Originally filmed under the title "NAM" before being changed to "Platoon Leader" to cash in on the success of Oliver's Stone "Platoon". A young officer, just out of West Point is sent to Vietnam, where the men don't respect him until he gets wounded and returns to be a wiser soldier and a better commander. Sound's like a good idea for war movie , right ? Sadly this is a dreadful movie Some people who defend this garbage claim that this is a good movie , because it's a realistic description of Vietnam War , compared to the "Apocalypse now " . I wanna tell those people that "AN" is a masterpiece on every level - acting , dialogue , plot . music , direction etc, etc . As a work of art it has every right to take some liberties to send it's message .
"Platoon leader" does have some good scenes in it . However the direction is crappy. Aaron Norris doesn't know how to create tension in action scenes , he uses slow motion in embarrassing way , the drama scenes suck and the pacing doesn't exist here . The acting is also terrible . Dudikoff is likable and charismatic enough action star , but here the role requires someone with far bigger acting talent . Dudikoff tries , hell everyone tries , you can easily see it , I like the ambition , but the most dramatic scenes in the movie are so badly acted that it's just painful to watch . It's not even funny bad , just bad.
The production values are poor , the movie looks terribly cheap . The music is generic "war drama" music , nothing inspired .
The script sucks . The philosophical dialogues are rubbish and the character development is non-existent. Nothing really happens and I 've got a feeling that I was watching an action movie somewhat camouflaged as war drama. I could see potential here and there with some scenes , but it really felt like poor man's "Platoon" . And the very ending scene feels like it belongs to buddy-cop comedy.
Interesting thing - this is the only film directed by Aaron Norris to not have his brother Chuck Norris in it.
I give it 1/10. If you want to see a good and little known war movie better watch "Bat 21" with Gene Hackman and Danny Glover or "Siege of firebase Gloria" with R. Lee Ermey .
"Platoon leader" does have some good scenes in it . However the direction is crappy. Aaron Norris doesn't know how to create tension in action scenes , he uses slow motion in embarrassing way , the drama scenes suck and the pacing doesn't exist here . The acting is also terrible . Dudikoff is likable and charismatic enough action star , but here the role requires someone with far bigger acting talent . Dudikoff tries , hell everyone tries , you can easily see it , I like the ambition , but the most dramatic scenes in the movie are so badly acted that it's just painful to watch . It's not even funny bad , just bad.
The production values are poor , the movie looks terribly cheap . The music is generic "war drama" music , nothing inspired .
The script sucks . The philosophical dialogues are rubbish and the character development is non-existent. Nothing really happens and I 've got a feeling that I was watching an action movie somewhat camouflaged as war drama. I could see potential here and there with some scenes , but it really felt like poor man's "Platoon" . And the very ending scene feels like it belongs to buddy-cop comedy.
Interesting thing - this is the only film directed by Aaron Norris to not have his brother Chuck Norris in it.
I give it 1/10. If you want to see a good and little known war movie better watch "Bat 21" with Gene Hackman and Danny Glover or "Siege of firebase Gloria" with R. Lee Ermey .