MovieChat Forums > Lone Survivor (2014) Discussion > Amazing movie, very badly underrated

Amazing movie, very badly underrated

posted 10 years ago by hyperionfin
6 replies | jump to latest

Easily the best war movie in 10 years. Even of the 21st century? Eastwood's American Sniper might have a chance of being better, as I haven't seen it yet. And because Eastwood. But other than that, cannot name a better war movie from 2000s. Can somebody?

Enemy at the Gates way too cheesy. Iwo Jima and its brother never fully delivered, even though they're great. Inglorious Basterds is a great movie, but it's very difficult to compare it to a serious flick, as it is exploitation film, homage to spaghetti western and a personal fantasy about killing Hitler. Zero Dark Thirty - excellent, excellent film and very similar in many aspects, but I rate Lone Survivor a little better. Zero Dark Thirty was even better in some single aspects than Lone Survivor, such as sound mix/editing but Lone Survivor got the feel, look and small details better in Navy SEAL working methods, ways of life and even the looks of the guys. And that's coming from a guy who loves Chris Pratt. I'm just so sad they messed a few times with gun sounds.

Black Hawk Down used to be my favourite war movie when it was released and I was thing young lad of 18 years. It fits within the time frame also. These movies have some same things that I respect, like showing how chaotic fighting and war can be. But today I find Lone Survivor more true, more real and more genuine.

I just wish they would've done that over-the-top end fight scene in a little more minimalist way. It was just too much. If it was handled differently, we could've been talking about best war movies of all times.

I guess the most serious contender from 21st century would be The Pianist. The "problem", however, is that The Pianist was not that much a war movie in the end. It was more of a drama set during war.

A couple of things done differently and this would be a masterpiece.

[–] Deftone315 10 years ago

Lone Survivor definitely put Berg on the map. However, it was received generally well critically and financially. As I said in another post, I suspect that the film will be recognized more in the future when more people see this film, and also get over their pre-conceived notions about the film before seeing it(as I did). Truly an outstanding war film.

[–] Degree7 10 years ago

Have you seen "City of Life and Death"?

~ I've been very lonely in my isolated tower of indecipherable speech.

[–] TRinzler 10 years ago

Agree with your comments & choices, except for EATG which is one of my all time favourites - cheesy or otherwise 
Finally, someone who remembers and appreciates "The Pianist"! 

One of my fav scenes from BHD:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybju5hb8nkc

[–] Deftone315 10 years ago

American sniper is not better, simply because there IS no real story in it. The book is quite boring, and the protagonist quite dull. I found myself wanting the book to be over. Lone Survivor is easily the best war movie since Saving Private Ryan.

[–] gbg2001 10 years ago

Except we're talking about the movie, not the book.

[–] WujekSpenser 9 years ago

It is funny how you can spice up the viewing of a movie for "casual" people. I've seen a lot of movies and found myself to be taking modern cinema less seriously and as it tends to be boring (even when so much is going on on-screen. Geez, Transformers 3 was more boring than any David Lynch's movie) and doesn't show anything new most of the time. It is *beep* dull to say the least.

So, my wife's parents were at my house on sunday afternoon and I had some trash going on TV as "background noise" and my wife said to switch it to something interesting. So I said "there you go. Here's a modern 'Saving Private Ryan'" and I put Lone Survivor on and they where so amazed they where talking about it for the rest of the day.

And while I had them watching Lone Survivor with such dedication I enjoyed it much more than on my first viewing, when I was alone.

And I really meant it to be "Modern Private Ryan", even though it has much smaller scale, but it is a well done modern war movie.