Uncommon Valor (1983)
Uncommon Valor (1983)
The 1980’s was a decade that produced many films about the Vietnam War and its lasting effects. Some of them are fantastic, some are bad, and others split the line in the middle by being average at best. 1983’s Uncommon Valor is one of those films. While the film is fun to watch and has some brutal action sequences, the film is loaded with clichés. The script, written by Joe Gayton, is predictable and you can see the plot coming from miles away. As I like to put it, this film is basically the last part of The Deer Hunter but slimmed down on a diet.
The film is directed by Canadian director Ted Kotcheff. A year prior, Kotcheff directed the Sylvester Stallone-led hit, First Blood. One thing that works in Kotcheff’s favor is he always had a strong sense of male camaraderie in his movies. So, in a film that has male buddies going to save their friend, it makes sense about who directed this film. Per usual, Kotcheff did a solid job behind the camera and he makes the interactions of his characters almost believable.
Colonel Rhodes (Gene Hackman) was dismissed from the Marines because he refused to give up the notion that this son died while fighting in the Vietnam War. Ten years later, he receives proof that his son may be alive, held in a P.O.W camp in Laos. The military refuses to finance his trip over there, so instead he is backed by a father of another P.O.W. Rhodes recruits former military soldiers who fought with his sons overseas such as the big, foul-mouthed Sailor (Randall “Tex” Cobb). If he wants to see his son again, he might have to defy orders from the military.
Gene Hackman is a fantastic actor and he gives his heart and soul no matter the film he is in. This is a time period where Hackman’s star power was starting to wane so every movie he makes is not going to be an Oscar winner, but you can expect great performances each time. This film also introduced Patrick Swayze to film audiences, and I liked his performance as an unexperienced soldier. The actor is more mature than you would believe. The rest of the supporting cast (Cobb, Fred Ward, Robert Stack) are not huge stars, but I suppose they do get the job done.
The action scenes are fun, so that is a plus. The biggest downfall for the movie is its predictability. I could tell you what would happen from start to finish minutes before, and that even applies to the dialogue. The film is structured in a way where we see everything playing out. We have the assembling of the team, then the team practicing for their raid, followed by the actual raid. I also guessed what would happen as the film came to close. At least on the bright side, the team is led by Gene Hackman. That is definitely a plus! Oh, this film also features an early score from James Horner. So, there is that as well!
Uncommon Valor is not going to be anyone’s favorite war film. Most likely not in their top 25 war films either. It’s like a lesser version of The Deer Hunter (when Robert De Niro goes back to save Christopher Walken). The themes of brotherhood and losing a son are as strong as ever, and Hackman really plays into these themes. The film was well made, but the opportunity was there for the film to go into great heights. It just did not take advantage.
My Grade: B-
The 1980’s was a decade that produced many films about the Vietnam War and its lasting effects. Some of them are fantastic, some are bad, and others split the line in the middle by being average at best. 1983’s Uncommon Valor is one of those films. While the film is fun to watch and has some brutal action sequences, the film is loaded with clichés. The script, written by Joe Gayton, is predictable and you can see the plot coming from miles away. As I like to put it, this film is basically the last part of The Deer Hunter but slimmed down on a diet.
The film is directed by Canadian director Ted Kotcheff. A year prior, Kotcheff directed the Sylvester Stallone-led hit, First Blood. One thing that works in Kotcheff’s favor is he always had a strong sense of male camaraderie in his movies. So, in a film that has male buddies going to save their friend, it makes sense about who directed this film. Per usual, Kotcheff did a solid job behind the camera and he makes the interactions of his characters almost believable.
Colonel Rhodes (Gene Hackman) was dismissed from the Marines because he refused to give up the notion that this son died while fighting in the Vietnam War. Ten years later, he receives proof that his son may be alive, held in a P.O.W camp in Laos. The military refuses to finance his trip over there, so instead he is backed by a father of another P.O.W. Rhodes recruits former military soldiers who fought with his sons overseas such as the big, foul-mouthed Sailor (Randall “Tex” Cobb). If he wants to see his son again, he might have to defy orders from the military.
Gene Hackman is a fantastic actor and he gives his heart and soul no matter the film he is in. This is a time period where Hackman’s star power was starting to wane so every movie he makes is not going to be an Oscar winner, but you can expect great performances each time. This film also introduced Patrick Swayze to film audiences, and I liked his performance as an unexperienced soldier. The actor is more mature than you would believe. The rest of the supporting cast (Cobb, Fred Ward, Robert Stack) are not huge stars, but I suppose they do get the job done.
The action scenes are fun, so that is a plus. The biggest downfall for the movie is its predictability. I could tell you what would happen from start to finish minutes before, and that even applies to the dialogue. The film is structured in a way where we see everything playing out. We have the assembling of the team, then the team practicing for their raid, followed by the actual raid. I also guessed what would happen as the film came to close. At least on the bright side, the team is led by Gene Hackman. That is definitely a plus! Oh, this film also features an early score from James Horner. So, there is that as well!
Uncommon Valor is not going to be anyone’s favorite war film. Most likely not in their top 25 war films either. It’s like a lesser version of The Deer Hunter (when Robert De Niro goes back to save Christopher Walken). The themes of brotherhood and losing a son are as strong as ever, and Hackman really plays into these themes. The film was well made, but the opportunity was there for the film to go into great heights. It just did not take advantage.
My Grade: B-
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