Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2014
6.5
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 311 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
179
Mixed:
89
Negative:
43
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csw12Jan 8, 2015
An uninspiring sluggish film that has corniness written all over it. Jolie rushes through the early life of the man, shows the guy living through hell and ends on a flat note. What Zamperini went through was a tragedy and sadly was the wayAn uninspiring sluggish film that has corniness written all over it. Jolie rushes through the early life of the man, shows the guy living through hell and ends on a flat note. What Zamperini went through was a tragedy and sadly was the way this film was made. Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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0
dierregiMay 25, 2015
This is a terrible movie. The plot is roughly divided in two parts: the first third of the story is about Zamperini surviving a plane crash and the remaining two thirds are extremely repetitive scenes of him suffering at the end of a sadisticThis is a terrible movie. The plot is roughly divided in two parts: the first third of the story is about Zamperini surviving a plane crash and the remaining two thirds are extremely repetitive scenes of him suffering at the end of a sadistic Japanese camp warden. Both parts seem to drag on forever, the part in the prison camp being particularly bad and nothing more than the same scene played differently time and again. In the end, the movie is in itself a torture inflicted to the viewer by an over hyped, mediocre director. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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2
itmoFeb 9, 2015
I thought this would be a very interesting movie, but it is far from entertaining, and it is far too long and the pacing is far to slow. There are a lot of scenes that just don't need to be in the film, there is to much padding. It feelsI thought this would be a very interesting movie, but it is far from entertaining, and it is far too long and the pacing is far to slow. There are a lot of scenes that just don't need to be in the film, there is to much padding. It feels like a hundred other films that have been done before and this is one of the worst of its type. Very disappointing movie. Probably should have gone straight to DVD. Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
ChrisFilouApr 27, 2015
Whoever read the book will not even remotely want to see this movie. So many great moments that I experienced when reading and was hoping to have a good visual and story wise representation to find in this picture. But not even close. TheWhoever read the book will not even remotely want to see this movie. So many great moments that I experienced when reading and was hoping to have a good visual and story wise representation to find in this picture. But not even close. The whole movie is visually so clean and nicely made, which fits the theme of world war II, POW and survival not. Then there is the scenes where you await for the moments, like when the Japanese zero plane is attacking their raft and they need to fight of the sharks underwater, which were a real threats, oh wait the sharks are just swimming peacefully around. Oh well, how...uninteresting. Some dark shapes in the night and you await a shark to jump on the raft to attack the men....oh no. Also they wouldn't even include the original national anthem of Germany in 1936 and how Louis met Hitler.
Overall just a complete disgrace of a power full and amazing story. Better spend the next 140 minutes reading nearly a 1/3 of the book which is a lot better use of your time.
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1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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0
JoeQuaglieriDec 30, 2014
The real life story of this man is sugar coated in such a painfully bad movie. After reading the book several times, it has become one of my all time favorite books. This movie did such a disservice to the book and to the real life eventsThe real life story of this man is sugar coated in such a painfully bad movie. After reading the book several times, it has become one of my all time favorite books. This movie did such a disservice to the book and to the real life events that Jolie should be ashamed to even call herself a director. This film had the source material to be one of the greatest films of recent history, yet failed to offer any characterization or depth to just about every aspect of the film. Expand
3 of 8 users found this helpful35
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1
Eilidh2Apr 4, 2015
How do you take a story as dramatic as Louis Zamperini's and turn it into a borefest? Hell if I know, but Angelina Jolie has the secret! Stolid, tedious, she has turned his 'chockful of incredible incidents' life story into an interminable,How do you take a story as dramatic as Louis Zamperini's and turn it into a borefest? Hell if I know, but Angelina Jolie has the secret! Stolid, tedious, she has turned his 'chockful of incredible incidents' life story into an interminable, dramatically inert TV movie.

The acting (which was much praised by the critics) is inept. The lead actor is devoid of charisma or talent. Boring. Apparently, he's a Brit. Which goes to show the UK can produce mediocre actors too - so why are they getting work?
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1 of 4 users found this helpful13
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3
HarmiclirDec 28, 2014
Chapter 1 of this movie could have been called "Angelina Jolie Does "Chariots of Fire." Chapter 2: "Angelina Jolie Does "Castaway." Chapter 3: "Angelina Jolie Does "Bridge on the River Kwai." Chapter 4: "Angelina Jolie Does "Flags of OurChapter 1 of this movie could have been called "Angelina Jolie Does "Chariots of Fire." Chapter 2: "Angelina Jolie Does "Castaway." Chapter 3: "Angelina Jolie Does "Bridge on the River Kwai." Chapter 4: "Angelina Jolie Does "Flags of Our Fathers."

