STORY – 1
DIRECTOR – 1
ACTOR – 1
MUSIC – 0
CULT – 1
VERDICT – 4/5
PROS –
1) Beneath Spike Lee’s usual black emancipation theme, this movie is an intense treasure hunt adventure where 4 US Army veterans return to Vietnam to retrieve the hidden gold. What happens next is the routine story of greed and mistrust.
2) Delroy Lindo as Paul gave the performance of his lifetime.
3) The same actors played their younger-self in the flash-back scenes without any make-up or de-aging effect. This was a bold move from the director.
CONS –
1) 154 minutes running time is not acceptable for this story. The entire first hour was spent on plot built-up.
2) Spike Lee’s obsession with the black community and racism ruins everything. He should try making a stand-alone documentary next time to vent out his bitterness.
3) The primary plot borrows heavily from the back-story of Charade (1963).
QUOTE –
Otis: Madness! Madness!
Factual Reviews 