Uncommon Valor

release year: 1983
genre: action/drama
viewing setting: home DVD, 12/30/02

synopsis: In 1983, the father of a Vietnam POW gets the old team back together to go find his son.

impressions: This is a very good movie that illustrates the red tape that's going to ensure the death in captivity of any POWs left in Vietnam. It then goes a step farther and shows how a rescue attempt might actually come together and be executed. Of course, you have to overlook what I call the "overall balance" issue: more people die in the rescue that are saved by it. But it's still the right thing to do, and this is a fun movie, full of training conflict and camaraderie followed by some good action.

acting: Some excellent outings from, among others: Fred Ward, Gene Hackman, Reb Brown, Tex Cobb, and Patrick Swayze.

final word: Worth seeing, for the message if not the action.

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