Movie #128 - U-571

"You won't come up for air until it's over!"

Great premise to this movie. If you are an avid fan of the History Channel, you have probably seen a number of documentaries on the effort to retrieve the Enigma device, a machine that allowed the Nazis to be able to communicate without detection - one of the key strategic advantages of the WWII U-boat campaign.

Although the U-571 film itself was fiction, it is based on various true missions in which the effort to obtain the Enigma device and its relevant code books to decipher the code were made by the Allied forces.

Cast with a solid team of actors, Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi are the headliners. There are some solid support roles offered by David Keith, Jake Weber, Jack Noseworthy, Will Estes, and Erik Palladino.

The film starts off fairly slowly as we learn of the plot and the mission to be undertaken by the cast. With unforeseen changes to the original plans, the remaining cast members are forced to use the U-boat that they have raided to escape the Germans.

Once that part of the story begins, the movie itself becomes scripted and predictable. With a submarine movie, apart from torpedo scenes and compelling moments with depth charges, the movie isn't really exciting anymore. Maybe I am just a little jaded with this film, considering I watch the second half of it almost every time its on television. I've probably seen the chase scenes more than 10 times at the very least.

In the end, what's amazing is that the sailors of WWII actually had missions like this and that our grandparents' generation had to endure such events in their lives. For that alone, this movie is a must see, maybe not for its acting or overall quality as a film, but for its historical references to what did in fact occur during those U-boat / Enigma campaigns.

Movie #40 - Tombstone

"Justice is coming!"

Yes - and his name is Kurt Russell (Wyatt Earp). What makes me laugh about this film is that although tagged as one of the best modern Western films ever made, it doesn't get any critical acclaim because it is in fact shot and cast like a strict action movie. Also, what spoiled the success of Tombstone is Kevin Costner's failed attempt at Wyatt Earp - which was released so soon after this film (less than 1 year), that most people disregarded it completely.

What makes this movie a great film and one for those masculine men out there is the wonderfully casting of Val Kilmer (Doc Holliday) contrasted against Sigma Nu's own, Michael Biehn (Johnny Ringo). The constant feud between these two deadly guns of the wild west are captured on film between these two actors. You really feel the hatred Biehn has for Kilmer's character and you definitely know that these two are on a collision course throughout the film.

As a follow up to this movie, I would like to see Kilmer resurrect his role as Doc Holliday in a film just based around his character and life's exploits. However, I think Holliday will be forever linked to Wyatt Earp and his association to his time in Tombstone.

Overall, the film is cast with a number of familiar names: Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, cameo from Charlton Heston (can't have a movie with guns without him), Jason Priestley (who looks really out of place with his fake beard), Thomas Haden Church, Terry O'Quinn (pre-John Locke), Michael Rooker, Billy Bob Thornton, Powers Boothe, and of course, the love interest of Dana Delaney.

If this film had been made today, you would see this film immediately be tagged as a money grab. Most films with more than 2 headliner actors / actresses are usually deemed as such and many of them are. However, you cannot go wrong with Tombstone. If you are a fan of the old westerns with violence like For a Few Dollars More or The Magnificent Seven, you'll definitely enjoy this film. It packs it all in there in a neat little package and it has some great movie quotes that you can use the next time you find yourself in a gunfight.

"I'll be your huckleberry."