Such a frustrating disappointment

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

There is 2 reasons why i got this movie, no actually there is 3... The first one was it had Jessica Biel, which i find gorgeous and likable in much the stuff she is in. Second was it was very cheap, only 3$ at the video store for a buy. Third one is the most important, i was really expecting a war theme movie about a group of soldier being ambushed in Irak and having to survive... Thats actually the premise of the movie if you read the back of the box art....??? But the movie is something completely different. There is an ambush yeah, and they do have to survive, but for 5-10 minutes at best... Thats one of the rare action sequence of the movie and all the rest is a drama about how they have to readjust to there previous lives...Now i will give that to the writers and people involved, the story is not bad, and for the kind of person that do enjoy these types of movies, I'm sure this one is a good one. Thats why I'm giving it a 6, being honest. But me... i was expecting an action movie, by everything the movie had to offer from cover art, to the synopsis, and the actor playing in it. Yeah the fact of having 50 cent in a drama is very strange for me. Samuel L and Jessica Biel also have there share of action movies...In any case, i was PERSONALLY bored for the best part of the movie, despite a good try by the actors and a script that i mentioned, is pretty good for its category. Thanksfully the movie was not too long, unlike The Hurt Locker where i checked like 5 times when it was gonna end... so well. But nop, these are not my type of movies...

Direction, acting, production values... everything here is decent. Yet, this movie is as stale as can be. The primary fault lies on an unoriginal story that refrains from controversy. But there are so many clichés and following of conventions here, that it becomes extremely difficult to care or to enjoy plot developments that are heavy-handed and telegraphed to the audience.And as much as the dramatic scenes at home lack punch, I must say the scenes back on the battlefield felt totally uninspired. Like something you would tack on a b-movie.Some tremendous performances, or a last script brush might have saved the film from being a forgettable one but alas, everybody here seems content to go through the motions. In the end, the fault lies primarily on poor writing and unengaged direction.I applaud Irwin Winkler for attempting to tell a story without relying on Hollywood action and by concentrating on the drama surrounding the characters. Unfortunately, the drama here is not really good and even though movies like Stop-Loss and Lions for Lambs have more distracting plot treads, they nonetheless nail better dramatic moments and have us care about the characters a little more.

The movie is great, I know the acting is a matter of opinion, but we are all entitled to our own OPINIONS.I was a medic there, from 2004-2005, Was assigned to an infantry unit.People here in the states will never know what it was like there. WWII, Vietnam, Korean Conflict and other engagements. These soldiers know what it's like to have been there and lost someone whom you have only know for a short time. I can actually know what these characters are going through, It's been 3 years, but certain things trigger memories, thoughts, and reactions. But you have to live on, and try not to think about these. it's not easy, but I have to live with it, like many other soldiers.Life is not fair, but you live with what your dealt.

As I read the reviews, I can't help but think that the people who trash this movie are ardent Bush/War fans, for their criticism seems specious. It's far from being the best movie I've ever seen, or the best acting. What it is is a collection of accounts of how peoples' lives have been shattered by a political excursion that had no justification... and still doesn't. It shows the wasted lives and even defends the cause, which I thought made it more than impartial. Jackson's character defends the invasion as does Presley's. But all are overwhelmed by it and the tragic consequences of the conflict. The plot makes sense. The acting is fair, not terrible. The subject matter is handled evenly, presenting neither a pro war or con position, which is very hard to do. But for those who think that we must rally around the flag at all costs, this film is clearly an anathema. This invasion was started with lies and many people believe that we need to continue to lie to "Support the Troops." The best way to support the troops is to tell the truth, as this movie tries to do and to finally bring them home... not in coffins.