Black Hawk Down (15)

THE trailers for Black Hawk Down promised an epic film depicting the hardships and horrors of modern-day war.

Indeed, they echoed a return to the war films of the ilk of Platoon and Saving Private Ryan. However, this is not really the case.

Director Ridley Scott delivers one of the most action-packed films I have ever seen. Pretty much from beginning, barring the first ten minutes, to end the film concentrates on a massive battle fought between American forces and Somali militia in 1992.

Based on a true story the film is set in Mogadishu, where in a land ridden with famine a warlord has taken control of food supplies.

American forces are on the borders of the city in a peacekeeping role, but this only adds to the problems.

When the US soldiers launch an operation to try and seize two of the warlord's advisors catastrophe strikes as a Black Hawk helicopter is blown out of the sky.

What follows is the story of how the American forces battled for 16 hours to find and rescue the helicopter crew in an extremely hostile environment.

The film features a large ensemble cast including Josh Hartnett from Pearl Harbor, and an excellent turn from Ewan McGregor, sporting an American accent.

However, what is indeed the main selling point of the film can be described as being its biggest flaw.

The battles are long, with little break in between and after two hours and 20 minutes you are left with a feeling of boys with toys, rather than the terrors of the atrocities of war.

It does seem to be overloaded with battle scenes, but then again this is the whole point of the film, and what war must be like.

The film is different and a brave production. It's a twist on the accepted war genre, where you get to know characters and see them relate. Here we see it like it is, soldiers fighting one another - that's it.

The film does not touch on the history of the situation apart from a few on-screen words at the beginning and it is very Americanised and one-sided in its portrayal of the incident.

Credit should go to the filmmakers for this effort and if you are a war film fan then it is a must see, but I cannot guarantee you will like it.

Verdict: War torn

Rating: 6/10