Customer Reviews

Stop-Loss

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I am not a professional critic of any sort by any means, but after watching the movie and reading some of these reviews, I will say that my review is as professional and "accurate" as it gets. I am a Soldier amongst thousands, who has experienced these parts, as 'acted' out in the film, in reality, and what you see and experience in the film are not so and are far fetch. From the most ridiculous setup of a hasty checkpoint to the suicidal pursuit of the insurgents upon their attack (into an easily predicted ambush in a random small alley, at that) in the opening scenes. The Soldiers are equipped with ISR's (internal squad radios), and yet they yell at each other in an insurgent infested building when one Soldier is wounded...Then you have the main character (SSG King) who gets "individually" stop-lossed on his very last day of clearing, only to report, with another unit, back to Iraq... In the midst of this, the movie portrays that just about every Soldier who has just returned home, to include SSG King, as having the worse PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) possible, leading to one fellow Soldier's suicide. Due to this PTSD, King, at one point in the movie, notices his car has been broken into and items have been stolen; at which point, he so very easily locates the perpetrators in a nearby alley (3 that I recall, armed with a handgun) and has a severe flashback of Iraq leading him to defeat these 3 thieves. Also, once King has been informed of this stop-loss, he reports directly to his LTC, superseding an unseen and unknown NCO support channel and Chain of Command. It's all bogus.

There were many things that were Very inaccurate in this movie and I think it is the wrong way to go about Honoring America's Military. Stop-loss is real. I have experienced it myself as I was in the middle of a PCS (permanent change of station), with my family to another Overseas assignment, only to be kept at my current station for 3 months leading into me deploying. It can be very inconveniencing, but not anything like it is portrayed in the film. I was not stop-lossed as an individual or as a small group for that matter. My entire Division was stop-lossed and stop-moved. I will also say that no Soldier, or Division or Unit even, will ever get stop-lossed directly after a Combat tour anywhere to be directed to report back to Combat effective immediately. That is not to say that a Soldier will not see another Combat tour during the Stop-loss cycle however. Combat sucks, especially for those who have endured it themselves, especially on more than one occasion, and even more so for the families who have suffered the Ultimate Sacrifice. Today's Army is an ALL volunteer force and Soldier's should be well aware of what their specific job within the Army entails them to do and the commitment they hold.

Soldiers do go through MANY hardships. More than any person who has not experienced the Army or Military life themselves, will EVER know. Soldiers do fight everyday in many locations and some do pay the Ultimate Sacrifice. Soldiers do get stop-lossed, but will not quit, give up, and then go AWOL when it happens. They will complain and get disgruntle over it, more than likely, but those same Soldiers will, as we say, "suck it up and drive on." Many Soldiers do have and will get PTSD, but will experience and deal with it in their own ways. Families will be happy when their loved ones return and indescribable when they don't... These things happen in reality, both good and bad and this movie is a piss poor example of how Soldiers live their lives and how the Army works. If you are going to make a movie to Honor Soldiers, their families and their sacrifices, don't make the movie about ONE Soldier who gets stop-lossed as an individual to report back to Iraq specifically, 2 weeks after returning home and then have that Soldier RUN away and go AWOL in rage. Films like "Band of Brothers" and "Black Hawk Down" are films that Honor our Soldiers and give the civilian people a little taste of what a Soldier endures. Not this. I have yet to see any movie that accurately portrays the Soldiers today in Iraq and Afghanistan and the hardships they and their families endure, and honestly I don't wish to see a "movie" that does so. However, if a movie is going to be made, I would rather see that than what this movie did portray. Although many Soldiers have been through more than anyone can imagine, true Soldiers do not quit and run away from anything. God Bless the Troops and their Families!!

