Armor/AFV
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Dunkirk
clovis899
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Posted: Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 07:23 AM UTC
I would recommend the Ironman franchise if you are after complete real world movie accuracy; much better than that CGI Superman crap!

Cheers,
Rick
Dwaynewilly
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Posted: Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 07:35 AM UTC
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is not like any war movie I've ever seen before. He is an extremely talented director and writer. If you have seen his other films like Interstellar and Inception, he weaves the same cinematic magic once again. If you are looking to count rivets you will be disappointed, although the attempt to achieve accuracy was made as much as possible. There is no glorification of war yet it is not an anti-war movie. His movies are about human emotion and human spirit and his choice of a defeat/victory is no surprise. This movie is about the experience of the people who went through the ordeal, with all the bravery and cowardice that went along with it. What Nolan does is create an atmosphere that is so compelling and powerful aurally and visually that it makes you a part of it. I highly recommend that you see it in the IMAX format. As for free streaming and $5 bootleg DVD's, that's called theft. Would you want someone ripping off your hard work and effort?
YellowHammer
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Posted: Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 08:54 AM UTC
I just saw the movie tonight. I thought it was very well done. I'm not a rivet counter so I thought the action sequences looked authentic enough for me. I liked the use of time compression and the moving between the central characters. I was hoping for a little more of the land battle along with the evacuation but overall I think this is a definite award contender.
Bravo1102
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Posted: Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 10:15 AM UTC

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Endure the subtitles and see Panfilov's 28 Men. Armor heavy through fantastic model work. You'll think they got running Pzkpfw III G&H and IV D.



Have you by any chance seen Stalingrad (2013)?



As much as I love the work of the Bondarchuk family they're not really in the same place. One was about the experience of the war and the other was more about a handful of men seemingly doing the impossible in standing against the Blitzkrieg. Panfilov's 28 Men is more akin to Winter War in that way.

And the tanks in Stalingrad (2013) are the Pzkpfw IV H based on a T-55 originally made for White Tiger (which is a superior tank movie to Fury )

Now how does this version of Dunkirk compare to the 1958 film with John Mills, Richard Attenborough and Bernard Lee? That one had some great bits with John Mills as the reluctant squad leader and the artillery covering the retreat.
grom
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Posted: Sunday, July 23, 2017 - 01:30 PM UTC
The 1958 version of Dunkirk is one of my favorites, down to earth no nonsense, hope this version follows, another one is Went the day well, a bit wooden but good for its time, just watched Theirs is the Glory on spike tv excellent movie, recommended.
Ramanathan
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 03:04 PM UTC

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I found it half good and half disappointing. The sea action, and air to ground action were good, and the sound was good too.

Don't read further if you haven't seen it...




But air-to-air was crap. This movie jumps the shark when one lone Spitfire, out of fuel and only a couple hundred feet above the ground, without feathering it's prop, reverses course and shoots down a Stuka as it's coming out of it's dive.
This was after the same Spitfire downed four 109's and two Heinkel 111's. Granted, the 109 pilots made it easy. No schwarm, rotte, or any form of unit tactics. Only putting themselves in front of his Spitfire and banking back and forth until he shot them down.








I agree, the air-air was a bit "hollywoodistic" - spoiler alert!!! - and at the end why the guy in the Spitfire did not just turn back and landed on British or French territory? In worst case why not just fell to the sea?
On the other hand this film is sharing the 1st place on my war movie top-list hand in hand with the "A bridge too far". I strongly recommend watching it.
cheers,
Zsolt
RECON22
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 04:34 PM UTC
It's a great flick, loved Tom Hardys character flying the spitfire at the end....even if it's not a true account it gets the emotions going....!
Would love a new "A bridge too far" or another "The Longest Day"....can't wait for "Pegasus Bridge" coming soon.

j76lr
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 05:08 PM UTC

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And don't not see it because they used the Spanish-licensed versions of some of the German aircraft. There are only four original He111s left and none of them fly, so it was either that or cgi BS. Do we want another Red Tails?




there is actually one Spanish HE 111 flying , I saw it in a airshow last year in PA . I was disappointed in the movie !
35th-scale
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:06 PM UTC
Having just read through the full 3 pages of posts I was beginning to think I was the only one. Thanks Lou!
Not only was I disappointed in the movie I thought it one of the worst I've seen in a long time. Nearly as bad as Fury but for different reasons. The 3 different time-frames drove me mad, the music score was awful and the continuity was desperate....it constantly drove me mad and I'm not a nit-picker.
What is funny are the comments about the planes and not a mention of the ships.....
ReluctantRenegade
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:09 PM UTC
"and at the end why the guy in the Spitfire did not just turn back and landed on British or French territory?"

There was no British/French territory near-by. Dunkirk was completely sealed-off.

"In worst case why not just fell to the sea?"

If you're at low altitude with no fuel, you're options are very limited as WW2 fighters are not exactly famous for their excellent gliding ratios (although the Spit performs quiet well in this field).
Landing in open sea is an extremely dangerous maneuver, one should do absolutely everything to avoid it. Even the calmest sea can't be more appealing than a nice, wide, miles long flat beach.

retiredyank
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:24 PM UTC

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Even the calmest sea can't be more appealing than a nice, wide, miles long flat beach.




