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Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
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Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
All Critics (10) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (0) | DVD (1)
One of John Wayne's best performances, and an entertainment above average on its own.
In one of his best roles, Wayne's Stryker is a sergeant disliked by his recruits due to his ruthless training and rigid code of ethics. The film established the two-generational plot as a Wayne staple, here contrasted with John Agar's "soft" soldier.
Solid patriotic WWII vehicle for Wayne.
A rip-snorting 1940s style war movie
Tailor-made for John Wayne.
one of the better U.S. propaganda films of the 40s, filled with American ideals and values
Probably the most influential WW2 movie ever made, you can see ever other movie proceeding it to have similar scenes and characters. Maybe it's because this uses stock footage from the real war, was made so close to the war and has The Duke playing the lead; this is one of the best war movies ever made. No, it's not as well made as Apocalypse Now! or as realistic as Platoon, but this has it where it counts and was made a full 30+ years before either was made. John Stryker is one of the most iconic soldiers in any movie, he represents the true tortured soul and sympathetic tough guy. When a movie like this can still be powerful today, you know they did something right.
Super Reviewer
im not usually big on john wayne, but this is one of his four or five performances that i really enjoyed, and as a film this one is phenomenal. some absolutely great story telling for a war fillm nearly 60 years old. although storytelling in older films is usually better than in more recent films, war films have often been an exception to that. but this one gripped me. a must watch.
Superb war film. The Duke was never better than as the haunted Sergeant Stryker, a man hated by his men (with a few exceptions) for his unyielding toughness, but it is by that attitude that he hopes to keep them alive in combat. Watch it and see how good John Wayne really was.
A good war film with John Wayne, set in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. Wayne plays a tough sargeant trying to whip a bunch of new soldiers into shape to fight the Japanese. Exciting battle sequences, and a moving shot of the American flag going up on Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima. The only problem I had with this film is that, for a film called Sands of Iwo Jima, they didn't even land there until the last 20 minutes of the movie. They hit Tarawa and Saipan first. But since that's history, I guess I'll have to live with it. I'm not a huge John Wayne fan, but I like him more in war pictures that Westerns. And this is one of his better ones, and he received an Oscar nomination for his performance.
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