Leofwine_draca ONLY THE BRAVE has potential, that's for sure. It tells the story of Japanese-American troops fighting on the side of America against Japan during the Second World War. It's not an original subject matter, because they'd done similar films since the 1950s, but I was more than happy to check out the story as told for a new generation.Sadly, this turns out not to be a war film at all, but rather an overworked melodrama. Just as the story seems to turn interesting, the viewer is treated to another endless flashback; flashback footage eats up most of the running time here. We get to see the soldiers back home as they interact with their wives and family members, and these scenes are embarrassingly 'arty' and quite lame. The film is bogged down with romantic sentiment throughout, and I found it all quite unwatchable. It's a pity, as the casting director has assembled plenty of familiar Asian-American and Hawaiaan actors, including action stalwarts like Mark Dacascos and Jason Scott Lee, alongside Greg Watanabe and Kenneth Choi.

Bambikilled I really wanted to like this movie, even though seeing the bad reviews and grades, but I'm sorry to say I just couldn't. Already in the first scene,(incense and cultural clichés accompanied by ramblings), I was thinking "Nooo". Cheesy and conceited were adjectives that came to mind...I'm very interested in military history, especially WWII. I have my roots in Finland, and therefore I have the same relationship to Finnish movies about the Winter war and Continuation war (btw something to take a look at for anyone interested in WWII, to see some of the least discussed but most astonishing military wonders of all times - a tiny Little poorly equipped army in a tiny little country, literally crushing the USSR Bear), as I suppose Asian Americans have to this movie, since it portrays a part of the US Army which seldom have gotten any recognition for their efforts and sacrifice. (Also see "Days of glory", a rather good movie about the Algerian French soldiers in the French army during WWII - Another "forgotten" Group).I also have a great interest and fair insight into different Asian cultures due to both personal interest and having several Asian in-laws in the family. Also, some of the areas in WWII history, which I have spent the most time on, are the affairs in Asia and the Pacific. So the genuine interest is there, and also a good insight and knowledge of actual history.Still, I have to practically force myself through this syrupy mess... The degree of melodrama, over acting and oh-it's-so-sad, is so extensive that it makes me queasy. Everything is shoved in the face of the viewer, in a pathetically naïve way, leaving no room for any thought or reflexion. Nothing is subtle nor actually touching, since the director has drenched it all in banality and cheap clichés.The acting is horrible and over dramatic overall, and leaves one with an uncomfortable feeling of embarrassment on the behalf of both the actors and the characters. They are all flat and one-dimensional, delivering predictable portraits with no depth. I would even say that the characters, in a way, mock and ridicule Asian Americans, and place the whole group in an old and clichéd POV. Which is both sad and frustrating.The depiction of battle and warfare is badly acted, but mainly badly planned and executed by the director, giving an air of boys playing war at a paint-ball field, rather than actually being at the western front. Low budget is not an excuse since many movies pull it off anyway.The script is annoying in it's throws hence and forth, and in it's lack of continuity and a red thread. The scenes don't drive the story forwards, but just seem random and confused. Dialogue is mostly bad.Overall, this movie is a crappy mess with not much good to be said about. And that's irritating since this forgotten part of WWII-history is a very interesting one, and a movie made by a good director, with a good script and screenplay, with good actors, could have made it a see worthy pearl of a flick, instead of a pathetic puddle of syrup. :( I can't even recommend it to anyone except maybe descendants of the Asian American soldiers from the US troops of WWII. I think they could have some kind of benefit from this Movie, otherwise, it's mostly a waste of time. See something good instead.Sad to say, because I so much would have wanted to like this.But Lane Nishikawa kind of fu*ed up. Seriously badly so.

paul-buchanan-724-65955 I am a great lover of the WWII film genre and have to say that this is the worse one I have ever seen, if it was on very late night on TV and I flicked it on, it would be flicked of pretty quick - unfortunately i bought the DVD so felt i had to watch it to the end - which I did with a lot of fast forwarding - it won't be watched again.I think they tried to bring you in along the lines of "getting to know the men" by flash backs to their live before joining up - i don't need to see this every five minutes, either put the "family" part at the start or don't bother. the music was so "TV film" i almost laughed but i couldn't as i had paid money out - the battle scenes where non existent barring in mind this is supposed to focus on the battle which suffered the loss of nearly half of its roster—over 800 casualties, including 121 dead—while rescuing 211 members of the 36th Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 141st Infantry, which had been surrounded by German forces in the Vosges mountains since 24 October.

timyasui Last night my wife and I viewed this film at the Director's Guild Theatre in Hollywood. My first impression as it ended was that I was glad that a movie like this had been made! Lane, the director, was kind enough to field questions from the audience after the screening and learning how they did this on a shoe-string budget made the film even more impressive to me. The acting was superb, the camera work was on the money and the writing was top notch. I can't wait to see the final version! Kudos to Lane and his production crew, to the actors and the fund-raising effort that made it all happen. This film needs major distribution and the sooner, the better!