Customer Reviews

Bataan/Back to Bataan

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was born in Cavite City, Philippines. On a clear day I could see the island of Corregidor which is a part of Cavite Province and on the northwestern part of Manila Bay, Bataan. I have seen Bataan at AMC (American Movie Classics) several times but I want a DVD for my own collection. Back to Bataan was really an added excellent bonus to my collection. Both movies has shown how our American friends together with Filipino fighters, resisted the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. So much courage and sacrifice were shown by these two movies which is why our two countries are very much in close ties with each other. I must say that it will take awhile before this two masterpieces will be duplicated. Five star for both movies.

R.M.Poblete, Carson, Ca

Both of these films are a little heavy handed on the patriotic themes but that is because they were both done during the war. Bataan is by far the better of the 2 unless you are a huge John Wayne fan. Bataan has the best character development and acting.

In my humble opinion, "Bataan" is one of the best WWII movies made. The inclusion of "Back To Bataan" make this particular disc Bataan/Back to Bataan set even better.

Bataan has always been one of my favourites and I never get tired of watching it.
Back to Bataan is a great follow up.

Bataan was a great movie about selfless service and putting duty above all else. The acting was perfect in Bataan, back to Bataan was good too, but the quality of Bataan overshadowed it.

Both movies are worth the price but Bataan has all the elements of a true cinema classic. Putting aside the attitude of the movie industry at large when promoting patriotism during these years...this film reaches that rare plateau of true cinematic art. The cinematography is crisp and uses the black and white canvas to paint an ever encroaching somber inevitability to the soldiers situation. The set design is a marvel of studio filming. The effects when required are breathtaking. The acting is as good as it gets, right down to Desi Arnaz in an early portrayal before his hook-up with Lucy. The uneasy alliance between Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan mirrors the situation they find themselves in. Thomas Mitchell and George Murphy are pitch perfect. The script is terse and world weary. It's clear the five writers (that's right) knew where of they spoke. The Directors (Edward Dmytryck and Tay Garnett) take their story and players and put them through their paces until you can feel the heat and the humidity in your bones. This picture is an example of the studio system at it's apex. Everything comes together in a way that gives you a clear picture of what it must have been like for disparate G.I. Joes slogging through the routine of inherent bravery and cowardice mixed together in a cocktail that gets the job done. Truly a great American film.

And it gets better, included for the price of a single movie on markdown is the stirring follow-up classic starring The Duke himself, ably assisted by Anthony Quinn and others. While it falls short of the artistic achievement of Bataan, it is no slouch in delivering the kind of action and bravery World War II required of our soldiers. And basically that's what both movies are about - OUR SOLDIERS, who gave and are giving to this day, their lives to protect our way of life, however mangled that black and white line has become, it still boils down to the G.I. waging war and dying in the process. We owe them a lot more than we admit.

From the standpoint of movie quality, Bataan was very good. However, Back to Bataan is a trumped up way to feature John Wayne in yet another war film.

What can I say? This is a great movie and the quality of the DVD is exceptional.

Two great WWII movies that show the patriotism of the day. A great value!

If you like watching watch flicks filmed in the Philippines, this is a great two-some. The action is fierce, the acting good, and the heroism amazing.