Worst modern war film of all time

[Miller]

I think this one even eclipses P**** H******.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApVOF66cLPY

It's on Netflix at the moment. Christ, where do I start? CGI from the late 90's, a rent an actor performance from Bruce Willis (he must REALLY need the money), a terrible plot/story in general. The biggest high(low)light is the Chinese hero landing a crippled P40 onto a truck, which then just avoids falling off a cliff. Obviously made for the Chinese market who will probably be less clued up on all the errors and mistakes, but still, it's a giant turkey.

[Chickenboy]

Indianapolis: Men of Courage

I'd rather watch 100 crippled P40s fall off of crippled Bruce Willis' crippled trucks than sit through that dog's breakfast again. Terrible acting. Terrible set design. Terrible narrative. Terrible special effects. Terrible interjection of unnecessary political / social strife that never happened.

[Miller]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Indianapolis: Men of Courage

I'd rather watch 100 crippled P40s fall off of crippled Bruce Willis' crippled trucks than sit through that dog's breakfast again. Terrible acting. Terrible set design. Terrible narrative. Terrible special effects. Terrible interjection of unnecessary political / social strife that never happened.

Also on Netflix but I've never bothered watching it because I knew it would be awful. Like Willis, Cage appears in any old sh it now as long as he gets paid.

[Chickenboy]

C'mon Miller, old boy-I think you should watch it so that you can weigh them against one another. C'mon man-do it! [:D]

[Canoerebel]

I haven't seen either movie, but they sound awful. I'll take your advice and avoid them.

I have co-nominees for worst WWII flick, heartfelt but I acknowledge that good Forumites see things very differently:

1. Kelly's Heroes: Hippies from the '60s step back in time, giving World War II a groovy vibe that makes those who relish historical accuracy, not only in plot, setting and equipment but also in character and true-to-the-era acting, nauseous. Many good Forumites love this movie, but a number of them will add, "I don't even consider this a war movie." Enough said.

2. Thin Red Line: Hippies from the '70s grow weary of war and step back in time to WWII to frolic with the aboriginal inhabitants of Guadalcanal, while modern US Navy frigates patrol the waters offshore. This movie is as historically accurate in the characters being true to the era as was Dances with Wolves. Bleck.

[Chickenboy]

Anything more recent than Kelly's Heroes (note OP subject line) for nomination? That was-what-50 years ago?

[Canoerebel]

Age doesn't improve that particular vintage.

I'm going off on a tangent, but thinking aloud here:

A lot of the more recent WWII movies have been decent - not spectacular, but credible despite flaws that kept them from being spectacular: Fury, Dunkirk, Hart's War, The Pianist, Valkyrie, Atonement (if you count it), and The Others (if you count it, which isn't likely but it's set in WWII on a Channel Island, so what the heck).

Some have been pretty darned bad: Monument Men and, I'd submit, Flags of Our Fathers.

Inglorious Basterds is in it's own category - superb acting and filming but utterly deranged.

And then there have been some real gems: Schindlers List, Letters from Iwo Jima, Saving Private Ryan, Enemy at the Gates, and The Book Thief.

Of those made in the last 25 years that come to mind, I'd say Thin Red Line and Wind Talkers trail only the shizz-fest P*** H*****.

I bet I've overlooked a lot?

[btd64]

Thanks for reminding me of those......movies[8|]....GP

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Age doesn't improve that particular vintage.

I'm going off on a tangent, but thinking aloud here:

A lot of the more recent WWII movies have been decent - not spectacular, but credible despite flaws that kept them from being spectacular: Fury, Dunkirk, Hart's War, The Pianist, Valkyrie, Atonement (if you count it), and The Others (if you count it, which isn't likely but it's set in WWII on a Channel Island, so what the heck).

Some have been pretty darned bad: Monument Men and, I'd submit, Flags of Our Fathers.

Inglorious Basterds is in it's own category - superb acting and filming but utterly deranged.

And then there have been some real gems: Schindlers List, Letters from Iwo Jima, Saving Private Ryan, Enemy at the Gates, and The Book Thief.

