Summit Entertainment | Release Date: November 4, 2016
8.2
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Universal acclaim based on 839 Ratings
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Negative:
35
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8
PanzerStrike100Feb 2, 2019
I really liked this movie. You have to have respect for the people that risked their lives to help our country. i like the actor that played Doss. I also thought the girl in the movie was kind of cute. But the movie wasn't as bloody as peopleI really liked this movie. You have to have respect for the people that risked their lives to help our country. i like the actor that played Doss. I also thought the girl in the movie was kind of cute. But the movie wasn't as bloody as people said it was. Expand
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8
DawdlingPoetNov 20, 2021
This is a biographical drama film, with a historical element to it and obviously its mostly in a war based setting. It features themes including war combat and pacifism. The film starts out with a large battle underway, with action slowedThis is a biographical drama film, with a historical element to it and obviously its mostly in a war based setting. It features themes including war combat and pacifism. The film starts out with a large battle underway, with action slowed down, as if we're viewing a someone rewinding the memory of what happened. From there we see Desmonds life at key times and its made clear that he was a very caring and thoughtful person. I found the story quite interesting, not least due to it being a true story - I feel what he did was quite admirable. However, some of the scenes did seem perhaps a little overly sentimental, with Desmond seeming somewhat introverted and I thought he came across as a bit of Forrest Gump type character.

Suffice to say that if your hoping for a constant action packed, violence filled film then you may find the start a bit disappointing but I felt it was important to build up a decent picture of Desmond's life, his background/upbringing and so on. It is definitely a biographical drama film rather than an action adventure film or otherwise. Plot wise it is quite slow, as I say but it does well at portraying a reasonably clear picture of what Desmond was like and how people viewed him etc. Endurance is a key word I'd use in relation to this film, as we see both Desmond and others he trained alongside being pushed to cope with a variety of gruelling situations. Surprisingly, I found there to be some semi amusing moments present at times, although obviously not during the more grim war scenes but moreso in terms of what people say to him. I won't say any more as far as the plot is concerned so as not to provide potential spoilers but I felt what I said to be necessary to give people a rough idea of the sort of film it is, if that makes any sense. I should add that there is quite a lot of war battle footage but it is almost all in the second half of the film, over an hour in to the films running time.

I found it to be quite a thought provoking watch, with some quite poignant and sometimes sobering pieces of dialogue. It certainly highlighted the culture of his time, not that that was especially surprising or hard to believe, sadly. It is quite a 'Hollywood' film in that it features scenes with some mildly melodramatic, orchestral style music and the like. Cast wise, Desmond Doss is played by Andrew Garfield, who gives a great performance as a moral, well meaning person who has their trials and tribulations. Meanwhile, Vince Vaughn plays Sergeant Howell, who trains him and other recruits and who definitely shows a nasty and slightly terrifyingly strict side to himself. The younger, childhood Desmond Doss is played by Darcy Bryce, a very genuine seeming young boy and his brother, Harold (aka Hal) is played by Roman Guerriero. While as an adult, Harold is played by Nathaniel Buzolic. Desmonds father, Tom Doss, is played by Hugo Weaving, while his mother, Bertha, is played by Rachel Griffiths. I felt the cast did a very good job in their roles - I didn't notice any particular issues as far as the performances were concerned.

Content wise, the film contains very bloody and strong violence of course, including many instances of severely injured soldiers shown left on the ground and so on. It features a fair number of obviously war based battle scenes, so it would help to have a relatively strong stomach to watch this, although as I say the majority of the first half of the film doesn't centre on war battle scenes but when they do appear, they don't censor much. There are non-war related scenes depicting violence but their, of course, not as extreme, although they may still be a bit upsetting never the less. There are frequent uses of moderately to strong language used, including racial slurs (towards Japanese soldiers, their enemies). The film is quite dark and grim during the latter war battlefront scenes and so it could be relatively frightening and disturbing to younger viewers, in terms of the themes and context of the plot. The film has been given a 15 rating in the UK to reflect said content.

I noticed some (what I felt were) very good instances of camera angles used to give the viewer an idea of how disorientating it surely must have been to have been in the middle of such a large and wide battle, with so much going on at any one time. I thought that generally the cinematography was quite commendable.

Its very much a symbolic story and the fact its based on a true story made it all the more sobering and I very much respected Desmond for his stance on things, for what he did. It is a hard watch at times of course but I feel it tells an important story and so it is certainly a worthy watch.

I'd recommend this film, as long as you have a strong stomach and can handle long drawn out battle scenes. Featuring a good cast, its based on a fascinating true story and its a thoughtful watch. It's not all about the bloody violence and nothing else, which I see as a good thing.
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8
zklJun 20, 2020
A great movie about how a man sticks to his morals and tries his best to not deviate from them. Really touching and inspirational, an immersive experience full of heart.
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7
DirigiblePulpJan 5, 2017
Corny as hell but also vital, intense and at times truly transporting. The chaos of war is wholly apparent here. It's not just quick edits, it's cohesive editing done quickly and with precision to create impact. It's astonishing how powerfulCorny as hell but also vital, intense and at times truly transporting. The chaos of war is wholly apparent here. It's not just quick edits, it's cohesive editing done quickly and with precision to create impact. It's astonishing how powerful some of these scenes are.

