Film Reviews

Black Hawk Down

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Eric Bana
• Details: US / 143 mins / (18)

Based on a true story, Black Hawk Down follows a group of elite US soldiers who were sent into Mogadishu, Somalia in October 1993. After the relative financial disappointment of Pearl Harbor, you'd think that Jerry Bruckheimer would have had it with films with military themes. While Black Hawk Down is not as profoundly foolish as that Michael Bay slock fest, it can hardly lay claim to being a particularly engaging movie either. With precious little characterisation or emotional depth, the film relies solely on the brilliantly choreographed and shot (no pun intended) firefights between the good ole American boys and the Somalian towns folks. None of the actors are done any favours by the gung hung lines they are asked to deliver, and one walks away from the film wondering exactly what the point was.

Review by Garreth Murphy