What started out as one-sided conservative propaganda turned into a unique war movie that is beautifully shot and masterfully plays on your emotions. I was not prepared to like this movie starting out. I saw things like, "Commies are the devil" and "Boys shouldn't cry" and "Here boys, protect these girls" and "Murrica is awesome and of course we will win." But as the movie went on, it pleasantly surprised me.
The boys in the group still showed emotional vulnerability. The girl characters became just as capable in combat as the boys. The young freedom fighters representing America experienced many triumphs, but also a lot of grief and suffering. Even the Communist villains showed signs of humanity, particularly towards the end.
Though this movie appears to be a pro-American propaganda piece playing on a prevalent fear in the 80's, it is actually an emotional drama that shows a young group of people as they cope with trauma and struggle to survive in a hellish landscape. It is a work of art and should be treated as such.
The boys in the group still showed emotional vulnerability. The girl characters became just as capable in combat as the boys. The young freedom fighters representing America experienced many triumphs, but also a lot of grief and suffering. Even the Communist villains showed signs of humanity, particularly towards the end.
Though this movie appears to be a pro-American propaganda piece playing on a prevalent fear in the 80's, it is actually an emotional drama that shows a young group of people as they cope with trauma and struggle to survive in a hellish landscape. It is a work of art and should be treated as such.