But all the drama doesn't really work. Or it works like you expect but even cheesier and more obvious than you thought possible. Garfield is good, but his good old boy voice sums up this movie perfectly. What the hell is that mixed up with all this other good? Why is the dichotomy so alarming? If it's intentional it doesn't work.
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3 of 3 users found this helpful30
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7
namelessNov 6, 2016
It is two stories. A love story and the battlefield story. It is well made and it connects the two. I don't know how I feel about it. It isn't American Sniper that touches the audience, nor is it Braveheart, an almost perfect movie. If youIt is two stories. A love story and the battlefield story. It is well made and it connects the two. I don't know how I feel about it. It isn't American Sniper that touches the audience, nor is it Braveheart, an almost perfect movie. If you are interested in the subject it will satisfy but if not then it won't. Expand
9 of 10 users found this helpful91
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7
qamasterMar 1, 2017
It is not clear for me who can put the low scores for this movie. the film kept me in suspense all along.The battle scenes are gorgeous. There is not a single superfluous scenes or dialogue.
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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7
McGillotineNov 23, 2016
When reviewing this film i was faced once again by a dilemma i never thought i would ever see again after watching snowpiecer, in which a film in the sum of it's parts is as terrible as it is amazing to watch. This ultimately becomes the caseWhen reviewing this film i was faced once again by a dilemma i never thought i would ever see again after watching snowpiecer, in which a film in the sum of it's parts is as terrible as it is amazing to watch. This ultimately becomes the case with Hacksaw Ridge a film with action bloody enough to be compared to the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan, but ultimately weighed down by a religious agenda that feels just as pushy as the film God isn't dead. Now be warned that when watching this film that the first hour or so feels especially slow and at the same time rushed with characters stepping into the light about once or twice to share there story and then to move of the stage to stand within obscurity for the rest of the film and this becomes quite unfortunate as stand out actors such as Hugo Weaving delivering an oscar worthy performances with large degrees of pathos and ambition in his minimal role to then only disappear into the plot. In addition as mentioned before this film is a christian agenda pushing film and although it has my respect as being a true story of a Seven Day Adventist, even myself as a christian (though not devout) found Gibson to have somewhat of agenda in filming this movie with a reference to God being dropped every minute into the film which eventually becomes overly repetitious and ultimately makes me feel less sympathic to the character even despite the weight of the Desmond's heroic actions in real life. However if you're able to make it past the first hour or so what you are left with is a war movie that is about as memorable as it is at some stage even terrifying in scope of the bloodshed and tenacity of the Japanese empire who serve as intimidating foes.

Performances are A grade within this film with standout's being Andrew Garfield, Newcomer Luke Bracy, Hugo Weaving as mentioned before and even surprisingly Vice Vaughn who prior to viewing the film made jokes about in reference to his typecast characters being involved in war. The only thing that i fundamentally found lacking about the characters within the film was perhaps the romance between Palmer and Garfield's characters within the film in which i had found that although they were indeed trying their absolute best has little chemistry with one another. I was also glad to see myself rooting for just about ever character in the end to make it out of the hacksaw ridge and turning my head away when characters got killed in the most horrifying of ways. Ultimately Hacksaw Ridge is a tale of the human endevour and while it has a slow premise with a tacked on religious agenda It is ultimately definitely worth watching even for the final hour.
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7
HotelCentralMar 3, 2019
Hacksaw Ridge is a pretty good film that relies almost entirely on the face of Andrew Garfield. If you are not moved by his face, his look, his expressions, the film will fail you completely.

The film is hampered by several things. Some of
Hacksaw Ridge is a pretty good film that relies almost entirely on the face of Andrew Garfield. If you are not moved by his face, his look, his expressions, the film will fail you completely.

The film is hampered by several things. Some of the dialog is second-rate and here and there steps out of period to make use of easy modernisms. Some of the basic training sequences come across as unlikely. The bit about somebody's father appealing to a higher authority to get somebody out of trouble may or may not have actually happened back in the 1940s, but since then we've seen this kind of thing in a great many films and as plot devices go it has not improved with age.

Also, just because it irks me, late in the film our main character, Desmond Doss, remarks to another soldier, "I never told you I'm not crazy," despite the fact that he said almost those very words--"I'm not crazy"--to an army doctor evaluating Doss' mental fitness for the Army.

Another issue: a great deal of the battle seen on screen focuses on the fighting, the shooting, the explosions, and oh by the way there's this medic over yonder who's running around saving people. Well, yeah, Mr. Gibson, that's supposed to be your main character and the whole point of the movie.

There's a scene near the end where we cut to a Japanese commander in time to see him commit suicide. It's the first time we see him, as far as I recall, and why we see him at all I don't know, unless maybe someone felt a need to show a Japanese officer killing himself with a dagger--which is odd because I always thought it was women samurai who did it with a dagger.

In any case, the final half hour or so is mostly centered on Doss as he rescues dozens of wounded soldiers. It's a pretty good sequence. Again, Andrew Garfield's face makes it believable, or not, and the film succeeds or fails based on how you react to that face.

