When Black Hawk Down was over, my expression showed that I disliked it. But, expressions do not always go along with feelings. The gruesome realism the movie contains made me cringe, but it was what made Black Hawk Down so good. What's a war movie without gorry violence? I thought that Black Hawk Down was a heck of a film with gore, or without, but realistic war violence made it the movie that it was.

     Now, I'm not a big Josh Hartnett fan, only teenage girls that base a movie on a guys looks are. In Black Hawk Down, he is so covered in rubble it doesn't really matter! He is very good, though. He fit the profile for his role perfectly; a muscular young man serving in the military. Hartnett exercises his versatility as an actor here. I look forward to seeing him in more war-based movies.

     Was Ridley Scott good, or was Ridley Scott good? One of the aspects I liked in Black Hawk Down was the admirable direction. The scene sequences, blocking, and camera positioning were all perfect. He brings something to a film that other directors don't. I have really disliked any of his films in the past. But this was better than most of them, though his other films like Hannibal and Gladiator, were very well done in the direction department.

     Once again, I admired Black Hawk Down the most because of it's realistic simulation of war. The gruesome, gory violence explained in great detail what war is really like. I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again, whenever you can make close simulation of real life in a movie, it's got to be good. That's the beauty of the movies; you can fracture real life all you want without doing any damage! The realism is the key to this films extravagant performance.

     One thing that made this realism come alive in Black Hawk Down was the onscreen effects. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings did deserve to win the award for visual effects an the Academy Awards but Black Hawk Down was a great contender. The bombs, guns, and not to mention injuries were all made via special effects. Everything once impossible has now come to life through these alterations.

     This was one of the year's greatest movies. It is chocked full of action-packet adventure. Viewing it makes you feel like you are a real recruit for the army. Black Hawk Down is a wonderful masterpiece! You need to look at this movie for what it is, and not what they could've put into it. It is a must see for all veterans and fans of the war genre. Black Hawk Down will definitely be a part of my DVD collection when released!

 

-Danny, Bucket Reviews