True to it's title, Hamburger Hill delivers both the hill and the hamburger, though mostly just the hill - a full 45 minutes of the hill. On top of the hamburger is a big slice of cheese. Released in 1987 during the height of the "vietnam war was bad" mini-genre of films, this film doesn't cover any new ground that other, better films do. The first hour is a series of awkward vignette's. We never learn much about any of the soldiers or where the story is leading, all we see are short, random events. I guess you can argue that we aren't supposed to learn about them to put us in the thick of the batlle, but it definitely distances the viewer from really getting involved at all. "Platoon," "Apocalypse Now!," "Full Metal Jacket," are all much better films that both distance you as well as suck you in and involve you. Two big pluses from me though: 1. Any movie with a guy riding a water buffalo gets an extra letter grade from me. 2. A Vietnam soldier with an 80's hairdo and more makeup caked on in face that he looks like he's straight of out Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" music video gains an extra star. 7 out of 10. C-. "Sunday afternoon chores and a movie" movie.
Review of Hamburger Hill