Ryan Phillippe is Staff Sergeant Brandon King, the leader of a battalion fighting in a small town in Iraq. One day, the battalion is attacked by some Iraqis in a taxicab, and King and his men chase after the culprits. The chase ends in an alleyway, where they pursue on foot. Unfortunately, they are ambushed and several of King's men are killed. We then flash forward to King and some of his pals going back home to Texas for leave. Some of them, including King, will be released, and they talk about their plans....and get drunk and fight and play with guns. These men don't seem very stable, although some of it may be related to the flashbacks they have to the atrocities in Iraq. Their leave draws to a close, and King goes back to base for one final check-in, anticipating that he will soon be a civilian. However, when he tries to check-out, he's informed by a random bureaucrat that he has to go back to Iraq - he's been stop-lossed. King is outraged, punches out a few soldiers, and hightails it home. The rest of the movie progresses from there.

"Stop-Loss" starts off very strong and builds some nice characterizations, but really takes a chance by having the protagonist take on a less than heroic stance. I suspect that some people cheered his actions; after all, the Iraq war is very unpopular and seen as unjust by many people. However, it was never clear to me why King was so upset about his stop-loss. Was he afraid of getting killed (he mentioned this a few times), was he suffering from PTSD and needed help (perhaps), or was he just mad that he wasn't informed earlier (seems so)? With such murky intentions, the character comes off as unlikeable and petulant at times. This problem made his journey far less impactful than it should have been, even when he meets with one of his former battalion members who was severely injured. Also, as others here have mentioned, it just didn't seem realistic that he was told at such a late time that he was stop-lossed. This detail and a few other issues again really impacted the movie for me. Ryan Phillippe also gives a bland performance, which further dilutes the message and emotional impact. His accent at times is so heavy it's hard to understand him and then it's nearly gone at other times. What starts off as a powerful examination of war and its effects ends up a total mess - what a shame.

Stop-Loss is a rather intense film that focuses on the military's "stop-loss" program--a practice that allows the military to re-deploy American troops back to combat duty in places like Iraq even when they have completely fulfilled their obligations by doing their complete tour of duty. The film's plot moves along well although a few minutes could have edited out to make the story a bit more gripping. The acting is extremely convincing; the choreography and cinematography enhance the movie quite a bit. The casting was excellent and the script well written, too. I should also mention that I really appreciate the input from soldiers and their families; because of them I know so much more about "stop-loss" than I otherwise would have if I had just watched this film. It's important to note that the filmmaker is neither truly anti-soldier nor cheering for a man who has gone AWOL, Kimberly Peirce is protesting the "stop-loss" program; and if you watch the movie from this perspective I think you will like it more.

When the action starts, we meet decorated Staff Sergeant Brian King (Ryan Phillippe) and some of his very good buddies including Tommy Burgess (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Sergeant Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum) returning home from combat duty in Iraq. To one degree or another, they are all upset about the trauma they experienced during combat, seeing some of their best friends die and others like Private Rico Rodriguez (Victor Rasuk) terribly maimed for life, losing his sight and more than one limb. However, Brian is relieved and at least somewhat optimistic about his future because he's "gettin' out;" he wants to adjust to life as a civilian in his native Texas again--until, that is, he finds out from a bureaucratic cog in a wheel that he is being unexpectedly "stop-lossed:" he must now return to Iraq and serve even more time. While his buddy Steve doesn't see a problem with this (Steve has been sent back, too), Brian is very disgruntled; and his brief and unproductive meeting with Lieutenant Colonel Boot Miller (Timothy Olyphant) makes him so angry that Brian breaks free from the hold of two men, steals a jeep and flees the military base.

Of course, this makes for quite a crisis. Steve is very opposed to what Brian has done; not only has Brian stolen Steve's jeep, Steve honestly believes that they must serve in the military until they are no longer wanted for any purpose at all. This creates plenty of tension between Steve and Brian; and there's more tension, too, between Steve and his girlfriend Michelle (Abbie Cornish). Michelle wants to marry Steve; she's tired of him telling her it'll only be "one more year" before he leaves the military and they can get married. Things gets even more intense when Brian's parents Roy and Ida (Ciarán Hinds and Linda Emond) are determined to protect Brian; the last thing they want is for their son to risk his life all over again in combat for many months or even longer.