Of those made in the last 25 years that come to mind, I'd say Thin Red Line and Wind Talkers trail only the shizz-fest P*** H*****.

I bet I've overlooked a lot?

Wind Talkers is a good follow up or runner up for 'worst modern war film of all time'. Again starring Nicholas Cage. A pattern? [8|]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Inglorious Basterds is in it's own category - superb acting and filming but utterly deranged.

I really liked that movie. I think I know why. [;)]

[Lovejoy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Indianapolis: Men of Courage

I'd rather watch 100 crippled P40s fall off of crippled Bruce Willis' crippled trucks than sit through that dog's breakfast again. Terrible acting. Terrible set design. Terrible narrative. Terrible special effects. Terrible interjection of unnecessary political / social strife that never happened.

I got up to the point where a guy leans over to puke outside the life raft and a Great White Shark jumps up and bites his head. After that, I couldn't stand anymore...

[Jorge_Stanbury]

Every Chinese or Korean WW2 film is a serious contender for worst war movie ever made

Japanese or German war movies, on the other hand, are really good

[Canoerebel]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
Inglorious Basterds is in it's own category - superb acting and filming but utterly deranged.

I really liked that movie. I think I know why. [;)]

I can think of at least two good reasons.

[pontiouspilot]

The all time worst had to be U-571. Bad acting, bad effects, totally ridiculous plot...none of above even in same league

[rockmedic109]

It's ancient, but Lafayette Escadrille was a showcase of horrific vomitus that someone passed off as art. Flyboys was a very close second or tie. They both make TMTSNBN look like a Pulitzer prize winning documentary as far as historical accuracy goes.

[Anachro]

Canoerebel, always spreading those negative vibes. [:)]

[jdsrae]

Keep an eye or for this one coming soon ref Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AyUqZLwOo2Y

[spence]

Keep an eye or for this one coming soon ref Battle of Long Tan in Vietnam
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AyUqZLwOo2Y

I have to admit that I played the trailer w/o any sound but the original post proposed "Air Strike" as the worst WW2 movie ever and I watched that one w/o sound too. While "Air Strike is claims to based on a true story I figure that the "true story" begins and ends with the facts that there once was a WW2 and China participated in it. If one is inclined to watch a movie concerning China's war with the Japanese I would recommend "Flowers of War". The acting is pretty decent and there's no CGI.

U-571 also deserves 'honorable mention' with the nearly the same to be said re its claim of truth status (the British did capture a Uboat (U-110) in 1941 (I think) and another later but in both cases the capture took place long before the USN captured U-505).


On the other hand I would place most of the recent Aussie films re WW1: The Lighthorsemen, ANZACs, Beneath Hill 60 (the monument to the 1st Australian Tunneling Co at Ypres has bullet holes in it from a nearby WW2 battle/skirmish). Kokoda was a good one about WW2. There was another one whose name I can't recall that concerned itself with war crimes trials vs Japanese troops garrisioning the DEI. In that one the junior Japanese officer took all the blame so that the US could revive Japan after WW2 to resist the USSR's designs.

So at first glance, "Danger Close" does not impress me as a contender for the worst anything.

[BBfanboy]

Well, my nomination is for a film pitting WWII naval vessels against alien invaders : Battleship

So many bad things in there it would take too long to write them all up so I will state my biggest issue - The USS Missouri is brought into service to fight the aliens and just happens to have ammo in the magazines. It uses its mighty 16" guns to hit the alien ships and hurts them but does not destroy them.

The aliens sink Missouri with their rasp-torpedoes that bore holes through the ship. The hero switches to a slightly more modern DD that still has a 5'' gun and closes with the damaged alien vessel. Do they fire the 5" gun to finish it off? Nooooooo! They get some rifles from the armoury and close in enough to shoot the alien commander on his bridge!

I think Ben Affleck was the protagonist in that one too. The idea must have been to use bad acting to distract from a terrible plot and abysmal realism.

[Anachro]

Well, the worst WW2 film of the last five years is Dunkirk, to be honest.