Mercenaries make the mistake of going into retired SAS territory. based upon a true story.  top notch
588839
I actually got 2 pcs of this understated movie based upon a true story. Very good action thriller,  all star cast with very good performances. Mercenaries get into a bit of trouble when they go stomping into former SAS grounds. Based on the best seller Feather men. I would recommend you watch this, & I am pretty sure you will add this to your collection
410752
This is a great action flick of WWII without relying on car chases and explosions, (until later). The fact that it is based on facts make it all the more interesting. I will have to admit that my OCD did affect the movie a little. Those of you who have served in the military, and a few others, will know what a "Gig Line" is. These are former military professionals, some officers and BRITISH at that!  The significance is this, no career military man, no officer, no British officer!! whether civilian clothes or not, would be seen in public with such a crooked Gig Line as David Niven has in this movie.

That's it. My only criticism but it stuck in my head and I can't get it out.
4671884
Terrific action story about the British Apache gunship helicopters in Afghanistan. The characters in the squadron are well developed are portrayed as human beings on an important mission, separated from their families and loved ones. The combat descriptions are intense and graphic. Although written as fiction many of the events are based on actual events. A very good read,
223724
Action, 9 of 10, realistic, I believe mostly non pro actors, but active or retired military. Good story, you will be on edge of seat, thrill, ride. Militay.  Wow. Worth not just renting, but buying too.
4229989
Excellent read. The story keeps you on edge and is written in a very easy to read format. You get to know the Marines and especially the LT. The book describes a Marine grunts life in Nam and you come to appreciate the very hard life each grunt led. Hours of humping the bush. Little rest for days on end. You come away with a new respect for the guys on the ground doing the actual fighting, not the REMFs. The officer corps, well that's a whole other story. Officers with no field experience calling the shots and putting everyone's life in jeopardy. Stinking body counts and their next promotion was all they seemed to care about. The end was the toughest part of the book. The Lt. had to leave his 2nd Platoon. By then his men were his family. That's the way it was in Nam. You fought for each other and you cared for each other.
Highly recommend this book. Semper Fi.
1812603
Great historical story. It is always good to learn of the heroic feats our military does. The Actors were excellent.
2021077
Really good story telling. I found it hard to put down. The technical accuracies were very realistic as I was in the US Navy and recognized many of the terms immediately. I would have liked to see the two Russian solders receive some honors at the end.
3959695
Excellent movie - too bad it's a true story.  Highly recommend it
2558096
KIA, MIA, POW.
  THESE ARE THE THREE CLASSIFICATIONS FOR THOSE SOLDIERS WHO FAIL TO RETURN HOME FROM WAR. DENIS KING OFFERS A FOURTH CLASSIFICATION THAT IS A FRIGHTENING POSSIBILITY FOR A SOLDIER WHO IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE ENEMY AS HAVING BEEN CAPTURED."SLAVE".
  THE REALIZATION BY BRANDON STILES' BROTHER AND A FEW OF HIS BROTHERS-IN-ARMS THAT HE WAS NOT KIA BUT CAPTURED AND ENSLAVED DRIVES THEM TO TAKE ACTION.  WHAT FOLLOWS IS A WELL WRITTEN DEPICTION OF ONE MAN'S DETERMINATION TO SURVIVE WHILE OTHERS ENGAGE IN INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE, A HEIST OF AN AIRLINER'S VALUABLE CARGO TO OBTAIN THE RANSOM PRICE FOR THIS PATRIOT AND AN UNFORESEEABLE TWIST THAT ASSURES AN EXCITING CLIMAX AMID THE CHAOS OF THE RESULTING CONFLICT.
  THROUGHOUT MR. KING DEMONSTRATES HE KNOWS ABOUT COMBAT AND THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE INSTRUMENTS HIS CHARACTERS EMPLOY WHICH PROVIDED A HIGH DEGREE OF REALITY TO THE STORYLINE.
  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ACTION-THRILLER.  I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT ON FILM BUT FEAR IT WILL NOT BE AS VISUALLY EXCITING AS THIS AUTHOR HAS MADE IT IN MY MIND.  BRAVO!!
494741
I'll state upfront that I am a 22 year veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard.  I've served two tours isolated on the last island in the Aleutian Chain, one right after Electronics Technician "A" school and one as a Chief Petty Officer.

Joe's story of the human interaction is very accurate.  Even though my time was almost 20 years after Joe's, the interactions were similar.  We also worked on a lot of the same equipment, as Eniwetok was a Loran-A station, as was Attu Island. The Loran-A equipment, was only 30 years old when Loran-A was decommissioned.

Those that are ordered to isolated duty can be an unusual character.  I can fully appreciate the watchstander emptying a clip into the equipment as I'm sure there are not too many sailors who hadn't thought of doing the same.  Joe's book brought me back to my early years in the service and reminiscent of who were my mentors.

I'd highly recommend the book.  It would be great if it was made into a movie.

