Jona1988

(2013-05-16 15:27:02)

Good war movie with attempts at a moral theme

Tears of the sun feels like a film that tries to be both an thrillingwar experience and on the other hand give a thought about the moralaspects. It actually pulls this of quite alright. The war scenes areally well done, delivering a really nasty representation. The tone issad right off from the beginning, a feeling of hopelessness very wellachieved. Bruce Willis plays the character he does in most of hisaction films, he is John McClane even though he isn't called that here.The other characters are also pretty good. After a while one actuallymanages to recognise the other soldiers in the team some by name, whichstates that this is not just some dumb action without an ounce ofcharacter development. The second main role, well played by MonicaBellucci. She feels a bit irritating in the beginning but the viewerswarm to her just like Bruce Willis character, almost impressive. Theaction is very well made, gritty and keeps good suspense. Sometimes itgets somewhat hard to follow when it they cut quick and many soldierslook alike. But that it is a bit chaotic works well to strengthen thefeeling that it shows how war is. However the shooting and fightingdoesn't have such a dominating roll as could be expected. This is wherethe moral comes in. They attempt to give a thought about how peoplecome to be affected by war, both the civilians as usual but in thisfilm especially the soldiers. Bruce Willis though, emotionlesslieutenant is not left indifferent to the horror even if he tries. Theparts that focus on emotion works surprisingly well, it could have gotjust awkward but it doesn't. Still there are flaws in the film . Someclichés as expected, the heroes turn out to be close to pure good andthe bad guys are the evilness in human form. There is a twist in theplot which I felt was so silly I hadn't seen it coming. The ending getsway to long and drawn-out which was not at all necessary. And if youare expecting a cool massive action adventure aka Rambo you might bedisappointed because this is not that kind of film. To summarize, I wasoverall satisfied with Tears of the sun. There are things that could bebetter but the flaws are not to the level where it becomes to annoying.Better than I had thought it would be. 6/10

Amy

(2013-05-16 02:29:16)

Great movie!

This was a great,action packed, heart wrenching movie. Bruce Willis shinesmore than he ever has. During this time of war protests,this movie showsushow wonderful living in the U.S. is. This movie was not a cliched or hokeywar drama, it was suspenseful up until the end. My advise is don't readallthe other reviews for this movie that detail it scene by scene. That ruinsit, Just jump in blind folded.

lucas-winter

(2013-05-13 17:24:59)

A propaganda flim for the war

Tears of the Sun is a very sad movie that does justice to the title. Thestory of Nigeria and bloody political coo that's major reform in thegovernment was to implement genocide. The basis for this genocide wasethiccleansing which meant if you did not believe in the same god as the rebelforces that were taking over Nigeria you were shot in the head. Actuallyyou would have been lucky to get shot in the head. Many were tortured andsome even burned alive. The women were raped and had their breasts cutoffif they were nursing at the time. The United States had a citizen thatwasa doctor working in a mission in Nigeria trying to help all the woundedfromthe bloody coo going on. If the U.S. dose not goes in a save her shewillbe killed like everyone else. I find the time of the release of thismoviealong with the attack on Iraq to be more than a coincidence. The movieisall about the United States coming to the rescue and saving the Americandoctor. The movie goes one step further, with the special opts teamtryingto save the whole village from being wiped out. The team puts theirliveson the line to save the people by marching them to a county while theyarebeing chased down by the murdering rebels. The movie is one big piece ofpropaganda for the United States involvement not only in Nigeria but inanycountry in the world. The movie depicts the rebels as heartlessmurdererswho kill, rape, and burn every thing they meet. The movie shows thisagainand again. This is best depicted when the priest is praying and thegeneraltakes a machete and cuts off the priests head. The camera work in thissense is amazing with a close up to the hand raising and grip tighteningonthe handle then has it as it falls to his head. The scene is cut to atreefilled with white birds all of the sudden flying away. This mightsymbolizethe priest's death and his soul being released to heaven. The rebelsweredepicted as total animals but in most war movies the enemy is. The otheraspect that made this movie a propaganda film was the way the U.S. troopsacted. They were depicted as the people's saviors and they could do nowrong. The U.S. soldiers did what was right no matter if it meant thattheir lives would be in huge danger. This is repeatedly shown in themoviefirst by turning the helicopters around to pick up the kids. Next, bythesoldiers going into a town killing the rebels when they could of wentaroundthe town. It is also shown by a solider running back to grab a Nigerianwomen trapped by gun fire. Using himself as a human shield to save hereventhough he gets killed. If the constant parade of the U.S. great actionsisnot enough, at the end there is a touching scene in which there is acloseup of one of the Nigerian woman the solders saved thanking the remainingsoldiers and crying thanking them and telling them all are blessed bygod.This movie is just the repeating of the same theme of the U.S. doing theright thing no matter what. This is even repeating in the end of themoviewhen their blank screen except for a quote that says `for the triumph ofevil is if one good man to stands ideal and does nothing about it.'

doctardis

(2013-05-13 02:58:39)

Highly underrated

This movie did badly at the box office. It is highly sentimental, and hasmany war movie cliche's, but it is a good movie. If this movie were set insome place other then Africa it probably would have done better. The averageAmerican is very uninterested in horrable situation in Africa. This movieplaces a classic American war movie in the slaughter that has become manyparts of Africa. It makes some Americans the good guy's. That is not so farfrom the truth. Some Americans have been helping there. This is not adocumentary. It is not a love story. It is a war movie, and good one. BruceWillis gives another fine performance. When will people learn that this guycan act.

shaenna_bryce

(2013-04-29 08:35:25)

I loved this movie. if you have a heart then it definitely works.