I won't bother mentioning the boarding net. It's hung down the side of a cliff. And no matter how many times the Marines use it to climb onto the "ridge" the Japanese never seem to get around to cutting the net down.

I might've given Hacksaw an 8 but for the flaws. Definitely worth a watch.
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7
moviecritic68Dec 22, 2016
First of all I'm not a big fan of war films in general. To me this picture doesn't even come close in comparison to Saving Private Ryan. That being said it is based on a true story with unbelievable heroic actions and deserves a positiveFirst of all I'm not a big fan of war films in general. To me this picture doesn't even come close in comparison to Saving Private Ryan. That being said it is based on a true story with unbelievable heroic actions and deserves a positive rating. Contains very graphic gore so be prepared. Expand
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7
Rebecca31Jan 30, 2017
Leaving the not so amazing Spiderman franchise really was the best thing for Andrew Garfield’s career. His recent movies show his real potential as an actor and this is no exception. Vince Vaughn is horribly miscast, thankfully his characterLeaving the not so amazing Spiderman franchise really was the best thing for Andrew Garfield’s career. His recent movies show his real potential as an actor and this is no exception. Vince Vaughn is horribly miscast, thankfully his character has very little to do expect look angry and shout at everyone. The supporting cast are perfectly chosen, even Sam Worthington (I know I was surprised too).
Hacksaw Ridge is an intense war movie that dives headfirst into the violence and true horror of war. Although there’s only so many times you can see a soldier flying through the air in slow motion before it loses its effect there’s no denying the battle scenes are shockingly brilliant. Based on an incredible true story it’s a must see for Mel Gibson fans. However, you will have to sit through a good 40 minutes introduction that was nearly boring me to tears. If you make it through that it’s all uphill from there. Recommended.
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4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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7
EpicLadySpongeNov 4, 2016
Mel Gibson is back into making movies the accurate way again to the big screen. This enormously true story will keep coming back to you by the second you're thinking that it'll be over in any second from now. Sense history in 139 minutes ofMel Gibson is back into making movies the accurate way again to the big screen. This enormously true story will keep coming back to you by the second you're thinking that it'll be over in any second from now. Sense history in 139 minutes of movie time. Expand
5 of 11 users found this helpful56
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7
LoveeLandApr 4, 2017
I had pretty low expectations for this movie but my friends continued to urge me to see it, saying it is better than Saving Private Ryan and Lone Survivor. While to me it wasn't really that close to those two movies, it was overall anI had pretty low expectations for this movie but my friends continued to urge me to see it, saying it is better than Saving Private Ryan and Lone Survivor. While to me it wasn't really that close to those two movies, it was overall an enjoyable film well worth the watch.
The acting is corny and makes me cringe. This is probably the worst part about the film. Andrew Garfield's attempt at a backwoods Appalachian accent is like trying to watch Fallon do a Trump impression (you may think he does a good job, if so you'll probably think more highly of this film than I do). Vince Vaughn makes a funny sergeant but at times doesn't do a good job of really selling the part. Most of the characters give off corny one liners all the time, and whether it be due to writing or plain acting, I thought it was pretty poor.
The story was very good. While much of the first half of the movie focuses on Doss' home life, love life, and then boot camp, it keeps you entertained the whole way. The second half of the movie I found to be quite entertaining and actually surprised me with its elements of realism in terms of combat. It's certainly up there with Saving Private Ryan in terms of gruesomeness (which is expected from a WWII film) and overall war depiction. The movie actually somewhat inspired me. While it did not live up to my friends' rave reviews, I did think it was certainly worth the watch, if nothing else than just to learn the story. Definitely go see it!
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7
superbatMay 8, 2021
Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is a solid war film. It's based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a deeply-religious pacifist who became an unlikely hero in the Battle of Okinawa. Andrew Garfield shines as Doss. The battle sequences are done well.Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is a solid war film. It's based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a deeply-religious pacifist who became an unlikely hero in the Battle of Okinawa. Andrew Garfield shines as Doss. The battle sequences are done well. The battle scenes, along with Garfield's performance as Doss, are the main highlights of what is otherwise an unremarkable movie. The storyline, which starts out promising, ventures into generic territory. The romance was quite cheesy too. Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is a good war film but it is certainly no "Saving Private Ryan". Expand
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7
The3AcademySinsOct 20, 2017
An excellent film that crosses genres, and in doing so succeeds in telling an absolutely incredible true story. Every actors performance shines, and its an incredible return to directing for Mel Gibson. If you like War films, you cannot missAn excellent film that crosses genres, and in doing so succeeds in telling an absolutely incredible true story. Every actors performance shines, and its an incredible return to directing for Mel Gibson. If you like War films, you cannot miss Hacksaw Ridge. Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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7
ranjan04rajeevJan 20, 2017
We might have seen hundreds of movies about America going to war and watching it through individuals perspective. There is nothing new in watching an american war hero. There is blood and gore, rawness of war, but the depth of character or anWe might have seen hundreds of movies about America going to war and watching it through individuals perspective. There is nothing new in watching an american war hero. There is blood and gore, rawness of war, but the depth of character or an idea is missing. promising start with predictable end. Expand
4 of 4 users found this helpful40
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7
patrickk1Nov 26, 2016
Classic Hollywood cornball for the first half of the movie ala 1930's early 40's. Boy meets girl stuff. Second half would not be believable if it were not a true story. The battle scenes rival Saving Private Ryan's opening. Needs to be seenClassic Hollywood cornball for the first half of the movie ala 1930's early 40's. Boy meets girl stuff. Second half would not be believable if it were not a true story. The battle scenes rival Saving Private Ryan's opening. Needs to be seen on the big screen. Expand
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7
KaptenVideoDec 9, 2016
A good old-fashioned war drama about true-life young American hero in WW2 who didn't believe in killing a man or even holding a gun... but still wanted to serve his country so became a battlefield medic instead.

