Tunnel Rats (2008)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Uwe Boll

Writers:

Uwe Boll (screenplay)
Dan Clarke (story)

Release Date:

13 March 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Action | War

Tagline:

Hell Is For Heroes

Plot:

During the Vietnam War [1959-1975] a special US combat unit is sent out to hunt and kill the Viet Cong soldiers in a man-to-man combat in the endless tunnels underneath the jungle of Vietnam. Suicide squads of a special kind. |

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Michael Paré	...	Sergeant Vic Hollowborn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Wilson Bethel	...	Corporal Dan Green
Adrian Collins	...	Private Dean Garraty
Scott Cooper	...	Private Joseph Walderson
Mitch Eakins	...	Private Peter Harris
Erik Eidem	...	Private Carl Johnson
Brandon Fobbs	...	Private Samuel Graybridge
Jane Le	...	Vo Mai
Scott Ly	...	Tran, Huy
Rocky Marquette	...	Private Terence Verano
Garikayi Mutambirwa	...	Private Jonathan Porterson
Nate Parker	...	Private Jim Lidford
Brad Schmidt	...	Sgt. Mike Heaney
Jeffrey Christopher Todd	...	Private Bob Miller
John Wynn	...	Nguyen Van Chien

Also Known As:

1968 Tunnel Rats (USA) (new title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong war violence and language.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

Canada | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | UK:18 | New Zealand:R16 | USA:R (certificate #45345) | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:18 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Boll

Trivia:

Won a Golden Raspberry Award despite being released in only one theatre in the United States: Worst Director for Uwe Boll (also for In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007) and Postal (2007)).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The small American base camp depicted is set in heavy jungle terrain without the ability to see it's own perimeters. This would be fine if this was during WWII in the Pacific, to hide from Japanese aircraft. But in Vietnam the jungle would have been cleared with "kill zones" in place for camp defenders. Outer and inner multiple barbed wire fences would be around the perimeter of the camp. This defensive construction strategy would prevent such a surprise invasion attack as portrayed in the film.

Boll has finally done it

It is very easy to hate on anything that Uwe Boll does, and it is clear that most people here are taking this path of least resistance and jumping that same wagon. However, it takes a greater person to admit when they were wrong and give credit when it is due, and it most certainly due. If one really wanted to, they could pick apart the historical accuracy of the film, or the tactics, or the costuming, or the geography; I am sure that such people could easily find some justification for condemning this film.

On the other hand, what would follow would be a trite listing of errors and complaints, tarted up with clever comments and sealed with some witty remark. Is that what proper film critique is about? It doesn't take much in the way of intelligence to attack and destroy what you see before you. That is why people do it so easily and without thought. In a way, this film touches on that very human failing. So many film goers and critics (professional and armchair) are going to dismiss this film as if it is some plague carrier, and only because of the name that goes with it. I feel sorry for those people because they will miss out on a great many interesting and even inspiring film experiences in their life time.

Tunnel Rats is one such experience. It is a small production and done very succinctly and without much extraneous posturing. From the first scene, the film gets right down to business and doesn't really let up until the gripping and downright mortifying ending. Perhaps it is the small size of the production that has kept Boll honest somewhat. I can imagine that when contracted to make Hollywood films, there is a lot of pressure to appeal to the attention deficit audiences out there, often the very ones that hate him, and therefore he aims too far above his mark.

In this film he hits the mark very confidently and professionally. It is worth seeing this film, and doing so without preconception or judgment. Boll is just the director and a film is a sum of its parts, even though Boll directed this film, there were dozens of earnest and hardworking actors and crew members putting in their all to make this film. It is the hight of arrogance to laugh at their efforts and belittle what they made when truly there is nothing really wrong with it.

I hope that enough people are see this film so that Boll can keep doing what he enjoys and sharing it with people. Every film, when made earnestly, has something worthwhile to show us. Stay free of the popularist hate for Uwe Boll and see films for what they are.