I went into this wanting to like it, knowing it was a true story..

The first hour is a home-front dramatic boring soap opera, then corny spoon-fed humor during boot camp with Vince Vaughn as the fat DI! Not once was there an F-bomb anywhere in the movie, not quite WWII era grunt realism. "gee-golly gosh-darn"

Next we have a Law&Order case type movie, I was checking my watch at that point maybe over an hour in.. I really felt nothing for this character given the direction.

Now we get to battle, with a character I really don't feel for, here's Mel's redundant video-game like battle scenes: Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade*Machine-gun/Flame-thrower/grenade* ...Of course with some CGI thrown in, and childish zombie type jump-scares. I don't want to hear that's how it was, yes battles have highs and lulls, but this fast paced editing is just what a 12yr old would eat up. But yet we are not playing COD, we're supposed to be watching an Oscar worthy movie?? Ya right, I'll forward all my bank account on paypal to anyone who wants it if this wins an Oscar.

The soundtrack was lacking, the most generic type classic scores playing.

There was no art in this film, just a overlong drawn out made-for-tv style movie..

What happened to great anti-war movies like: Platoon, Thin Red Line, Stalingrad 93', Hamburger Hill, Beach Red, Long days Dying, Come and See, Cross Of Iron, Rescue dawn, Rumor Of War, and 84 Charlie Mopic? All these new war movies are so watered down, and comedic like SPR, Windtalkers, or Hacksaw, all I can think of is the producers want the kids to buy tickets, as adults don't pay off anymore.

I have nothing but respect for the vets this movie was based off, I just wish some better director got a hold of the story, or a full feature documentary was done on it.