The 24 Hour War (2016) User Reviews

Great fun, great personalities

[duvernetphotography · 7/10 · 12 March 2017]

Everyone likes a race and a good competition and this movie sets it up well. With lots of relevant and easy to follow stories from both sides of the Atlantic. It was particularly interesting to hear the difference in perspective of the two rivals highlighted in the movie: Ford and Ferrari. Ferrari being a specialist in racing who sold consumer cars to keep afloat while Ford engaged in racing to help sell its mainstream cars.

The story highlights the successful years of Ford, in the 1960's, when technology in automobile industry had far left the war behind and design was moving ahead in leaps and bounds. The technology takes center stage without overpowering the drama. We learn about the lack of safety and how frequently drivers and spectators were killed by the sport.

The story leaves out the fact that while Ford eventually managed to wine at Le Mans and did well in other races, in terms of all out success, no manufacturer can rival the record of Porsche. That fact of history is well hidden in the movie. The movie sets up the drama relating to a few years very well, but it is by no means an over view of the rivalries at Le Mans. There is no mention of the pioneering role and early successes of Bentley or Jaguar. Just think of it as a selective snap shot of history.

Factual Yet Not Engrossing

[iquine · 6/10 · 14 December 2019]

(Flash Review)

Maybe it wasn't fair to watch this the next day after seeing Ford v Ferrari. Ha! It did a serviceable job of telling the story of how Ford decided to take on Ferrari at the 24 Hour of Le Mans after Ferrari rejected Ford's offer to partner with them. It talks about the challenge, the race, the drivers and a little bit about the engineering. It even covered some racing history yet it seemed to lack enthusiasm and it wasn't a very creative approach. It nailed all the facts but wasn't enthralling to watch.

Exciting story - rushed and chaotic production

[c_imdb-978-744036 · 6/10 · 24 August 2020]

Very cool story, and told by exciting people with great footage. BUT it's a history with many different events, companys and people, and it's impossible to keep apart with this little help through the movie, and this fast skipping through events....

well done!

[steveolund · 9/10 · 14 May 2017]

I was born in 1966 and obviously had no clue of the state of auto racing or the major players. I enjoyed the historic slice of racing that you touched on and how events unfolded post WWII. I have always known names like mario andretti and aj foyt growing up and I liked a documentary that connected the dots as to why they were big names in their sports. A good blend of entertainment and education and after watching I realize that there are so many other stories that deserve to be told, specifically Carrol Shelby. Well done!

SteveO

The highest compliment you can pay to a documentary

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 1 March 2017]

... is that at times the viewer forgets it actually is a documentary and gets caught up in the action. Adam Carolla achieves such a feat in this film, a feat no less amazing than those of the engineers who built the cars showcased in the story.

This is achieved by the most aggressive use of sound bites this reviewer can recall in the documentary medium. And some of the best editing. Even though different voices are talking about different things, it seems TO THE VIEWER that one voice is telling a continuous linear A to B story, from beginning to end.

Amazing.

As for the story itself, it is indeed iconic because it marks the end of an era when (as explained in the film) it was both possible and even desirable to enter the race with a "factory" build package which in theory even working stiffs could order from their local dealer.

Another bonus for Corolla is that he brilliantly manages to coax the viewer to overlook that this is really a David and Goliath tale -- Ford possibly could have purchased Italy itself after Ferrari turned his deal down -- and allows you to think that these two contenders may have been evenly matched. This too heightens the drama.

Finally, the coup de grace, the timing makes it possible to have the same personalities who were in the thick of the action appear on camera as they are in 2017 ... which again makes this all the more dramatic.

Great film.

Great Find!

[prestonr-44058 · 10/10 · 5 April 2020]

I was quite pleased with the Ford vs. Ferrari recent release, though knowing it was putting a much more complex story in a Hollywood mass-market "Box". This movie is quite different, and to someone who knows a bit about the cars, people and events surrounding racing in the 64-67 timeframe, just great. All the key people (who are still with us) are either narrating or seen in the footage, putting a real personal stamp on the production. I'll keep it short and simple, this movie puts you in the time, with context, with fantastic historical film and with soul. One of the most difficult realities of the time was the unbelievable amount of danger that came racing these cars, and they have the accidents and stories to show it. Several of the drivers they interview lived through crashes where they probably should have died, and there is quite a bit of fire damage and skin grafts still noticeable at their present age. I met several of these guys, so the film brings back those experiences. Not to be missed!

Can't ask for more

[mplusk · 10/10 · 8 December 2019]

Telling this piece of history it has everything you want and done well

Terrible editing makes this hard to watch

[JurijFedorov · 5/10 · 12 June 2019]

I love the concept. I try to watch many of these racing documentaries. But this one is just hard to watch and enjoy. They try to switch scene every 3 seconds which makes this into a mess. And the switching of narration is also weird as a lot of showmen are hired to narrate scenes which they do with overblown emotions that seem fake. It all amounts to a loose narration of events that really gives you no time to understand details, but just tries to bombard you with emotional impacts like a modern B action movie.