He rescued a lot of fellow
A good old-fashioned war drama about true-life young American hero in WW2 who didn't believe in killing a man or even holding a gun... but still wanted to serve his country so became a battlefield medic instead.

He rescued a lot of fellow soldiers and got Medal of Honor without shooting out a single bullet. Starring Andrew Garfield – and before you google or IMDB him, yes, he's the current Spider-Man.

Hacksaw Ridge doesn't really bring anything fresh to the war drama table. But it's not necessarily a bad thing because for all the cliches and simpleness it also manages to be one of those beautiful event movies which win us over by just how well they are put together in every aspect.

The battle scenes are as brutal and eye-catching as expected but I especially liked how the movie manages to work on different levels.

It reminds us that war was hell before it was all entertainment for the younger generations – but it also manages to be sweet and kind of feel-good, praising the good in our souls which can make us rise to the occasion and make the most of the bad situation. And, of course, action fans will not leave disappointed either.

It's also amazing how soulful performances the actors offer based on quite shallow one-dimensional characters.

Garfield is a true star here, giving his all as a boy not quite a man but ready to do man's job – all starry-eyed, idealistic and physically resembling a young calf at times – yet never giving up on personal quest to be worthy of own's ideals. You will totally buy him as a young American hero.

The supporting cast is strong too, especially Hugo Weaving as the hero's troubled father and Vince Vaugh as sgt Howell.

It is kind of ironic that after years and years of yawn-inducing talky roles in mostly mediocre comedies, Vaughn has found new calling in serious, violent stories such as "Hacksaw Ridge" and the mafia man in HBO's "True Detective's" season 2.

This is also kind of comeback/renewal for Mel Gibson, one of the more likable movie stars from the end of 1970's to the beginning of 2000's.

In the middle of 2000's, he suddenly stopped acting, directed two violent historical movies ("Passion of the Christ", "Apocalypto") and turned from a longtime family man and father of seven to seemingly homicidal maniac, if we believe the news and notorious recordings made by his neighbors, leaked to web.

He's returned to acting in 2010 but has been keeping lower darker indie-er profile ever since, so many of you have probably not seen him in anything new. Except maybe cameo-ing in Machete 2 and The Expendables 3. This time, he's "only" director and does a marvellous job at that, putting everything together and wringing the most out of the cast.

"Hacksaw Ridge" may not be remembered as one of the greats in crowded war movie genre but it's working beautifully in ts own right. Two hours well spent.
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7
BroyaxAug 15, 2018
Mel Gibson est un dévôt, tout le monde le sait et dès qu'un sujet intéresse de près ou de loin la religion bien chrétienne de Notre Seigneur, vous pouvez être sûr que Mel est dans le coin, en bon prosélyte au garde-à-vous. Ici cela dit, ceMel Gibson est un dévôt, tout le monde le sait et dès qu'un sujet intéresse de près ou de loin la religion bien chrétienne de Notre Seigneur, vous pouvez être sûr que Mel est dans le coin, en bon prosélyte au garde-à-vous. Ici cela dit, ce bon vieux Mel se restreint significativement, parce qu'il s'agit d'une histoire vraie après tout -aussi incroyable qu'elle puisse paraître- et qu'on ne peut pas dépasser la réalité...

Ainsi, cet objecteur de conscience qui ne tuera personne, n'utilisera pas d'arme mais fera simplement office d'infirmier sur le champ de bataille a véritablement existé et était fait de l'étoffe des héros : et là on se redresse, on bombe le torse, on lève le bras (attention pas trop haut...), on sonne la trompette pour la gloire de nos armes et de la sainte patrie (Dieu bénisse l'Amérique et tout ça). Bref, la routine.

On insiste également sur la guimauve, le passé du héros qui ne l'était pas encore -un héros- mais qui allait le devenir, car il était un cas social ou presque ou un cas social à moitié. Mais il voulait servir son pays mais ne tuer personne et là est bien entendu la contradiction stupéfiante... en temps de guerre. Après l'incompréhension de la première partie du film, l'incompréhension, l'opprobre ou le mépris de ses camarades et supérieurs, s'ensuit l'épreuve du feu et l'enfer sur terre...