Completely derivative, boring, uninspiring and way, way, way too long (and did I say cliched?). Skip it or wait for Netflix.
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1 of 5 users found this helpful14
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0
Key_Notes88Dec 27, 2014
If you like to watch a guy get hit with a stick, by all means go out and watch this movie. If you don't like watching a guy get hit with a stick, stay very far away. Overall, this movie was very frustrating to watch. Scenes were dragged outIf you like to watch a guy get hit with a stick, by all means go out and watch this movie. If you don't like watching a guy get hit with a stick, stay very far away. Overall, this movie was very frustrating to watch. Scenes were dragged out making the movie a lot longer than it needed to be, particularly a raft scene and a pow camp scene. I mean, how many times can you get hit with a stick before we just tire of it and beg for the movie to end. Sure it may be a true story, but I'm quite positive there were some embellishments and exaggerations to make it more movie worthy. It's mostly a story of struggle and physical torment, and the ending just left me wondering why did they even bother making this into a movie. Expand
3 of 21 users found this helpful318
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0
kpmJan 6, 2016
Shocking. This is a terrible film. The story is interesting but I googled it after and obtained a more moving delivery. Boring to the point of ridiculous. Disappointing as it could have been better in the hands of a better film maker.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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3
koconnorMay 10, 2015
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 mostThe 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. Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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3
DirtyDaveJan 18, 2015
As a fan of uncensored war movies, I went into this one with a positive mindset. That quickly went away after the raft scene. Or scense. That's the problem with this movie is that it acts like it has to little material to work with and lagsAs a fan of uncensored war movies, I went into this one with a positive mindset. That quickly went away after the raft scene. Or scense. That's the problem with this movie is that it acts like it has to little material to work with and lags on for far too long. Yes, we know that they were on the raft and in the camps for a long time. But we don't have to sit with them for every minute they went through to get that across to us.
This movie had heart, but was to strung out with not enough excitement for me to recommend.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
ggustaNov 1, 2015
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Yikes! I gave it a generous '2'.

I listened to the audiobook and noticed this was on hbo or showtime or whatever last night. I knew that it was directed by Angelina Jolie and that it did not do huge boxoffice so had a pretty good idea that a) based on such an incredibly good job by Laura Hillenbrand and B) directed by Angelina Jolie with little fanfare this film was probably a clunker.

It is.

I have to say especially the early part of his life prior to the military and the PTSD post-war, his turning to God, which was decidedly NOT part of who we was prior to the ptsd, it was his friend Phil who promised to serve God and did NOT after the war that made that promise repeatedly while on the raft,

This is a great story beautifully told by Hillenbrand in her book. I would recommend it to anyone. This movie is dull, wooden, with the sole ironic exception of the scene of Louie holding the wooden post over his head, uninspiring and skips over the most important parts of Louie's life and sweeps the salient detail of his faith thoroughly under the rug. The story of the Bird post-war is also very interesting, of which we get two small details. There is much more in the book.

Save yourself the time with this really mediocre-at-best movie and go get the book. Your library probably has it for free.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
BroyaxJan 29, 2019
Angelina est jolie et même qu'elle fait des films désormais ! des gros films à gros budget, c'est pas n'importe quoi... et la voilà qui nous raconte l'histoire de ce prisonnier de guerre américain... au Japon (entre autres péripéties bienAngelina est jolie et même qu'elle fait des films désormais ! des gros films à gros budget, c'est pas n'importe quoi... et la voilà qui nous raconte l'histoire de ce prisonnier de guerre américain... au Japon (entre autres péripéties bien sûr). C'est "d'après" une histoire vraie et il faut donc prendre tout cela avec des pincettes... et le doute m'habite je dois dire.

Quoi qu'il en soit, le pauvre gars n'en mène pas large mais porte haut les couleurs et l'honneur de l'armée américaine, un véritable héros sans peur ni reproche malgré les Japonais très méchants et très cruels, cela va sans dire ! Angelina nous sert donc un mélange bien étrange de Forrest Gump (il court, il court le gars, qu'est-ce qu'il court ce gugus !), du Pont de la rivière Kwaï et de Furyo... et un peu de Koh Lanta dans le pacifique aussi. Mais c'est sans souci puisqu'on peut y manger des requins en sushis !

Et comme la majorité des acteurs ou actrices qui passent derrière la caméra, elle ne sait pas couper l'inutile... Or après un excellent début, on se tape par la suite des longueurs et des longueurs dans ce film trop long et trop lent, ce qui détruit conséquemment tous les efforts de la narration... Néanmoins, la réalisation est très soignée et particulièrement appliquée, et c'est toujours ça de pris, ma foi.

Mais entre l'incrédulité dispensée, la lenteur générale et la petite propagande maladroite sur le soldat américain trop fort (putain mais c'est toi le papa de Rambo ou quoi ?), difficile de donner crédit au film d'Angelina qui nous a bien ennuyé ici.
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0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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