A solid, good-looking effort that bends a bit too much toward war-film conventions.
Saints And Soldiers
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:32
Fresh:21
Rotten:11
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: While it draws heavily on war movie conventions, Saints and Soldiers has strong performances and a compelling central plot.
Theatrical Release:Aug 6, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $1,004,940
Synopsis: Based on actual WWII events, the award-winning "Saints and Soldiers" tells the dramatic story of a small band of Allied soldiers trapped behind enemy lines with information that could save... Based on actual WWII events, the award-winning "Saints and Soldiers" tells the dramatic story of a small band of Allied soldiers trapped behind enemy lines with information that could save thousands of American lives. Outgunned and ill-equipped, they must now battle a frigid wilderness and roving German troops to smuggle the critical intelligence back to Allied territory. In mid-December 1944, Hitler's Army charges through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, initiating the offensive that will come to be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans cross paths with a battalion of American soldiers and take them captive on a snow-covered field near Malmedy, Belgium. When a few of the Americans try to escape, the German soldiers open fire on the unarmed prisoners, in the tragic event now known as the Malmedy Massacre. Corporal Nathan "Deacon" Greer, his friend Sergeant Gordon Gunderson and a handful of others survive the massacre by playing dead and escaping into the nearby woods. The small band of soldiers come across stranded British intelligence officer Oberon Winley, who has valuable information to be delivered to Allied forces, increasing the urgency of their already desperate situation. The group forms a fragile bond as they begin to trust each other. But the constant threat of capture, as well as mounting suspicions of a German sympathizer within the group, threaten to tear them apart. Now, with few weapons, no food and a strained camaraderie, this tiny band must take on the unforgiving winter and a forest filled with enemy troops to fight their way back to Allied occupied territory. -- © Excel Entertainment [More]
Starring: Corbin Allred, Peter Holden
Starring: Corbin Allred, Peter Holden
Studio: Excel Entertainment
Get This Movie
Reviews for Saints And Soldiers
It spends too much time as a small war movie instead of a big-question movie.
There aren't any plot surprises in this low-budget effort, so the success of the mission from a viewer standpoint depends on how well you connect with the characters and their plight.
Blessed with a smart script and an excellent cast of unknowns, first time director Ryan Little, who also served as cinematographer, establishes himself as a major talent.
It has the strengths and the clean lines of a traditional war movie, without high-tech special effects to pump up the noise level.
It's the movie equivalent of singing 'Onward Christian Soldiers' to those already in the choir.
A feel-good film about a small group of soldiers in WWII who are so saintly that they never curse.
While it does delve into matters of faith under trying circumstances, it's quite subtle about doing so, and it never pushes an agenda at the expense of the story or characters.
It is dramatic, in the most complimentary sense of that word. It engages the emotions and the senses subtly and expertly.
Little neatly ratchets up the suspense while throwing emotional spotlights on the inner struggles of each combatant trapped in this hostile, frozen wilderness riddled with German troops.
Director Ryan Little has mounted a remarkably effective production on what must have been a shoestring by Hollywood standards.
The triumph here is a matter of craftsmanship rather than art, but it's rare enough even on that level for a film to be worth celebrating.
'A gem of a movie with an unusually convincing reality base. We feel as if there's no distance between us and the fighting men. And that lack of distance is the film's point.'
Though Saints and Soldiers' examination of faith, self-sacrifice and morality is not groundbreaking, it always holds our interest.
Little makes good use of modest resources, but after a while, the film's less-is-more aesthetic grows threadbare.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- Saints And Soldiers at Rotten Tomatoes
- Saints And Soldiers at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