I like the topic. I think the main concepts are great, but at the end it's very confusing and all over the place just because of the editing alone.

Ford vs Ferrari, the documentary.

[TxMike · 3 March 2020]

I came across this documentary on Kanopy via my public library. I watched it a week after I watched the 2019 movie "Ford v Ferrari" which is a dramatization of events in the 1950s and 1960s. It focuses most on the people involved in getting Ford competitive, including hiring Carroll Shelby.

This documentary includes the genesis and history of the two companies. Both world-renowned auto makers, both named after their founders, Ford and Ferrari were on opposite ends of the business spectrum. Ford made affordable cars to transport people reliably and comfortably. Ferrari was mostly interested in racing, they made only enough consumer cars to pay for the racing enterprise and they were the most successful road-racing company.

In a Ford/Ferrari deal gone bad in the early 1960s, Ford II came away with a grudge, determined to build Ford racing cars that would beat Ferrari in the biggest road races, Daytona, Sebring, and le Mans regardless of the cost. Ford assembled an expert team to design the car and build the racing engine but it wasn't easy. However as history tells us Ford in fact did win the three big races in 1966, and were 1-2-3 at LeMans.

This is a very worthwhile documentary. It uses archival footage and photos plus present day interviews with many mechanics, drivers, and Ford executives that were involved back in the 1960s.

Awesome.

[dwsoutherland · 10/10 · 5 May 2019]

Great story that I had never heard before. Well done.

The 24 Hour War-Facts missing,FORD GT was the LOLA GT by Eric Broadley,AJ Baime is no Automotive Historian.

[venomjrl312 · 1/10 · 23 April 2017]

The Ford-Ferrari or Ferrari-Ford Battle has been told so many times in Literature and Media that frankly it can became almost boring to me after awhile. I saw this free streaming before deciding to buy it,First off While Corvettes are given their due on how unbeatable they were in American Sportscar racing the 24 hour war seems more like a propaganda piece for The Ford Motor co in selling their new emasculated(read Politically Correct,Ecoboost) Ford "GT"(v6 really?)I lean towards Ferrari Despite not being a A overly big fan of the tifosi (Ferrari Fandom).My bias and outright disgust for all Things blue- oval is legendary(having owned them.)But to the "Film" or "Documentary". first off Chaparral(Chevrolet powered innovations,won outright the Nurburgring 1966)Despite the footage shown of 1965 Sebring the famous deluge race the Chaparral winning the race outright is not Mentioned,FORD did not Win the race,Chevrolet in the form of Chaparral did.From the very start the FACT the Ford GT/GT40 was/is a Lola GT from England with a Ford motor in it is not mentioned,one raced with a Chevy in the Mecom colors in the Form of the original Lola GT at Nassau(the only chevy Engined one,still around today).Corvette Grand Sports Whopped Shelby At Nassau outright,no Cheating unlike Shelby and Ferrari.(Fia Paperwork,legality)The Only REAL FORD was the MKIV and by then it was learned from the GT40 from the Lola GT of British Genius Eric Broadley who Sold the program to ford that how's the GT40 CAME IN to being. First off Ralph Nader is in this "film" a guy who single handley ruined a great innovative car like the Corvair which already had it's fix in only to further his failed political ambitions and stardom does this film no favors.A.J Baime who wrote the fluff-piece of a book "Go Like Hell" about the Ford-Ferrari Battle which read more like a National Enquirer rag than a book in order to probably sell into a Motion Picture(Rumored,hopefully it won't come out.)does the film a disservice,he is not a "Historian"just some liberal NY times guy who compares the ascension of The Ford GT to Obama towards the end of his mediocre book.They say sometimes history can be revised in this case despite some good period footage it has been,facts omitted or lazily just left out.To the non-Gearhead or in the know it's an insult to those seeing or hearing,reading about the story the first time it sadly can become facts.It has some seconds of Great footage on the Dx Corvette driven by Dave Morgan and Don Yenko fro Sebring 67',The unrelated but Similarly colored And somewhat DX-Sponsored,Botany500 Corvette from Le Mans 67.The Bizzarrini another Innovative car chevrolet powered That is a true exotic is shown.the Beautiful Ferraris and yes the slippery and Broadley Designed/derived Ford GTs.I saw a Better movie on The Ford GT lately without all the hype and hyperbole of the Liberal Hollywood Establishment behind it like Adam Carolla.Sadly,History repeats itself now we have the Cheaters in the form of the Current FORD GT which thanks to the FIA has been sandbagging and doing dirty tricks.Buyer/Viewer Beware.

Excellent but...

[guillermario · 19 November 2019]

The film should have to mention that the Ford GT (excellent car) should run in a different category than the Ferrari 330P4 in any other race since the Mark 1, 2 and 3 (the british car) had about 1000cc more than the Ferrari in that race and the Mark IV was about 3000cc bigger. However the film is the best I have seen about this matters.

I have watched it for the archive footage

[ersbel · 24 November 2019]

I have watched it for the archive footage. The rest is pretty useless. Nobodies competing to have the most spectacular superlative for yet another of White Man's expensive games.