Le film se scinde ainsi en deux après cette partie assez molle, bureaucratique et sans éclat particulier, pour proposer une vision ultra violente (et fort réaliste) de la bataille. C'est très spectaculaire, pour ne pas dire démentiel et en même temps assez stylisé grâce à une mise en scène bien agréable et indéniablement efficace dont le cadrage soigné, le montage judicieux et la très belle photographie assurent à tous les niveaux.

C'est alors palpitant comme un film d'aventures éminemment meurtrier alors que notre héros qui ne touche pas un flingue se met à ramener les blessés les uns après les autres... Et c'est là qu'on ne peut pas en vouloir au pasteur Gibson de nous susurrer que cet homme a été touché par la grâce de Dieu (eh oui Seigneur mais ce sont des Panzani...).

Nous voilà donc assez stupéfait par ce film, lequel malgré ses maladresses nous raconte l'histoire de l'homme qui faisait la guerre sans la faire. A cet égard, le titre français "Tu ne tueras point" nous semble tout-à-fait approprié et bien plus réprésentatif que le titre original. Un film étonnant donc, qui fait réfléchir, presque sobre de la part de Mel Gibson et surtout très bien réalisé.
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7
meckeJan 18, 2017
Ein guter Film mit einer tollen Geschichte, wird aber leider durch übertriebene Hollywood Fantastereien ziemlich getrübt. Wahrscheinlich zu viel Mel Gibson Einfluss.

Übertriebene und unglaubwürdige Actionszenen im Bad Boys Styl, dazu auf
Ein guter Film mit einer tollen Geschichte, wird aber leider durch übertriebene Hollywood Fantastereien ziemlich getrübt. Wahrscheinlich zu viel Mel Gibson Einfluss.

Übertriebene und unglaubwürdige Actionszenen im Bad Boys Styl, dazu auf biegen und brechen Blut und Gedärme in Großaufnahme. Nur leider sind die Gewaltszenen nicht mal sonderlich gut, weil viele Szenen eher mittelmäßig schlecht gemachte Computeranimationen sind, so dass alles
eher lächlich wirkt statt bedrückend. Der Soldat James Ryan hat das 1998 besser hinbekommen. Ohne Mel Gibson wäre es wahrscheinlich ein besserer Film geworden.
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7
saintdeckyFeb 6, 2017
Hacksaw Ridge is a 50/50 movie for me. I didn't particularly enjoy the first hour of the movie, but boy, did the second hour make up for it.

Plot: As I mentioned, the first hour of the movie was very melodramatic as well as cliched and
Hacksaw Ridge is a 50/50 movie for me. I didn't particularly enjoy the first hour of the movie, but boy, did the second hour make up for it.

Plot: As I mentioned, the first hour of the movie was very melodramatic as well as cliched and borderline boring. It's a typical love story, everything works out conveniently, and some of the line delivery and scenes are cheesy. However, the second hour is pure brutality and war violence, that is so well done and filmed excellently. It was like watching two completely different movies (like Full Metal Jacket but not executed quite as well). But, the advantage of having the first half so happy and dandy, it makes the second half so much more brutal, which I'm not sure is intentional or not. Otherwise, the second half was done well; shot perfectly, great sound editing and mixing, good enough story. It's just the first half that brings the score down a bit.

Characters/Acting: Andrew Garfield did an excellent job, earning the Oscar nomination. Do I think he should win? No, but he deserves the recognition. Otherwise, the acting from the supporting cast was good, but it was mainly a showcase of Garfield's character and acting. I didn't like Vince Vaughn's portrayal of an army sergeant. I didn't think he was fit at all for the role, and didn't seem menacing enough to be a drill sergeant. The problem is, when he insults all the privates when prepping them, it feels very Hollywood and doesn't match the lighthearted tone the first half of the movie had. Full Metal Jacket actually had a matching tone and, although funny, it made you feel uncertain about whether or not you should laugh. Vince Vaughn just looks like too funny or nice of a guy to be seriously shouting insults as a sergeant.

Cinematography: The cinematography was great in Hacksaw Ridge. It captured the sheer brutality of war, and the action was amazingly directed. As controversial as Mel Gibson may be, he knows how to direct action and warfare.

Other: The movie was a bit heavy-handed; there were plenty of Jesus allegories throughout the run-time of the film that can be seen as propaganda. For example, there's a scene of Garfield having water poured onto him as he looks up at the sky, arms at his side, being cleansed of the blood that cakes his skin, all in slow-motion, while emotional music plays. I also didn't enjoy the depiction of the Japanese. They are portrayed as absolutely ferocious, disgusting, ugly creatures that MURICA must defeat. Their caricatures are exaggerated and Gibson really tries to get the point across that the Japanese are the bad guys, and you should be rooting for MURICA.

Overall, Hacksaw Ridge is half cheesy-cliche, half brutal, well done, action. This is not a movie for the squeamish.
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7
maiyagygeryMar 7, 2017
Hacksaw Ridge is a good war movie but not close to great.
The only i against with this movie is, the cool scene.
I really disliked it.
It should deliver a more realistic combat of a battlefield.
The fear, the emotion the soldier felt.
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7
amheretojudgeJan 16, 2018
help me get one more..

Hacksaw Ridge Unlike any other biography, it doesn't waste any time on showing different episodes of the lead character's life. The whole "Hacksaw Ridge" incident is a build up of the movie which is not only dreadful
help me get one more..