The movie 'Tears Of The Sun' was amazing. some people felt it was justanother war movie but i believe it was different in the fact that itwas not about Vietnam or ww2 or something we've seen a hundred times.it shows a lot of what really goes on daily and that we don't see. Icried a lot during this movie and once it was over i felt powerless andas though i wanted to make a difference and didn't know where to start.this movie helped change my way of thinking. The music throughout themovie creates tons of emotion with a mixed feelings ending. i did notthink the movie had any boring or dull scenes at all. bottom line, thestory line was good, not much of a twist but you can feel that thedirector is trying to get great emotions across. its not just anotherwar movie about history. it is there to create a difference.

(2013-04-28 21:01:13)

great blu ray

This review is from: Tears of the Sun [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) besides being a good movie the blu ray effects put you right into the film as though you were there while its happening.

(2013-04-28 01:46:28)

I realy enjoyed this one.

this was a great movie. Bruce willis at his best. Although the constant complaining from the nurse gets annoying, the stellar cast deliver a brilliant performance.

John Beifuss

(2013-04-27 09:49:27)

Just in time for the U.S. invasion of Iraq comes 'Tears of the Sun,' a glossy but fraudulent promotion for America's revived role as global policeman.

whiplash2000a

(2013-04-24 01:03:58)

Too fast. Incredibly boring. Lack of convincing characters.

The only dude I felt sorry for was the guy with the mohawk. He was aboutasrealistic of a Ranger/Seal as anybody. I can say this because I know one,and I have seen interviews of some others.Anyway... about the film. It was bad. It didn't leave you feeling badaboutanything, or anybody. However, this type of general situation does happeninthe real world, you know, the one you'll never see or have to worry about.Kinda like the Arctic Nation WildLife Refuge. You'll never go there, noreason to care about it. It won't make a difference on yourlife.Not that the movie had bad acting, but the dialog was weak. If it wouldhavelasted longer and had more interaction with the civilian populationperhapsmovie goers would have felt more sympathy for the people of thisparticularwar-tore african country.My advise, stay out of africa, and don't see this film.

Eugene Novikov

(2013-04-23 13:50:24)

On paper, the movie doesn't sound like it could be a disaster, but trust me: this is horrendously bad stuff.

cariadchdi

(2013-04-17 18:39:46)

Eammon Walker/Bruce Willis

A brilliant film, packed with action,Eammon Walkers best performanceyet!Eammon is one of our best exports to Hollywood,I hope he gets aleadingpart soon!Bruce Willis was his macho-self-boring, but his men kept mewatching!!!!

tangerinehoney

(2013-04-17 11:22:37)

A Movie made with Passion and Conviction

It is refreshing, although ironically sickening that an awareness of thedesecration of humanity in Africa is steadily reaching Hollywood. Moreandmore films are being birthed now from a director's or actors passion totellthe story. This is one such film. I watched the making of "Tears of theSun" and was moved by Antoine Fuqua's objective for making this film.BruceWillis also shared that vision, and as well incorporated actors &actressesthat shared that same vision. Antoine's insistence to only use extraswhoexperienced such horror only adds to the authenticity of film making andI'msure was of an emotional cleansing for those extras.The movie slowed a bit when the group was making it's way across therainforest. But the decision to avoid developing the love story betweenLt.Waters & Dr. Kendrick was a wise one. They instead used the emotion oftheeyes to convey that there was a bond developing between these twocharactersinstead of stripping down and having sex. I had a greater appreciationforthe Navy Seals and for their job that I'm sure due to the high securityoftheir missions goes unrecognized.I enjoyed this movie and although glossified for entertainment, thepaletteof boys who played the team of Navy Seals, to me it pulled those heartstrings and did leave me thinking...What can I do? I think that was whatAntoine Fuqua wanted, to raise awareness. And although Africa is by farnotthe only nation suffering such inhumanity, it does raise the bar of filmmaking.

(2013-04-15 09:19:26)

Nice additions

This extended version of the movie is much better than the original one. If you don't have this movie and have the intention to buy it, go for this one.

