $80 million budget. The "Great Raid," the subject of a new movie, was cloaked in secrecy and draped with urgency. The principal photography took place from July 4 to November 6, 2002, but its release was delayed several times from the original target of Fall 2003. "[7], Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel said, "[The characters are] all real people, and much of this really happened. The Great Raid is a wonderful film of captured U.S. soldiers in Japan. GREAT FILM. [citation needed], Meanwhile, at Lingayen Gulf, the 6th Ranger Battalion under Lt. Col Mucci is ordered by Lt. Gen. Walter Krueger to liberate all of the POWs at Cabanatuan prison camp before they are killed by the Japanese. This one fulfills that and more, balancing action and … It's a portrayal necessitated and perpetuated by war: the enemy must look less than human. The Great Raid is for those who want to know about the most successful raid in history and for all that love WWII films. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. "[9], Scott Weinberg of DVD Talk gave it a positive review, and described the film as "truly an 'old-fashioned' war movie...based on, and adhering very closely to, actual events that occurred in early 1945[.] On January 30, 1945, during World War II, United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts and Filipino guerrillas liberated more than 500 from the POW camp. THE GREAT RAID is a realistic, harrowing portrayal of the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. [citation needed], The movie was filmed in south-east Queensland, Australia utilising a huge, authentic recreation of a prisoner of war camp. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. It has both a realistic sheen, and an element of idealistic flag-waving. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Traveling thirty miles behind enemy lines, they intend to liberate over 500 American Soldiers from the notorious Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp in the most audacious rescue ever. [1] The Great Raid was released on August 12, 2005, and opened at #10 at the box office, gathering $3,376,009 in the opening weekend. The Japanese held around 500 American prisoners who had survived the Bataan Death March in a notorious POW camp at Cabanatuan and subjected them to brutal treatment and summary execution, as the Japanese code of bushido viewed surrender as a disgrace. The audience, meanwhile, has to sit around with the prisoners, waiting for this to happen. themusicman999. Beginning to give up hope they will ever be rescued, a group of Rangers goes on a dangerous mission to try and save them. Four American soldiers and one Brit fighting in Europe during World War II struggle to return to Allied territory after being separated from U.S. forces during the historic Malmedy Massacre. Set in the Philippines in 1945 towards the end of WWII, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci and Captain Robert Prince, the 6th Ranger Battalion undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds. A medical examiner, who was suspected of murdering his wife, is trying an experimental drug to retrieve his wife's and others' memory and maybe find the killer and the mass murderer in a related present case. Set in the Philippines in 1945 towards the end of WWII, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Henry Mucci and Captain Robert Prince, the 6th Ranger Battalion undertake a daring rescue mission against all odds.