Hacksaw Ridge

Unlike any other biography, it doesn't waste any time on showing different episodes of the lead character's life. The whole "Hacksaw Ridge" incident is a build up of the movie which is not only dreadful but also well detailed; the execution is spectacular.
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7
JJ2FAS4UDec 30, 2021
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6
RatedRexDec 3, 2016
"Hacksaw Ridge" plays as religious propaganda. This isn't the first time that Mel Gibson has overplay his religious hand. He did the same thing in "Passion of the Christ." Americans love religion and war. If you can intertwine both, and"Hacksaw Ridge" plays as religious propaganda. This isn't the first time that Mel Gibson has overplay his religious hand. He did the same thing in "Passion of the Christ." Americans love religion and war. If you can intertwine both, and then add a touching love story, that could be the recipe for box office success. The problem with "Hacksaw" is that it is way over the top. I don't think I've ever seen so many limbs blown off, or intestines spattered all over the place. View this at your own risk. Expand
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6
Seymour_MoviesNov 13, 2016
Hacksaw of course is a typical (for Gibson) heavy-handed, overly graphic, religious themed story about a man who overcomes adversity. The cinematography was excellent at times and disappointing at others. This movie was perfectly okay held upHacksaw of course is a typical (for Gibson) heavy-handed, overly graphic, religious themed story about a man who overcomes adversity. The cinematography was excellent at times and disappointing at others. This movie was perfectly okay held up by a decent performance by Garfield and a good by limited performance by Weaving. This movie brings nothing special, but might be slightly entertaining for people who like gore. Expand
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
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5
DonMegaMar 26, 2017
The story wasn't good at all as it's political propaganda drivel.
My rating is solely based on the battle scenes. Up there with saving private ryan and black hawk down.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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5
rattusturpisFeb 21, 2017
Directing with sledgehammer. There is not one bit of subtlety in this film, not in the acting and certainly not in the directing. The fight scenes are quite good, but the rest is not.
1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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5
dunnyoneJan 19, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Truly, this is the most spectacular was film since Saving Private Ryan. Once the action begins, it's non-stop, jaw dropping scenes until the film ends. Unfortunately, the first hour and a half is awful soap-opera style scene-setting that could have been told in a ten minute scene. Also, this is a deeply religious film, but what else can you expect from Mel Crucify me quick Gibson. Terrible first half (you've seen it all before), but outstanding second half. So that gets a 5 from me. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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4
shag00Jun 22, 2019
The movie to long which is something that I rarely feel. The first half is a tough slog being itself 50/50 army boot camp dross and religious zealotry. Quite hard to sit through.

The main character is a bit odd in that despite his fairly
The movie to long which is something that I rarely feel. The first half is a tough slog being itself 50/50 army boot camp dross and religious zealotry. Quite hard to sit through.

The main character is a bit odd in that despite his fairly dire predicament he is portrayed as smiling like an idiot in many early scenes.

The second half of the movie saves it.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
dashtagMar 25, 2017
I was looking forward to this one, but Hacksaw Ridge was a disappointment. The story is good, but the way it's told is not. We do not see much fighting until about 90 minutes into the movie, and most of those 90 minutes are Desmond DossI was looking forward to this one, but Hacksaw Ridge was a disappointment. The story is good, but the way it's told is not. We do not see much fighting until about 90 minutes into the movie, and most of those 90 minutes are Desmond Doss thinking if he should go to war. The acting is not very good, and Andrew Garfield, the lead as Desmond is not very good. The war scenes are not very intense or realistic, because of all the bloodshed and gore that comes out. When we see severed limbs, it doesn't look very realistic, it just looks stupid. An overrated movie, Hacksaw Ridge is. Saving Private Ryan is better. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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4
MurphyBrandonDec 17, 2019
I almost quit in the first half of the movie. This dude falls in love with a girl at first sight, walks up to her, and then just stares at her with a dumb look on his face and says nothing. He's so awkward. Then, he tries to give some speechI almost quit in the first half of the movie. This dude falls in love with a girl at first sight, walks up to her, and then just stares at her with a dumb look on his face and says nothing. He's so awkward. Then, he tries to give some speech to his squad about morality, but all of his comrades need to fight and kill because, otherwise, they would all end up dead if they followed this guy's logic. Andrew Garfield's voice sounds like he's copying Forrest Gump, but the real person he's poorly portraying is a normal, smart gentleman. Plus, this movie has a ton of corny slow-motion shots that reminded of Braveheart. Mel Gibson directs like a teenager who is overly excited to use all of his cool little video effects in his video editing software application. It tries but fails to be gritty and raw like other war movies. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
GrobeuMay 19, 2020
Only modern americans could rate this trash that high. Boring, lowbrow film that ripps off the best ideas from every classic war film. Mel "I FOUND THE LAWD AT THE BOTTOM OF A WHISKY BOTTLE" Gibson woke up one day feeling like he wanted to doOnly modern americans could rate this trash that high. Boring, lowbrow film that ripps off the best ideas from every classic war film. Mel "I FOUND THE LAWD AT THE BOTTOM OF A WHISKY BOTTLE" Gibson woke up one day feeling like he wanted to do HIS war movie and fancied himself Spielberg. The structure is Full Metal Jacket. The setting is The Thin Red Line. The battle scenes are Saving Private Ryan on MDMA. It tries to pass of as a movie filled with moral undertones but barely manages to scratch the surface and remains ridiculously superficial and hollow. Grafiled (typo is voluntary, i won't put in the effort writing his name correctly since he thinks his garbage overacting does the job) is a terrible actor and proves it once more by portraying Doss as the creepy, probably inbred village idiot. It's 30 minutes too long. It bashes you in the face with religious sermons while revelling in showing people getting blasted to little bits with unhidden glee. It has never heard of the words "subtlety", "realism" or "maturity". It's loaded with anachronisms, historical inaccuracies, factual mistakes and downright nonsensical and incoherent situations. It's sheer unadultarated garbage and only fanaticaly patriotic, jingoistic and borderline fascist americans could enjoy such vapid trash. Gibson is clearly insane, disconnected from reality, isn't as smart or deep as he thinks he is, and so are the people that rated this garbage more than 5. This is "war movies for dummies", and good'ol Mel only skimmed through half the book. Do yourself a favor and rewatch Platoon instead. HACKsaw Ridge is an unvoluntary parody of classic war movies. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
mo0nbuggy1Jan 25, 2017
Best comedy of 2016.
Seriously, we laughed our butts off through a good portion of this movie. 3 stars for making us giggle like girls when he slapped and kicked the grenades away.
5 of 17 users found this helpful512
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3
YorkManJun 2, 2020
It's kind of weird, watching Hacksaw Ridge. The tale of Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector who stood alongside his 'brothers' on the field of battle, during the Pacific campaign of World War 2.

