Unbroken

When you get through it, though, you can’t help but feel uplifted by this tough-skinned movie that can stand with the best muscular wartime dramas in the American movie canon.

Unbroken may not exactly be mired in sanctimony, but it’s standing, almost up to its ankles, in an unhealthy sense that its subject — about whose simple humanity the film otherwise goes to great lengths to illuminate — is a candidate for sainthood.

When it comes to this particular story, I find myself unconvinced in the end. Unbroken looks like the real thing, but evaporates upon closer scrutiny.

The film's chief misstep is taking its title too literally, and ultimately depicting Louie as an indestructible, and thus largely inhuman, superhero.

Though high-minded and well-intentioned – as well as being conceived on an epic scale – there’s something faintly stodgy and safety-first about the endeavour.

Unbroken just piles on the misery without tonal shift, any sense of rise and fall, or any interest in Zamperini’s inner life, beyond his catchphrase, “If you can take it, you can make it.”

Unbroken is a grueling endurance test - for the audience just as much as for its cutout champion.

It's hard to watch the brutality of war but it's films like this that helps us to see the sacrifices that others have made for our country. I thought the film was beautiful done and I'm grateful that Laura and Angelina have taken the time to shared their talents and keep the story alive. The film made me feel proud that I can walk free in a country with so many great Americans. I purchased the DVD and I also enjoyed watching the clip about Louie's life and his interview. I will be buying a copy of the DVD for all of my family.

An interesting movie showing the life of an American conscript getting captured by the Japanese during World War 2 all the way to the end of the war. While it starts off strong and somne scenes have a certain impact, sure, it kind of just drags along for the better half of the movie, until the end even. So, while it's an interesting and sort of unique portrayal of the Second World War, it doesn't manage to develop a truly interesting story with interesting characters. It's just bland, but not bad.

Looks great but seems to plod along for much of it's runtime without capitalising on its incredible story. Decent.

In the most intense scenes this film fails to build up tension or excitement. The film has about 3 parts. The first is very interesting, the second is quite half-assed and the third, being the longest, is saddistic and boring. Some of the acting is so over the top it's comical. Some of the music is way more dramatic than the scene in which the actors didn't seem to care which made me burst out into laughter. The look of the film is nice though. If you're totally into WW2 then this movie might be a 7 for you instead. Other than that it really doesn't have much to offer. It fails to build up interesting characters or relations. About a third of the movie is basically mute. No interesting dialogues. Not even very touching. The best part was the ending.

The first part of this tragedy begins by having a first time director, Angelina Jolie, direct this incredible story. This is an epic story and even a highly experienced director would have struggled. She managed to leave off perhaps the most important part of the story - what happened to Louie after the war. Perhaps she ran out of time or money or perhaps she didn't agree with that part. Most of the scenes were simply way over acted which made intense scenes seem almost comical. Overall, a huge disappointment.