ShangLuda
Admirable film.
ThedevilChoose
When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.
FrogGlace
In other words,this film is a surreal ride.
kapelusznik18
***SPOILERS***After Pearl Harbor with the Japanese Navy & Army sweeping across the South Pacific it's decided by the higher ups in the US military to start meaning business in putting an end or stop to their conquests and it's at Guadlcanal where that's to happen. As it turned out the battle of Cuadalcanal turned out to be a lot tougher for the US Marines & Navy then what was at first expected. Then as a saver it was decided to raid the island of Makin to relieve the pressure and give the US Marines a little breathing space. That's where Col. Throwald, Raldolph Scott, and his 600 raider came into the picture. It was their job to take over the island kill all the Japs defending it and then, after the job was done, blow the place sky high leaving nothing for the Jap reinforcement to use after retaking it. A tall order for the tall six foot four Col. Thorwald and his raiders but after six months of intense training not an impossible one.One of the better WWII propaganda movies that makes the war as realistic as any Hollywood studio could without the ridicules and at times phony heroics that their so used to doing. The raiders do create a bridgehead on Makin Island but the resistance by the Japanese troops makes their stay a hot one. Slowly but surly the raiders take over half of the island suffering heavy casualties but soon run out of gas ammunition and men when faced with a major Japanese counter-attack. It's then that the witty Col. Throward comes up with this unique plan to have the Japanses themselves, in coming to help the Jap forces on the island, do the job for him. With of all things the good old Stars & Stripes painted on the roof of the captured Japanese headquarters building.Great battle scenes with most of the cast, the US Marine Raiders, not making it to the final end of the picture. And the Japanese, played for the most part by what looked like Hispanics, getting their just deserts with not one as far as I could tell surviving. As for the Japs pilots attack on the raiders on Makin Island they now have a lot to explain to their superiors including the infuriated Emperor why in fact they stupidly help the allied not Japanses cause in the fighting. As for the raiders themselves their sacrifices, over 30 dead, was not in vain it gave the US Marines and later Army reinforcement the time they needed to not only hold off but defeat the Jap banzai charges on Guadalcanal but have the US Navy regroup and strike at the heart of the Japanese Imperial fleet. That's before it could continue it's offensive not only past the Hawaiian Island but the Unitaed States mainland as well.
chingatch
Sets the standard for war moves to come.Many complain about "clichés", how can you call the move that created the clichés as cliché? Are Edward Weston's photographs "cliche"? He set the standards, copied by many, as does this movie.As kids growing up in the 50's, watching movies like this on weekend TV set the stage for many battles between our block and those kids across the street.Great action scenes, heroic Americans mowing down "Japs" by the hundreds, explosions, airplanes bombing & strafing, ships, submarines, this movie has it all!
MartinHafer
When you watch GUNG HO!, you'll probably soon recognize how crappy the print is. I know it's been in the public domain and the copy recent shown on Turner Classic Movies was very dark and a bit fuzzy--and TCM usually shows the best print available.As for the film, despite having Randolph Scott and some familiar faces (Noah Beery, Jr., Robert Mitchum and others), it's an amazingly straight-forward and simple film. The usual clichés and side stories, while still present, are much fewer in number and far more emphasis is placed on the training and combat. Additionally, I was amazed at how brutal the film was, as the Raiders were taught to fight very dirty and there was an amazing amount of blood for a 40s era film. It was uncompromising and direct throughout the movie.The film itself is about a special unit within the Marines that were akin to the Army Rangers or a Special Forces unit. Apparently they were a real group and the film was made about their first mission in 1942--only a few months before this film was produced! Because it was so direct and simple, I really enjoyed the film. However, for lovers of Randolph Scott, while he's in GUNG HO!, his role is rather simple and quite unlike his later persona in Westerns.By the way, although the film was pretty good, it featured one of the dumber war clichés as one of the soldier pulls a grenade pin with his teeth--a great way to rip out or shatter your teeth.For more information about this raid (some of which is much more incredible than what is in the film), try http://www.usmarineraiders.org/makin.html.
Michael O'Keefe
Ray Enright directs this Black & White patriotic war film that of course is definitely dated; but highly entertaining...with no apologies for propaganda. This movie without a doubt lifted spirits of wartime Americans. GUNG HO!is based on a true story of World WarII Marines on Makin Island. Some very realistic scenes even though some dialog is genuinely hokey. Talk about an All-Star cast: Randolph Scott gives up his horse and saddle for military garb in the role of Colonel Thorwald. There is a young Robert Mitchum on the brink of stardom. Others featured are: Noah Berry Jr., Rod Cameron, Alan Curtis, J. Carrol Naish, Sam Levene, David Bruce and Milburn Stone. Not much can bust up these commandos...except war.