I could tell you so much more; but that would start to spoil it for you. Believe it or not, there's plenty more to the plot--I certainly haven't given it all away! Suffice it to say that Michelle tries to help Brian escape to safe ground while he's AWOL and not yet caught by police and military brass who are looking for Brian in just about every nook and cranny.

Stop-Loss is not a film for small children; there's a fair amount of violence and the filmmakers pull no punches when it comes to portraying the horrible effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nevertheless, this movie just might make you think even if you don't agree with the message of the film. These actors portray their characters as being truly human and that's terrific. I recommend this film for anyone who wants to explore the controversial "stop-loss" military program as well PTSD. Fans of the actors will want this movie for their collections; and people who like dramas that focus on social issues or military life will not be disappointed.

Director Kimberly Peirce's last film was the revolutionary, emotionally-charged and truthful "Boy's Don't Cry" with the galvanizing performance of Hilary Swank. That was over 8 years ago and now she has returned with the Iraq War drama, `Stop-Loss" starring a coterie of edgy, hot young actors.
Oddly enough, I think that almost all of the Iraq War based dramas like the recent "Rendition" have been failures at the box office which leads me to wonder, why?
Perhaps, since it is literally happening now, it is too current: the wounds are opening daily with no healing in sight. At the very least, We as Americans are conflicted about our involvement in Iraq.
Peirce has chosen to use the Iraq War as a background onto which she bases her drama with Universal themes of: Where do I fit in? Where do I belong? Do I belong?
Working here with co-writer Mark Richard, Peirce has found a subject in the way the war in Iraq is tearing apart many of its soldiers, in combat and when they return home. This is a wrenching story of men at arms who cannot find peace outside the military circle, who return to civilian life on the horrific edge of violence and despair. This point of view is of course not new, going back at least as far as William Wyler's "The Best Year's of Our Lives" and Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter." War is Hell: this we all know and can empathize with but the aftermath, the coming home, the re-adjusting to Life after War is worse.
Several actors shine here: primarily the Brandon King of Ryan Phillipe (whose stop-loss forced re-enlistment forms the backbone of this film) and the Michele of Abbie Cornish who basically steals the film from under all her hot shot male cast members with her persuasive, thoughtful and totally believable performance.
There are several scenes in "Stop Loss" which approach and sometimes go over the edge into hokiness but overall, this film has a real emotional life: these are characters who emote from a real place, a place that it is obvious that Peirce believes in, invests in and ultimately it is the saving grace of this flawed, yet sock-in-the-gut experience film.

Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Victor Rasuk & Abbie Cornish....
Some of the hottest and most promising of modern-day Hollywood's young actors.
About 15 minutes into this movie, I was very much enthralled by it's storyline and acting.
It's a pretty good chronicle of what today's young service men & women go through in the
ongoing Iraq conflict. Basically, after coming home to the states again, after serving admirably
in many military missions, Ryan Phillippe's character, all set to ETS, finds himself in a fix
with the very military he's served so well. They have a quite shady backdoor re-draft policy known as
a STOP-LOSS, where they can re-up soliders who have already fought, and who are about to end their
tour of duty. All of the characters are dealing with their own re-adjustment issues; Channing Tatum's
character is prone to fits of violence, and delusions that he is back in Iraq, in the heat of battle.
He finds it impossible to maintain any intimate long-lasting relationships, other than with
his war brothers. His girlfriend / fiance', played by Abbie Cornish, feels scared, helpless, and frustrated
against her boyfriend's plight, and often turns to his best friend----Yes, you got it!---Ryan Phillipe's character,
in times strife and confusion. The two form a bond/attraction, which leads to a torn-between-two-lovers
stress point later in the film. J. Gordon-Levitt's character is struggling with alcoholism.
He tries religion, but needs something more substantial than that. Sadly, solace doesn't come for him.
Victor Rasuk's character gets severely injured early on in the film, and does a very good job
playing a solider of latino descent, who is rendered helpless in the prime of his life.

