Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Disney
EAN: 0786936688337
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Label: Miramax Home Entertainment
Languages: EnglishOriginal LanguageJapaneseOriginal LanguageTagalogOriginal Language
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
MPN: DISD48988D
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Miramax Home Entertainment
Region Code: 1
Release Date: December 20, 2005
Running Time: 132 minutes
Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: August 12, 2005

Editorial Review:

Product Description:
SET IN THE PHILLIPPINES IN 1945, THIS TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF THE 6TH RANGER BATALLION WHO UNDERTAKE A DARING RESCUE MISSION AGAINST ALL ODDS. TRAVELING 30 MILES BEHIND ENEMY LINES, THE BATTALION AIMS TO LIBERATE OVER 500 AMERICAN P.O.W'S FROM THE NOTORIOUS CABANATUAN JAPANESE P.O.W CAMP.

Amazon.com:
Nearly three years after it was filmed, The Great Raid finally appeared as a welcome reminder that good old-fashioned World War II movies never go out of style. While lacking the scale, prestige, and pulse-pounding momentum of Saving Private Ryan, this fact-based war drama benefits from a back-to-basics approach to realism and a rousing rescue climax that more than compensates for the slower passages that precede it. Adapted from the books The Great Raid on Cabanatuan and Ghost Soldiers, it chronicles the five-day mission (in late January 1945) to rescue 511 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Cabanatuan POW camp in the Philippines. Under the direction of neo-noir specialist John Dahl (The Last Seduction), the film's three-part structure follows the raid mission led by Lt. Col. Mucci (Benjamin Bratt); the plight of the POWs at Cabanatuan, including malaria-stricken Maj. Gibson (Joseph Fiennes); and civilian resistance in Manila as carried out by real-life hero and Gibson's (fictional) would-be lover Margaret Utinsky (Connie Nielsen), whose effort to aid the POWs is vigilantly monitored by the enemy Japanese. In keeping with war-movie traditions, Dahl handles character and action with no-nonsense intelligence, favoring a slow build over pumped-up adrenalin. By the time the miraculous rescue is executed with critical assistance by Filpino guerillas, The Great Raid has earned its stripes, honoring the brave men who carried out the most successful rescue mission in U.S. military history. --Jeff Shannon

Average Rating:

Rating: - The Raid May Have Been Great, But The Movie Isn't
The raid to save POW survivors of the Bataan Death March took place over 5 days in January 1945 after US troops landed in the Philippines. This movie seems 5 days long as well - the plot inches along and there are so many characters that we hardly get to know any of them.

Why is the US POW senior officer so obsessed with the wife of his former commanding officer? I am not sure as this is not explained well. Why is the Colonel whose men have to raid the POW camp misunderstood and what ... Read More

Rating: - Traditional and Fine WW2 Film
Nothing to add to the complete summaries in some reviews and the general approval with which they approach the film. It follows the traditional pattern of American War films but the action sequences and underplayed roles gave it a feeling of authenticity not always found in the genre. While the action is heated for only a short while, it sparks the picture. The acting is nicely underplayed allowing no room for a shift of attention from the roles played to the actors playing them. Admirably, despite ... Read More

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Rating: - Spectacular!!!
I always had a thing for watching war movies ... the Battle of the Bulge ... Midway ...I would say that this falls within that category. Though, it is not a great battle in itself the story of the rescue of POW makes it as important as all the battles that won WWII.

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Rating: - High impact film!
This was ordered for a friend of mine whose father was a POW and lived through this historic event in time. The film was very real, even including some actual film footage from the archives. The storyline was strong with a visceral impact. My friend's father talked about these events and the places mentioned in the movie. The death march was horrific and this film has given a voice to those who never left the island alive. Great film, but hard to watch, if you understand what I mean. Real people, ... Read More

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Rating: - Worth possessing
I was surprised at how fast this video was mailed to me. As it portrayed a historical event, it will probably be viewed for years to come.