Bravo Zulu to Joe.
2894405
A brilliant action packed short story of one of 'Spider's' adventures in the SAS in Afghanistan. Will please the Spider fans and give them a little fix before the release of True Colours in July. I thoroughly recommend this book.
4245277
This is a great foreign film -- spoken in French and subtitled in English. It's sort of an Algerian version of 'Exodus'. The Algerian rebels battle in the streets against the French authorities for their independence.
Shot in black and white, the cinematography is just tops and the story is quite easy to follow. The acting here is quite convincing, well-done.
Be advised of the graphic violence of a nature that we don't see much in Western films.
When you finish with this one, watch the aftermath (in France mostly) in another fine film, 'Day of the Jackal'. It's fiction, but based upon the true story of how many of the French people felt about Algerian independence, and, a subsequent attempt on DeGaulle's life, all shot in spectacular color and in English.

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Day-of-the-Jackal/dp/0783226853/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Day of the Jackal</a>
3336395
I really like this movie.  Ronin is about a group of spies/mercenaries who are seeking work in the post-Cold War world.  Robert Deniro plays Sam, an American who is clearly an experienced player in the espionage world.  Sam gets hired by Deirdre, an attractive Irish woman who is looking for a team of mercenaries to steal a mysterious brief case.  Deirdre is played by Natascha McElhone.  There are also excellent supporting performances by Jean Reno, Sean Bean, and Jonathan Price.  The entire plot is shrouded in mystery as none of the mercenaries really know who they can trust.  However, this is more than a cloak & dagger film but an action film as well.  The action sequences are amazingly well done.  This movie may contain the best car chase ever captured on film.  It should be noted that all of the chase sequences were filmed with actual cars, with no computer touch ups.  The action is hard core and gritty.  Innocent bystanders are often caught in the fray.  The only thing this film lacks is a strong love story or any sort of graphic sex.  The focus is more on the goals of the mercenaries and the relationships of these hardened men.  However, it should be noted that Katarina Witt does have a small part.  The movie itself is a smart thriller with a gritty edge.  It is certainly a far cry from a James Bond film.
The DVD production is excellent.  The print is relatively clean and I didn't really notice any speckling.  Much of the movie is in the shadows and the dark colors are contrasted well.  I didn't notice any image wash in the shadows.  The sound is nice and full, especially in the action sequences.  The only possible shortcoming of the DVD production is the lack of extras.  There is a director's commentary and an alternative ending.  The alternative ending is insightful, but you'll certainly realize why they cut it from the movie.  I would've loved to see some other deleted scenes or perhaps some comments from the actors.  I probably would've given this production 5 stars if there had just been a few more extras.
On a personal note, I first saw this movie on pan & scan video tape.  A friend of mine, who had seen it in the theater, raved about the action sequences.  I enjoyed the film on VHS but couldn't understand the hype.  I understand it now.  This movie looks completely different in wide screen format and I can't say enough about what the wide screen DVD adds from the pan & scan production.  However, it should be noted that this DVD contains both a pan & scan and widescreen version on alternate sides of the disk. If you're into espionage/noir type films, I cannot recommend this movie enough.
2317830
The story is made better knowing it is based on a true story.  Tom Hanks does a very good job.  Not an Oscar performance as some suggested, but very good.  Somali actors were very good too.  The story moves right along and leaves your heart pumping.  Because of the intense menace and what happens to characters, please don't show to youngsters.  My 13 year old boy saw it and was ok with it.  Another 13 year old might not be.
455992
In the tradition of action heroes, Luke McKenna is a guy who knows how to get out of a tight spot, whether it be with firearms, armed combat, or a bit of McGiver technical skill.

A former special commando with no taste for collateral damage, McKenna has followed in the footsteps of his egghead physician-researcher father by joining the emergency room staff at a major Los Angeles Hospital.

McKenna is pursued by his very own Dr. Moriarity-type nemesis, is occasionally bailed out by a tricky friend from his past who is maybe on McKenna's side and maybe not. With these twists and turns, the plot kept me guessing.

The final scene with a commandeered helicopter is unbelievable, but I find that true of most action films. And this is a made-for-the-movies story.

It kept me reading to the end, and I can't say that of three-quarters or better of the free Kindle reads I download. Would read another by this author.
4652747
Thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced action thriller based on a true story.  A little scary to think there are members of our law enforcement world that are this evil.  Would definitely purchase a second title by this author.
1651317
A great yarn that moves out at a steady double time from start to finish.  We get enough back story to set the stage, and then send in the Marines!  The authors fill in the gaps as needed as the story progresses w/o making look like an "oh yeah" add in. It flows well.

The day to day humdrum scenes are brief enough so as not to bore, but still vivid and informative enough to clearly paint the necessary picture.  The political workings in the background (to the main characters) are likewise short, concise and to the point. As for the combat, not surprisingly they also do a very good job capturing the "20 years of boredom punctuated by 5 minutes of abject terror."

I have seen some reviews state the characters are shallow, lack depth etc.  While this may be true of the auxiliary characters (personally I could care less about the life story of the baddie + supporting staff) their main protagonists all but jump off the pages at me.  This was especially true in the scenes where they are placing some of the junior Marines into leadership positions in the local forces to train them. As they describe the thoughts and actions of the trainers during their first leadership experience they hit the "oh crap" of someone young and unsure of himself right through the exhilaration an experienced soldier gets when given the chance to train others.

They explain the oddball (some say unbelievable) tactics of the local forces with the "politically appointed leadership," and while it may be a stretch it works when you remember that in every major action our own military has been in we have had to relearn what we should have remembered from the last war and then some.  So 200 years of no military + political appointed leadership = volley fire.  Ok.

If you can turn off your nit-pick gear and just relax and be entertained then grab this book.