And the German army?
jrutman
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:31 PM UTC
Reading all the posts I see the old old argument between guys that go see a movie and expect a documentary.
J
ReluctantRenegade
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:39 PM UTC

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Even the calmest sea can't be more appealing than a nice, wide, miles long flat beach.




And the German army?



I'm talking purely from the aviator's perspective (I fly commercially). Even in peacetime the decision making process in such situation is extremely complex. Add war to the equation, and it becomes unbelievably difficult. Plus he might thought the beach was still in British/French hands...? By the way, excellent movie. I especially liked the scenes shoot from the cockpit: the noise, the vibration, the pressure...everything felt very real.

ReluctantRenegade
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 06:51 PM UTC

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Reading all the posts I see the old old argument between guys that go see a movie and expect a documentary.
J



Very true. It called artistic license. One should always remember that the main aim of movies of this kind is to make money, not to please history geeks (like us).
Bravo1102
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 07:19 PM UTC
A friend's late father was a World War 2 veteran of an infantry platoon in the Third Infantry division. He was the only member of his platoon not a casualty. He said thr best and most accurate war movie in his opinion was Sam Fuller's Big Red One a movie routinely dissed by history geeks. He felt it was the only one to get the experience of being in a squad right without being Hollywood. He thought the combat in Saving Private Ryan was well done but the characters totally wrong for veteran infantry. So you know, I distrust most history geek's opinions and go with the veterans. By the way a previous post mentioned The Steel Helmet. Sam Fuller did that one too.

And you know the producers of Battle of the Bulge tried hard to please their technical advisors. The uniforms and fire commands are spot on, it's the script that sucked and there was nothing they could do about it. And the Spanish had promised them Shermans...
j76lr
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 07:51 PM UTC
[quote]I think we need a good War Movie, like the old days: Bridge to far or The Longest Day. I just want a Movie that has less Hollywood in it, by Hollywood I mean: The all mighty American Hero that just slaughters everything in his path, for example Fury! (worst War movie ever made).

Watching the trailers. Dunkirk might be the Movie I was long waiting for. But I was let down so many times !

Yes ,Fury was a bad movie . You apparently were never in combat, I was ! If you didnt Hollywood it up , no one would watch it !
. and why bring nationalities into it ? Every nation made sacrifices.

69mudbone
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 07:53 PM UTC
Here is my two cents..... first movie I viewed in IMAX and it cost me 18.50 that's right 18.50. The music score was way over the top. I did not like the jumping around of the three sub plots. I believe the director missed the boat big time. There was absolutely no sense of chaos or urgency with which I associate with Dunkirk. Oh well back to the DVD player..........
j76lr
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 07:58 PM UTC

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Even the calmest sea can't be more appealing than a nice, wide, miles long flat beach.




And the German army?



The German army was being held off by 30,000 French troops while the British being evacuated . Then some of them were evacuated.
TopSmith
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 08:06 PM UTC
My daughter and I saw the movie. We felt something was missing. There was not enough. The story was of the little boats that saved the British army. There needed to be more of them. The film was on a budget I know but The British army was not saved by 30 boats. The story was mainly from the view of that soldier who was getting off the beach any way he could, the one small boat crew and the Admiral on the mole. There needed to be a larger cast. What was happening in London? Who and why were decisions made not to send more ships? Where was the Airforce and why were their numbers not larger? Were the British not helping with the defense of Dunkirk? Many things should have been included but weren't.
Klaus-Adler
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MODELGEEK
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 08:30 PM UTC
i was going to go and see it lastnight but we got the timings mixed up and ended up watching Atomic Blonde instead lol
ReluctantRenegade
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 10:06 PM UTC

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Even the calmest sea can't be more appealing than a nice, wide, miles long flat beach.




And the German army?



The German army was being held off by 30,000 French troops while the British being evacuated . Then some of them were evacuated.



True, but the biggest contributor by far to the "Miracle of Dunkirk" was Adolf Hitler himself. His decision to stop the tanks (twice) just outsider Dunkirk allowed the British to organize and carry out a successful evacuation.
Invincible
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 10:23 PM UTC
The reason why there were few RAF planes was answered in the film, I think. somebody said they were being held back to keep them safe for the defence of Britain . Same with the navy.
Invincible
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Posted: Sunday, August 13, 2017 - 10:24 PM UTC
I feel bad for you. Really bad. That film looks terrible.
casailor
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Posted: Monday, August 14, 2017 - 12:07 AM UTC
The director was very careful to never show the front of the engine cowlings, so the CASA 111 made a very believable He 111. After all, the major external difference are the Merlins powering it.
casailor
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Posted: Monday, August 14, 2017 - 12:13 AM UTC
The Spit was very dangerous to ditch, the underwing radiator and oil cooler tended to scoop up water and flip the bird on it's back. But at the time I wondered why Hardy just didn't bail out over one of the small boats. But it the end, it's a movie and designed to entertain the masses, not people like us who are familiar with vehicles, aircraft, weapons and tactics. What surprised me was how little my wife knew about Dunkirk.