Why is it weird? Because the film doesn't
It's kind of weird, watching Hacksaw Ridge. The tale of Desmond Doss, the conscientious objector who stood alongside his 'brothers' on the field of battle, during the Pacific campaign of World War 2.

Why is it weird?
Because the film doesn't pull punches when it comes to the depiction of extreme violence, death and loss...

But shies away from profanity, drug use, copious alcohol consumption, and the chainsmoking carried out by the rank and file soldiery during the conflict.

The movie seems happy to visualise the maiming of these young men, but then has to protect the viewer from said other aspects of the everyday lives they lead.

It's very frustrating!

As for the film, as a 'film'... It's not too bad, but as an educated man who is well versed through various media, the depiction of warfare is way off!
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0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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3
Benkoko11Feb 27, 2017
I wish I had conscientiously objected to seeing Hacksaw Ridge; a lesson in heavy-handed righteousness followed by a seemingly never-ending sequence of limb-flying, gut-splattering violence. Masochists needn't make films about pacifism.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
dec242Dec 26, 2021
The story itself is interesting and obviously it's a Hollywood movie after all with plenty of good actors involved but the constant religious virtue signaling together with Andrew Garfield's tendency to sound somewhat whiny made me cringeThe story itself is interesting and obviously it's a Hollywood movie after all with plenty of good actors involved but the constant religious virtue signaling together with Andrew Garfield's tendency to sound somewhat whiny made me cringe several times to the point where I thought I'd switch it off. Nevertheless, if you can overlook the forced christian agenda then it's not a bad pseudo-historic war movie. Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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3
KannibalKorpAug 7, 2022
Unless you’re a Republican, believe that guns solve problems of insecurity, find that La Manif Pour Tous didn’t say that **** that cops don’t do anything wrong and that God is your friend ... in short, if you’re not right, it’s not a goodUnless you’re a Republican, believe that guns solve problems of insecurity, find that La Manif Pour Tous didn’t say that **** that cops don’t do anything wrong and that God is your friend ... in short, if you’re not right, it’s not a good film.

Ah but yeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !!! The film has completely failed where it could have been unique! What do you mean? Highlight the role of combat doctors ... no no no continue to put tearful sequences well into the intertwined religious pathos of Match à Mort by Team Call of Duty ... yes yes no no, Don’t try to give a documentary aspect to the doctors of no man’s land, about how these heroes learned to operate between shells and machine guns ...

After seeing a romance that makes you want to strangle cats, get ready for the worst sequence of a training camp! With a Vince Vaughn sulking and slammed as possible! You will never be so uncomfortable in front of a drill sergeant!

Ppffffffffff, they prefer to show us the heroic gesture of the man rather than to show the real stupidity of the military administration to not let him do ... when he has the right ... But the real problem: no one give a **** that he wants to be a medic?? ... I mean ... why doesn’t he yell it ?? ... Why doesn’t anyone make the connection ??? ... He’ll go faster to save guys if he doesn’t shoot ...

Not so good, go watch We Were Soldiers, same ****ty intro but less boring (a lot) with great great action.
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0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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2
AlmostCriticSep 5, 2017
Hacksaw Ridge an incredible true-life story that does a great disservice to the hero it was supposed to honor. The film is essentially 20 minutes of erratic gore sandwiched between a mediocre love story. The dialogue is laughingly contrivedHacksaw Ridge an incredible true-life story that does a great disservice to the hero it was supposed to honor. The film is essentially 20 minutes of erratic gore sandwiched between a mediocre love story. The dialogue is laughingly contrived to the point that it is distracting. Garfield’s goofy Virginia accent and forced emotions left me scratching my head as to how he could possibly have been nominated for Best Actor. A few bad cuts and continuity errors only add to unfathomable fact that this film is nominated for an academy award.

