Taps

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Mark H @RT45667637 Sep 7, 2026 I saw Taps as a kid in the early 80s on HBO, back when many parents felt any PG movie was fine. Taps isn’t for kids, and deals with some serious and worthy ideas, like trust, honor, respect for leaders and leadership, tradition, and the price of ideals, especially for young people. The film is also worth watching simply to see three very young Oscar winners in Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn and Tom Cruise. Hutton had just won an Oscar, and Penn and Cruise were just beginning to act. All three are great, especially Cruise as the hyper-militant David Shawn. Penn represents the cadets with serious doubts about keeping their school by force. Hutton represents those who believe they can leverage a peaceful outcome with a threat of force, and Cruise represents full on radicalism. A fourth Oscar winner, George C. Scott, brings his usual gravitas. It’s somewhat predictable, but still memorable, and the end is as tragic as you’d expect. Surprisingly apolitical. It has aged well. See more Mickey B @Mickerdoo Aug 11, 2026 Despite having some big names and decent dramatic performances, the practicality, stakes, consequences and charm fall short. See more thiago S @Thiagostone May 14, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Mar 18, 2026 Watching this as an adult I now realize how dumb these kids are and some are war mongers. When I was a kid, I loved this movie and was cheering for the kid's vs the adults. I still love this movie, and it is tense, very compelling and very well directed. Timothy Hutton is outstanding; George C. Scott is iconic. It is a wild trip watching a young Sean Penn and Tom Cruise before their lives would change drastically. See more Cate T @RT26862537 Jul 29, 2025 I was a bit skeptical about watching this when I read the ratings, but after finishing it I can confidently say that this was a really solid film. I liked how it began with an extremely glorified image of the military and war, which slowly grew darker and more convoluted as the film started to question these ideals. Clear-cut boundaries of right and wrong blurred together, the film ending with stunning and tragic commentary on the price of attempting to justify violence, the pitfalls of blind groupthink, and what happens when we refuse to embrace change. Personally, the movie as a whole was sold by outstanding performances by Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, and Tom Cruise. See more Bruce R @RT60933325 Dec 29, 2024 Incredibly well-acted and gripping character study about how the right lessons and intentions can go awfully awry. Yes, there is some suspension of disbelief that has to occur. See more Read all reviews

Taps

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