In 1965, Mel Gibson portrays Col. Moore, leading the training and subsequent execution of a dangerous operation set in Vietnam’s highlands. The film establishes early on just how challenging this undertaking will be—prior French forces encountered harsh treatment from the N.V.A.—so Moore and his encouraging second-in-command, Greg Kinnear as Crandall, anticipate considerable difficulty. Their assignment involves confronting an enemy with a significant numerical advantage while attempting to seize and maintain control of a mountain. Predictably, their reception is hostile, and what follows is a relentlessly depicted, violent, and graphic sequence of combat scenes that push the limits of everyone involved as casualties increase. A touching element is incorporated, showing Col. Moore's wife, Madeleine Stowe as Julie, handling the delivery of letters back home—conveying unfortunate, even devastating, news to families stationed at the base. Sam Elliott lends a sense of quiet authority as Sgt. Maj. Plumley, and Chris Klein’s depiction of the new father Lt. Geoghegan also brings an important human dimension to the narrative. However, the film's length proves excessive, and while initially impactful, that intensity diminishes due to recurring elements. The initial moments that grab your attention ultimately become less compelling; the action sequences lose some of their impact, and Gibson simply lacks the screen presence needed for a nearly two-and-a-half-hour movie. It highlights how modern warfare—often involving airborne units—can give smaller forces greater power, and as an illustration of war’s horror and pointlessness, it's worth seeing.

Source on TMDB