jgedutis Review of Apache Warrior

Apache Warrior (2017)

Feels Like You Are Riding In The Cockpit Of An Apache Attack Helicopter

[10/10 · 9 November 2019]

This documentary is excellent. If you are even slightly interested and dont want spoilers, then stop reading this and go watch it now. You wont be disappointed. This documentary tells the story of an Apache attack helicopter air cavalry unit tasked with a mission on the opening night of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It does a great job introducing the people we will accompany on the mission. The documentary uses real footage recovered from 3 of the Apache's. It feels like you are in the cockpit with them. The real footage of the event is overlayed with the real radio communications from that night. Usually radio communication can be hard to follow but this documentary does a great job putting subtitles along with pictures of the person speaking. This allows you to get to know the people involved and easily follow the conversations. When they first start taking fire from the ground they think they are hitting birds. Soon they see a town approaching, and just before they start to fly over, all the lights go out. A few seconds later they all come back on, and all hell breaks out. The lights were a signal to every inhabitant of the city to go outside and shoot into the air. The Apache's start taking heavy fire and damage. You can see the rounds ricocheting off the helicopters and the tracer rounds filling the sky. From this point on I was literally on the edge of my seat. My heart was racing, and I was in fear for the crews. I cant image what seeing that wall of lead and hearing them ripping the rotors to shreds felt like for those actually in the cockpits. After making it through the city they find their intended targets are not there. They came all this way for nothing, and now they have to fly back through the hell they just passed to get home. One of the crew is shot through the neck and is loosing a lot of blood, but they cant stop to transfer him to one of the Blackhawks to the flight surgeon because that would require landing in enemy territory. The damage the Apache's take and are still able to fly is absolutely astounding. If felt like I took a breath when they first started taking fire and didn't exhale until they landed. This documentary will stay with me for a long time. If you made it this far, go watch Apache Warrior now.