Great Film overall

Absolutely Fantastic

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Golan/Globus Cannon Pictures nonsense pretending it's a serious film about the Vietnam War. The American Ninja, Michael Dudikoff, plays a young officer (not a ninja), just out of West Point and sent to Vietnam. Dudikoff must then earn the respect of his battle hardened men. Nothing you haven't seen before and done much better, but on the plus side, there is a small role for my all-time favorite character actor, William Smith, as a commanding officer. FUN FACT! This was directed by Chuck Norris' brother and is the only film he ever directed that didn't star Chuck.

"Platoon Leader"...what a generic and terrible name for a fairly emotional and deep war film. I'm sure the film's title, in addition to starring Michael Dudikoff and being released by Cannon, turned a lot of people off from checking this movie out. But Aaron Norris does a superb job of balancing B-movie action with harrowing and emotional drama. Dudikoff is passable (as usual) as the lead platoon leader...but Paul F. Lyons really lends the film it's credibility and gravitas. Lyons' performance is great and one of the many highlights of the film. The budget was surprisingly solid for a B-movie and the supporting cast was great. War movies tend to have a repetitive nature about them...but "Platoon Leader" features some impressive and original moments. Like when one of the soldiers overdoses on drugs or how the Vietcong kill Vietnamese they believe to be aiding soldiers with a death letter stuck to the victims bodies. It has it's B-movie moments but it also has some heart and great human moments. I was surprised to be as invested in the soldiers as I was and "Platoon Leader" was a solid war film that deserves a better known reputation.

Having seen many war flicks (including the Cannon Group's Chuck Norris attempts) about the Vietnam War, this one tops them all. They even include the horrible effects of the illegal drugs some troops took in the field. If Vietnam Vets give this a great rating - I mean, come on, they were there! - no one should question their expertise and thumbs-up on this movie.I wasn't sure when I saw this, but I thought, "Man, this seems so realistic, I wonder if things were like this over there?" The vets' comments here confirm that.I only add my comments here to bolster this great war movie and commend the vets for confirming my thoughts. Thank you to them and to the great team that put this film together.Well done.

Platoon Leader reminds me a lot of the book Sand In the Wind by Robert Roth because there is a body going over a waterfall scene in both. I was just thinking about the character of Chalice Skating away near the thin tripwire of a new day. For the record I am nonviolent although in my ten years three months in the Canadian Forces I led some neat firefights using blank rounds. In one I spotted an ambush but did not break the treeline, had my guys go into the prone (laying down) and had my riflemen and machine gunner open up. Then because it was night time I could tell by the weapons flashes that we were up against a larger force led by a Regular Force Captain who ironicly broke contact and retreated. Low on rounds and outnumbered my force did not pursue. I may have earned Captain Miakowskis respect that night since that was the second of two firefights with his patrol. One night I had a guy in my patrol fall off a bridge into a creek in below zero weather. Luckily we had spare clothes and took him into an abandoned barn out of the wind. I let him use my combat scarf and he was OK for the rest of the weekend training. My French Canadien friends used to talk about the importance of the mish or mission and dream about having beers at the Zanz or Zanzibar Lady stripper club in Toronto where a Van Damme movie was filmed. One night at my Armories I was acting 14 platoon commander and had my troops work the phones notifying people about the next training night. From my Special Service Force Intelligence Course background I have always been obsessed with finding the other guys Orbats or Orders of Battle. This methodology has served me well helping Canada Britain and America. Check out the better Vietnam War film Hamburger Hill.