The Great Raid

The World War II adventure sat on the shelf for nearly three years before it was finally released this month with very little publicity | Andrew Coffin

Go see this movie.

The Great Raid (rated R for strong war violence and brief language—more on this later) is almost certainly doomed to fail at the box office. The World War II adventure sat on the shelf for nearly three years before it was finally released this month with very little publicity from its studio, Miramax. (Miramax is dumping off projects left and right as founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein complete their messy exit from parent studio Disney.)

More importantly, The Great Raid is the type of film that just isn't made anymore. One would be hard-pressed to come up with a half dozen war films within the last 30 years that treat the American military with this sort of straightforward, uncynical respect. Needless to say, this won't win the film any respect from mainstream critics. Industry trade magazines have already been condescending and dismissive in their reviews. Variety described The Great Raid as "leaden and literal-minded," promising that the film "will bore all but the most nobly patriotic of [audiences]." The Hollywood Reporter complains that the film "substitutes stoic noble types for full-blooded individuals and history lesson for drama."