To tell the truth, after awhile, Phillippe's character, (usually the pillar of strength for all his buddies),
becomes a bit ragged around the mental edges too, as he is basically rendered a fugutive / AWOL from military duty...
A situation he doesn't deserve to be in. But in a STOP-LOSS situation, this is often the case.
Without giving the movie away further, the film takes some interesting turns, and all the actors did an
excellent job in the portrayal of their roles. Like the movie, "The Hurt Locker", which was an Iraq-era
type of film too, but from a different perspective, "Stop-Loss" was directed by a female director...
Kimberly Pierce, who did a stellar job in that capacity.
Though I loved Jeremy Renner's character in "Hurt Locker", I didn't find the directing as tight and
refined, nor the storyline as clear and easy to follow as with "Stop-Loss".
To me, "Stop-Loss" should have been the film getting all the accolades and awards.
I must add that the themes of friendship, loyalty, loss, betrayal, duty, etc. run throughout as well.
To me, a female director always seems to interweave more emotional depth in a film.
Not that male directors can't or don't...but the women directors really excel in that area.

It's already established that Ryan Phillipe is a very good actor, but Channing Tatum should not
be slept on either!---More and more, with each role, he is proving himself to be a very credible actor.
I give this movie **5 Stars** A Very Good Film.

THIS IS JUST A GOOD MOVIE FOR ANYONE AND ANYONE THAT LIKES WAR TIME MOVIES.....

I WILL GIVE THIS MOVIE TO MY GRANDSON FOR HIS HISTORY CLASSES....

Stop-Loss is a solid, well-intentioned film that has its moments but somehow doesn't quite come together to deliver the full emotional or intellectual impact it should have had. Ryan Phillippe shines as a good soldier torn between duty, honor and the haunting memories of his time in Iraq, and the rest of the cast is solid, particularly Victor Rasuk's understated performance as a severely injured private whose spirit may or may not be broken.

The camera effects in the first act are a little distracting at times, and the road trip in the second act is stretched a bit longer than necessary, but well-deserved kudos to Kimberly Peirce for shining a light on an underreported aspect of the war and taking a nuanced shades of gray approach to her subject -- the Stop Loss policy itself is bad enough, there's no need to offer bad guy caricatures -- and going with the only ending that made sense.

It's not the defining generational classic some have claimed, but it's definitely worth a rental.

This movie has a strong anti-war message but presents it in a way that does not dishonor or diminish the soldiers on the front line. It does however offer a pointed and legitimate critique of the government and military leaders. The acting is solid, each character with their own hopes, biases, struggles and loyalties. The painful reality of combat and its indelible impact on those who fight speaks for itself and challenges viewers to look at what they believe in and why.

We watched "Stop-Loss" last night but my husband (a Vietnam vet) called it slow and I thought it lacked the impact it was meant to have. I see MTV produced it and I think they wasted too much time trying to be hip with video collages and rap music at the beginning (and later at the end). They also did not include enough "bonding" time to introduce the soldiers they were going to track with the audience so you would care more deeply about their predicament. They should have patterned it after "The Boys in Company C" but ended up producing a story that stumbled along uncertainly from one character crisis to the next. The scenes of the mangled soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital were moving but would have been more so if the character of the patient that served with the central character had been more developed. I notice Ciaran Hinds played the father but wasn't given much to work with either. Too bad really, since the point of the film needed to be made stridently.

Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish, Channing Tatum, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt star in this drama directed by Kimberly Pierce who directed Boys Don't Cry. In this drama, Phillippe plays Brandon King, a Texas soldier returning from combat duty in Iraq along with his best friend Steve Shriver (Channing Tatum). Brandon believes that he is wrapping up his military career when he gets an unpleasant surprise: he has been stop-lossed. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of service members, the government has decreed that his contract with them be extended, thus making his eligible to be sent back to the Middle East for another tour. Brandon is eager to fight this, even if it means going AWOL and risking a prison sentence to find a Washington official to help him.
I think this film is extremely underrated and should have garnered more attention, especially for Cornish and Phillippe. I think that sometimes the beefcake appeal of its stars, especially Tatum, sometimes threaten to overwhelm the message of the film but overall it's a wonderful effort by Pierce.