Black Hawk Down Review found in Archives

Black Hawk Down:
It should have been called Black Hawk Dumb as far as I’m converned. It's plot is based on the US operations in Somalia and in particular - one really really really bad day! Basically the US decides to go into Mogadishu and arrest a bunch of Somalis. Things go wrong as the local militia start kicking the shit out of the Yanks.
The character development and overall dialog is less than good and many times I marveled at how Ewan McGregor manages to be the most interesting character while at the same time not convincing you at all that he is either an American or a soldier.
Most of this movie goes like this: Americans fight through hailstorms of bullets and RPG's fired by crazed Somali Militia (the Skinnies). In the event a Yank is hit, then his buddies risk everything to get him out of trouble. Then they mow down a hundred more 'Skinnies' (they might as well have said 'Blackies') who all die very easily and don't have any buddies to back them up or help them out. Also the Skinnies cant shoot straight but the Americans can somehow hit twenty Somali's on a rooftop with only fifteen rounds of ammo.
I might compare this film to Behind Enemy Lines starring Owen Wilson but I wont because that had better action scenes and was a fictional story with a overtly ridiculous 'USA saves the day' ending.
Blackhawk Down had more responsibility to be reasonably accurate because it is purportedly based on a true story in which real people died. You would think so anyway.
The movie claims that 1000 of the Somali fighters were killed and the scenes would have you believe that it was more. For every American depicted as hit with a lucky shot by some 'crazy inept Somali' - we see about 40 'skinnies' getting mowed down by a US soldier.(they must have had truckloads of ammo?!)
I will give the writers credit for including at least one scene that depicts innocent Somalis being killed by US forces and resting some blame for the incident on US generals for letting presumption of strength lead to failure. Then again, you shouldn't see this movie for any philosophical answers. It is just USA gets victimised and shows how US payback is a bitch. There is hardly any credit or mention of the Pakistani's who, in real life, saved the American forces in Mogadishu. They are actually portrayed as testing a US General's patience with their lack of action!
Having said all that, it had some really amazing action scenes involving the choppers and RPG's! Ewan is superior to his given role and Josh Harnett is brilliant as every young woman's unrealistic fantasy male.
The film also has the mandatory scenes of 'Commander Ironballs' who is so war-hardened that he walks about the flying bullets without flinching or staying low. [this was popularised in Apocalypse Now and even seen in non-bullet films like Braveheart]
I will recommend this movie, despite it being heavy on the pro-American propaganda, but only for pure shoot-em-up thrills.
One final note - This is a guy movie through and through. Rent this and you will owe your girlfriend a chick movie.
Roger that.

A Jerry Bruckheimer Film starring Ewan McGregor and Josh Hartnett.