Army Daze (1996) User Reviews

Lost on foreigners

[meliajanssen · 25 July 2011]

There are a few reviews here, presumably from foreigners, who have blatantly criticized this locally made Singapore movie. I think the format is lost on them because comparisons are made to Platoon. It is not Platoon and doesn't purport to be and doesn't aspire to be. It is a humble simple local movie about a very Singaporean topic so perhaps that itself is already lost on people who have absolutely no idea about life in Singapore.

This movie is based on a popular play about something that touches almost all families in Singapore and that is the mandatory military service (the official name is 'national service - NS for short') which all 18 year old males have to undergo for 2 years (Israel has it too and for both genders so we are not exclusive is that area). NS is dreaded by every male and their parents in this country as they forlorn the loss of those precious 2 years and the rigorous mental and physical routine and training under the humid Singapore sky and constant 30Celsius sun.

Things have changed for the better in the 80s and 90s and when the play came out, it was a big hit because it touched on the lighter side of NS, which up until then, was perceived to be non-existent. Then they made it into a movie and it was an even bigger hit because some of us, like myself, had missed the play due to age and/or ignorance of its existence. I reckon that the joy of watching the movie is lost on foreigners who don't appreciate and/or understand our local humor so naturally you aren't able to enjoy it in the way we do.

The fact that the movie doesn't appeal to you foreigners doesn't mean the movie deserves the negativity (some of which are quite mean-spirited) to which you have been so generous to dispense. Just as how we Singapoeans are able to enjoy British costume dramas and cowboy-and-Indian movies despite of our unfamiliarity with them, the same applies to you. And just like how those costume dramas depict a fact of life in England to which most of us have no first hand knowledge of, Army Daze is a visual documentation (of sorts) on a facet of our way of life here and it would be nice if you could try to enjoy it even if you cannot really appreciate and/or understand it.

Naturally, it isn't Fellini-quality but given the resources they had, the movie has turned out to be a decent piece of entertainment, presumably better than all those B-grade action movies Steven Seagal and the likes of all those other talentless actors churn out - they all the flair and pomp but no substance. We have given the same consideration to Western-made movies since the invention of movies itself and it would be nice if you guys cut us some slack as we try to navigate our way into the world of movie making, Singapore style.

Probably the best movie ever to come out of Singapore

[kloozo · 9/10 · 24 November 2000]

Tugging at the heartstrings of all Singaporean males, the local production packs plenty of laughter with the portrayal of army life. A must watch for all Singaporeans, although foreigners may have a little problem understanding the local languages and culture. A highly entertaining film but it can certainly do without the narrating by one of the characters.

Forbearance.

[alecwest · 8/10 · 16 May 2013]

A friend loaned me his DVD of this film, perhaps knowing that I once visited Singapore. After watching it, I decided it was a fun film that was, to some extent, better than some reviewers have painted it to be.

To properly judge this film, you have to put it in perspective. The U.S. film industry has had over 100 years of film-making experience. Singapore, on the other hand, is just celebrating it's 50th year as an independent nation. And, it's a nation only 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC with 3 official languages - Mandarin Chinese, English (used to be a British colony), and Malay - with multiple other dialects spoken. Point is, I doubt if the U.S. film industry would have done so well under these restrictive circumstances.

Also, the U.S. has never had a long-standing peacetime draft. Singapore, on the other hand, does. Over the years, their culture has come to accept it as the norm - leaving it open for comedic portrayals. And as we all know, what constitutes comedy and/or humor is in the eye of the beholder.

I will not give any spoilers to this film. I'll only say that if you watch it, you should watch it in perspective as you would any film from a small young nation - and apply some forbearance in your judgment.

If this is the best Singapore has to offer...

[heebie_jeebies · 12 October 2003]

The film follows the lives of a small group of 18 year old conscripts from different classes and backgrounds, who are undergoing their basic military training in the Singaporean Army. The plot is as shallow as they come; in fact "plot" is perhaps the wrong word since the film is really just a series of events that occur, with a few loose threads of story included - such as the relationship between Krishna and his girlfriend and the mysterious absence of Kenny's family. These loose threads are unconvincingly tied up towards the end of the film, in a nauseatingly over-acted scene of contrived drama. As unsuccessful as it is, this drama is necessary in order to maintain the viewers' interest, because the rest of the film is so boring and unfunny. The film is mainly about the camaraderie between the group, and the idea that the army can be fun as well as difficult. I was tempted to not watch the final scene because I thought it'd be one of those nauseating "friends forever" endings. (Oh, I guess you could consider the following line a minor spoiler, not that anyone will care.) For some reason, I did see the film through, and indeed that's what it was - have your vomit bags handy.

The only shred of redemption in this film is the characters, all of whom are very likable - except for the irritating gay stereotype Kenny. The fact that the actor can't even make a simple gay stereotype funny shows just how little talent there is in this film.

Why oh why was this film commissioned? The only possible explanation I can come up with is that it is a piece of propaganda, intended to convince Singapore's young men that their National Service will be a hoot - but even that is no excuse for desecrating the art of cinema in this way. Army Daze might be a classic of Singaporean cinema, but unfortunately by any other standards it is appalling. It doesn't even fit into the "so bad it's good" category. Let it be known that I have no prejudice against non-western films; in fact some of my favourite films are from Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and elsewhere. I even quite liked the Singaporean sitcom "Under One Roof" - but if this is the best Singapore can do in terms of cinema then I will be sure in the future to avoid watching any other films made there.