
Tears of the Sun
2003, Action/Drama, 1h 55m
155 Reviews 100,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Tries to be high-minded, but in the end, it's just a stylish action movie. Read critic reviews
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What Lies Beneath
Where to watch
Tears of the Sun Photos
Movie Info
The Nigerian government has fallen, and the country is on the verge of civil war. Lt. A.K. Waters (Bruce Willis) has been assigned to lead a team of soldiers into the Nigerian jungle to rescue Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci). When Waters and his team locate Kendricks, she tells them she won't leave her helpless patients to be slaughtered by rebels. The team incurs the wrath of both U.S. and Nigerian forces when they side with Kendricks and attempt to march the refugees to safety.
Cast & Crew
Bruce Willis
Lt. A.K. Waters
Lt. A.K. Waters
Monica Bellucci
Dr. Lena Kendricks
Dr. Lena Kendricks
Cole Hauser
James "Red" Atkins
James "Red" Atkins
Eamonn Walker
Ellis "Zee" Pettigrew
Ellis "Zee" Pettigrew
Nick Chinlund
Michael "Slo" Slowenski
Michael "Slo" Slowenski
Fionnula Flanagan
Nurse Grace
Nurse Grace
Critic Reviews for Tears of the Sun
Audience Reviews for Tears of the Sun
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Jul 21, 2013Fuqua is a magician: give him almost any material and he'll transform it into something superficial. The feature has a weak storyline and awful pacing issues, lack of good acting and characters that you care for. They expect from us to be moved by images of human suffering while forgetting the most essential elements of filmmaking. War is no game in real life, that's true, but the war genre is no game either. How am I supposed to feel sympathy for cardboard cutouts despite a surrounding carnage? And how am I supposed to believe that an emotionless Bruce Willis, with a permanently serious face that rivals Steven Seagal's, had motivations, feelings, objectives or whatever it was he had? He was asked in the film why he changed the mission. His answer was: "I'll tell you when I know". We we never told. There was no need to abandon the audience and leave it with sensationalism. 52/100Edgar C Super Reviewer
-
May 09, 2012I'm guessing they put this on TV because of the KONY hype, or I'm just crazy for thinking its based on him, I've put this movie on hold until it came on TV and I watched the entire thing because of Bruce Willis and it was worth the watchShawn M Super Reviewer
-
Jan 17, 2012There's a lot to admire about Antoine Fuqua's Tears of the Sun amidst the "Ra Ra America" sentiment, and the weak storyline about a hard as nails Lieutenant who never disobeys an order until now. I really enjoyed the first hour of this film. Unlike most action war pictures that find a conflict to exploit, Tears of the Sun immerses itself in the horror of the political situation, and the horrific genocide that is currently taking place. Nigerian rebels have successfully overthrown a democratically elected government, and before the entire country descends into complete chaos (which it pretty much already has), the US Navy SEALS have decided to extract all American military and personnel in the area. Bruce Willis plays a commander whose team has been ordered to find and extract an American doctor, played by Monica Bellucci. Things get complicated when this doctor refuses to leave without many of the nearby Nigerian civilians she's been treating. Against his orders, Willis agrees, and soon after, he and his team become pursued by the Rebels as this doctor seems to be more important to them than anyone could have realized. Genocide is a horrible thing. Even more horrible is how so much of the world watches in dismay, yet does not lift a finger to help save these people. Wars between African tribes seem to always end in mass genocide, and this script means to put these American soldiers into a situation where they are forced to look face to face at the human cost they will have to bear by leaving the innocent Nigerians to fend for themselves. For the first half of the film, the violence is kept at a minimal, and we get to know all the soldiers in the platoon, as well as many of the innocents that are being led to safety. Of course, this being a studio film, the second half of the film dissolves into an action packed firefight between the American soldiers and the African Rebels. Fuqua isn't the strongest action director either, and many of these scenes lack real excitement. Amidst these war sequences, the film pauses to focus on how grateful these civilians are that these soldiers are there for them and that God will bless them. There's nothing particularly wrong with including one or even two such scenes, but there are too many to count, and the "Ra Ra" undertones become a little too obvious for my tastes. And because the film starts off as a darker, more intellectual narrative, it's disappointing that the filmmakers opted for a typical action movie showdown as opposed to a proper and much more daring follow through.Edward B Super Reviewer
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Dec 02, 2011To be honest, I can barely remember anything about this film, but what i do remember, it was pretty boring.Bradley W Super Reviewer
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