I cannot believe it's so highly praised. The performances wouldn't be out of place in Lifetime movie. The cinematography and effects were great but you can't hide a bad movie behind sqips and pyrotechnics.
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2 of 6 users found this helpful24
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2
dcalJun 20, 2020
Anyone who rated this movie above a 5 is a Christian whose religious beliefs blur their ability to recognize true talent and cinematic art. Look at the vast majority of Christian faith-based films and they have ridiculously high ratings.Anyone who rated this movie above a 5 is a Christian whose religious beliefs blur their ability to recognize true talent and cinematic art. Look at the vast majority of Christian faith-based films and they have ridiculously high ratings. Why? Because the only people watching are Christians who buy into that kind of melodramatic, bad acting, vapid story-telling. No objective observer could watch Hacksaw Ridge and Saving Private Ryan and rate them both a 10. Saving Private Ryan is incredible. It has character depth, amazing acting, an intricate storyline, and true to life historical accuracy. Hacksaw Ridge in the first half is preachy with a bad actor in Garfield, and the second half is mindless violence watching scores of people die, including American soldiers we know nothing about and therefore have no emotional connection to. The contrast in Saving Private Ryan is that they develop their characters. So when you see one of them die, you are genuinely moved to tears. Hacksaw is a farce. Garfield is a terrible actor. And this story is ridiculously filmed and directed. Even IF the loose story this is based on is worth retelling, this movie did it ZERO justice. This movie is the equivalent of "Jesus take the wheel." Well, I hate to say it, but Jesus is terrible at making compelling war movies. Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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1
PapahoomamaMay 23, 2020
The rhetoric of a sermon. If you enjoy TV preachers, this one's for you. Oh and Sam Raimi's Evil Dead inspired the battle scenes.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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0
GiakiMay 24, 2017
Come on, this film is a giant ****
Too much exaggerated with that save one man after another thing.
Zero realist or barely believable, this film ruined everthing that was truth about the real story.
3 of 21 users found this helpful318
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0
hootisMar 7, 2017
Poorly made US military propaganda film. You would think after the 500th one people would get tired. But I guess I'm out of touch, to most people this is a welcome break from the 15 super hero movies they've seen this month.
3 of 16 users found this helpful313
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0
AxeTNov 14, 2016
Rating = 6 (Metacritic incompetence)... Very high expectations from word of mouth just didn't live up to this as I watched it. It's a bit too melodramatic for my taste which is slightly surprising coming from Gibson. It is a great trueRating = 6 (Metacritic incompetence)... Very high expectations from word of mouth just didn't live up to this as I watched it. It's a bit too melodramatic for my taste which is slightly surprising coming from Gibson. It is a great true story, and the film is well made for sure and refreshingly conventional in its way. It starts off slow which is not necessarily a problem, but once at war the battles are so gruesomely endless my attention was strained.

War movies have never been a favorite genre of mine and I rarely love them. Love and War are the two most powerful experiences in life, so they fundamentally always draw intense interest.

Here's some of the best I've seen.

"Star Wars" (fantasy but still war)
"Force Ten from Navarone" (immensely under-rated plot driven/messageless mission story with great cast and even better than the classic original)
"The Deer Hunter"
"Apocalypse Now" (over-rated as supreme best, still a masterpiece yeah)
"The Final Countdown" (great sci-fi set at war)
"Das Boot"
"Platoon"
"Full Metal Jacket" (flawed but Kubrick)
"Born on the Fourth of July"
"Jacob's Ladder" (not really a war movie and exactly its trippy brilliance)
"Saving Private Ryan" (flawed but worthy)
"The Thin Red Line" (flawed by worthy)
"Three Kings" (surprisingly original)
"The Patriot" (strong turned formula)
"The Pianist" (not so much war, but backdrop)
"Inglorious Basterds" (fantasy but genius)
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4 of 25 users found this helpful421
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0
WaltexNov 21, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. An important movie, solidly told and directed

Yes, there are directing gaps (for example why are the boys' clothes so crisp and clean when they have been playing in the forest at the start of the film). I mostly loved Mel's direction of his other films ... he surprised me in those films ... he made creative decisions that were awesome and innovative, clever ... however few surprises in this one. Directing is good, but there are gaps ... the directing is somewhat "colouring in by the numbers" but he does a good job and one feels emotional involvement throughout the film.

I would actually say the war scenes were more genuine and better than Saving Private Ryan ... well done Mel! A mixed patch of acting performances ... but somehow the story is so powerful that it rises above all of these inconsistencies or deficiencies ... What an amazingly brave man ... it shows us that you can't judge a book by its cover. I'm also glad that he rescued some Japanese soldiers too. It made me think that maybe I could aim to do something significant and important with my life too, God willing
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3 of 15 users found this helpful312
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