Bat★21 (1988)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Pretty good Vietnam (anti-)war movie, with Hackman trapped behind enemy lines and Glover standing by on the radio for moral support. Occasionally, this brought to mind Bruce Willis and Reginald VelJohnson, but this doesn't maintain Die Hard's tension levels. The middle really sags while the third act lays on the violence and the savagery. It's the acting that makes this stand out, particularly with the camaraderie between the two leads, and a solid Jerry Reed as supporting.7/10

In Bat*21, Colonel Gene Hackman is pulled off the golf links for a dry run on a planned bombing mission when his plane is shot down and he's on the loose in the Vietnamese jungle. Since he's a guy with a whole lot of knowledge the North Vietnamese regulars and the Viet Cong guerrillas would love to get their hands on him. Of course they'd only know how important he was once they did get their hands on him. Still he's someone that Army headquarters will go more than the extra mile for to see he does not fall into enemy hands. More than they would for some dogface private.Trying to reach him after Hackman's been shot down is rescue evacuation pilot Danny Glover. For a combination of reasons a couple of attempts go bad and Hackman watches the deaths of people sent to rescue him. Will it go right in the end?The film is based on a true story and Hackman plays the real life Lieutenant Colonel Iceal Hambleton who spent a couple of harrowing days in the jungle with the enemy all around. Bat*21 was Hambleton's real call sign and he and his rescuers work out a complicated route of travel based on a golf course he's played and the fact that Jerry Reed the man in charge knows the course as well. The Viet Cong listening in on their field radio conversations can't figure out what is essentially a private code.Ironically enough I saw a film based on a similar premise called Jet Attack involving the Korean War just recently. That one however was fictional and Bat*21 is a whole lot better. The film graphically shows and without really taking a side the difficulties of fighting the war in Vietnam where the guerrillas have no compunction about using civilians as shields. At some point Hackman succeeds in begging off a possible massacre like My Lai when a copter and crew is shot down and executed by the Cong who take shelter with the civilian villagers.Glover and Hackman work well together, there scenes as well as the well staged battle scenes are the best in the film. Bat*21 provides an objective look at the Vietnamese War as seen through the eyes of a successful rescue attempt and the men who sacrificed themselves to get Colonel Hambleton out of harm's way.

As a fan of Danny Glover and Gene Hackman, I picked up the movie at the video store, not really knowing what to expect. Having been a college student during the Vietnam era, living in Arizona's Valley of the Sun, I had also became a golf enthusiast. This movie had references to the war and to the game of golf which, therefore, held my interest. Knowing movies can sometimes exaggerate circumstances, I simply enjoyed the story as it progressed, and was delighted to be able to understand the terminology. When I noted that Lt. Col. Hambelton (retired and living near a golf course in El Paso, TX) was a consultant on the film and that it was based upon a book, my next course of action was checking out the novel at the library. I wasn't disappointed because, as is usual with books and films, there were some aspects of the story which carried more detail in written form. But the book stayed within the flow of the film. So, after enjoying both movie and book, I did what came naturally to me. I called long-distance information and got Lt. Col. Hambelton's phone number in El Paso. I explained that I was simply an admirer living in the little city of Victoria, TX and wanted to express my enthusiasm for the story. He didn't miss a beat...he (excitedly, by the way) told me that he had trained for service at OUR nearby Foster Field. This admission, in itself, added to my enthusiasm for the film and had me recommending Bat-21 to anyone who would listen.

This is an excellent War film, that's very moving at times, with a great story and 2 amazing performances from Gene Hackman and Danny Glover!. All the characters are great, and the story is very engrossing, plus Gene Hackman and Danny Glover are simply amazing in this!. What really made the movie work, was the great relationship between Hackman and Glover, it also has many powerful moments,the village scene for example, plus the 2 main leads are extremely likable!. I really do enjoy a good War film, and this one was excellent, and i thought, the dialog was fantastic, plus it felt very real!. It does not have a whole lot of action, but it has a great story, and fantastic performances to keep you watching, plus the supporting cast was really good as well. It has realistic war scenes as well, and i felt for Hackman's character, plus i found the ending very satisfying. This is an excellent war film, that's very moving at times with a great story, and 2 amazing performances from Gene Hackman and Danny Glover, and i say it's a must see for everyone!. The Direction is great!. Peter Markle does a great job here, with excellent camera work, great angles, and really keeping the film at an engrossing pace!. The Acting is fantastic!. Gene Hackman is amazing here, he is extremely likable, had fantastic chemistry with Glover, was fantastic in the acting department, and you really feel for his character!, he also had some very good lines (Hackman rules!). Danny Gliver is AMAZING as always, and is amazing here, he is extremely likable, is fantastic in the acting department, had fantastic chemistry with Hackman, also had some great lines, and was totally different then his Murtaugh character in Lethal weapon!, it was awesome to see him play something different!.(Glover Rules!!). Jerry Reed,David Marshall Grant and Clayton Rohner all do what they have to do very well. Rest of the cast do fine. Overall a must see for everyone!.****1/2 out of 5 (barely).