James Rocchi

(2013-04-15 02:33:11)

Bruce Willis military actioner has guts, brains and patience -- and while not a masterpiece, it's far better than you'd think.

alienworlds

(2013-04-13 12:03:42)

I was not all that impressed with it somehow

It had a powerful ending but I think the film was based on a moralsupposition that troops will act above and beyond the call of duty whenany human including Africans are threatened. We all know that thesituation in Darfur only cascaded to the low level it reached becauseof a lack of interest from the global community and its varioussoldiering agencies.The film says things are not bad-people will act tohelp the helpless, but in reality things don't aways play out so wellfor the worlds defenceless peoples.In that sense I found the film a bitirritating, despite a well crafted performances from Bruce Willis. Goodif you just want an escape, not satisfying viewing if you are betterinformed.Also, from a purely artistic standpoint I thought the film wasfairly basic in terms of the script, never mind its moralistic storyline. A bit too formulaic. I thought the actors were struggling with ita bit, with the exception of Bruce Willis, who had the most actingexperience in terms of actors in the film. Oh well.

(2013-04-12 15:31:31)

No Die Hard, getting better as the movie progresses

It is hard to see this movie as part of the Die Hard series, for which it was originally written. As a drama, it is a lot better than the comical Die Hard movies. TotS has no humor at all.The story is pretty straighforward and nothing new. Soldiers have to rescue people, see genocide and defy their orders to help the people they feel for.The first 50 mins of the movie are nothing special. Characters are flat (which they are supposed to be) and just do their job. Willis hasn't acted his best in this movie and no one in the movie (except for some of the African actors) really does.The group has to flee and are being chased by a large group of 300 Nigerian soldiers, here the movie takes an interesting turn. It gets more exciting, deeper and you start wondering if they will eventually make it. Here is the hand of director Fuqua.I am not sure, but I have the feeling that he is also very conscientous about the coloring of his movies, Training Day and this one have a lot of deep and dark and yellow colors.Surely no Training Day or Hotel Rwanda, but not a waste of movie or 1,5 hrs of your life either

Dr. Gore

(2013-04-12 13:47:41)

Americans must save helpless Africans!

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*Bruce Willis and Co. drop into Nigeria to save a supermodel doctor. Shewon't leave without her people! So Bruce drags them along too. Moralcomplications arise as Bruce can't leave anyone behind in the hands of thebutchering, evil enemy rebels. Willis tries diplomacy - Navy SEAL's style.Many Africans die horribly. I was looking forward to this one. I was hoping it would go a little intothe current situation in Nigeria. Maybe shed a little light on the goings onthere. No dice. They said they were in Nigeria but it could have just aswell have been any jungle in the world. African "rebels" are chasing themthrough the jungle. There you go. What tribe were they? Were they Muslim andthe refugees Christian? Was that why the country was at civil war? Doesanybody care?So Bruce Willis has one of those crises of conscience that only affectssoldiers in Hollywood movies. He flies over a village and sees dead bodies.This causes him to tell the chopper to turn it around and go back for therefugees. Oh no! Dead bodies?! In a war zone?!! Yikes! Never seen thatbefore! So he disobeys orders for the greater good, the greater good of themovie. Just like a good Hollywood soldier.On the plus side, there were two good battle scenes. There's one in themiddle and one at the end. Things go boom and people go AAAHHH! That's whatI paid to see and I was satisfied. If you can handle the usual Hollywoodversion of war, it's not too bad. Worth a look.

Steven D. Greydanus

(2013-04-12 07:11:19)

In the absence of any larger drama of characters or exploration of moral issues, the horror seems manipulative rather than dramatically justified.

stevenreplogle

(2013-04-11 16:07:06)

Not a bad movie, not a great movie

I was in the mood to waste $6 anyways, and for a war flick to boot. Tearsis not nearly Black Hawk Down caliber, but the story line is decent, andBWdoes a nice, workman-like job. But Monica Belluci???She is a TOTAL waste of time in this picture, over-pouty emotions, staid &constipated expression. The cleavage shots are unnecessary, as is thehinted-at, obligitory attraction between Monica and BW, that thankfullynever develops. There is also a painfully unnecessary 'emotional'thank-youfrom one of the Nigerian refugees.Yes, it follows a tired & true Hollywood war movie, and makes obligatory'leaps of faith' assumptions towards 1) doing the 'right thing', inHollywoods eyes, 2) lets Willis's character off the hook on engaging theenemy, and 3) basically violating orders (maybe the 'sequel' could be thecourtmartial trial).But, it fits a feelgood mood, and the cinematography is good, thesupportingcharactars providing some chamradarie, enough to satisfy this low-rentmoviegoer.

tahcamen

(2013-04-10 19:16:16)

Did I see the same movie as the rest of you people?

I thought that this movie kicked ass! (I can say ass cause they say iton TV) Tho it was not of the same caliber as Black Hawk Down it wasbetter than that long winded The Thin Red Line, which by the way I ownand have tried to watch a handful of times and have never been able toget all the way through.Bruce Willis is one of those actors that people love to hate and thereis no reason why. He has been in some great movies - Sixth Sense, TheFifth Element and Unbreakable to name a few - and some bad ones - Colorof Night and maybe the Jackal - but for the most part his movies rockand Tears of the Sun is one of his best.