Plot: What’s it about?
Col. Rhodes (Gene Hackman) has served his country and been a decorated soldier, but for over ten years, his pleas for help have been ignored. His son was taken prisoner in the Vietnam conflict and remains missing in action, while the government does nothing to try to bring him back to freedom. Since he is left with no real options, he seeks to stage a private mission to rescue the prisoners, which means he needs two things, soldiers and cash. He finds the funding in the form of a Texas oil tycoon, MacGregor (Robert Stack) and soon finds a team of soldiers, most of whom were friends with his son. The team then undergoes an intense training session in a mock prison compound, to prepare for the assault. Soon however, this group of soldiers will mount an attack on the prison that holds the prisoners, looking to do what no one else would, by showing courage, honor, and of course, Uncommon Valor.
This film has a cool premise and a terrific ensemble cast, but in the end, it lacks the punch and visuals to attain the higher levels of success. I suppose the blame should be laid on director Ted Kotcheff, who lacks the skills needed to tie this all together and believe me, that lack of ability shows and then some. But Uncommon Valor is still a solid movie, it just doesn’t have the sharp style I would have liked, which is a let down. Gene Hackman leads a very well chosen cast, with such names as Fred Ward, Tim Thomerson, Robert Stack, Randall “Tex” Cobb, Patrick Swayze serving as supporting members. I’d say the performances are the real driving force of this movie, though the writing is also very strong at times, to be sure. This movie is recommended, but since Paramount has done little to justify the steep price, I think a rental should suffice.
As I mentioned above, this film has a terrific cast and at the peak of the roll is Gene Hackman, who is rock solid as usual. I think Hackman is always a safe choice and in this case, he even has a varied and talented supporting ensemble to back him up. In this film, Hackman has some solid material to work with and he runs with it, including some great moments of emotion. I wouldn’t call this his finest performance or even one of his better efforts, but fans of his work should be quite pleased, to say the least. You can also see Hackman in such films as Unforgiven, Superman, The French Connection, The Firm, and Crimson Tide. The cast also includes Robert Stack (Airplane, Caddyshack II), Fred Ward (The Player, Tremors), Randall “Tex” Cobb (Diggstown, The Golden Child), Tom Thomerson (Cherry 2000, Iron Eagle), and Patrick Swayze (Dirty Dancing, Point Break).
Video: How does it look?
Uncommon Valor is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a good looking presentation overall, but some scenes look very grainy and that upsets the balance to an extent. The grain lowers the impact of the colors and contrast, which detracts a lot from those scenes, but don’t worry, the good outnumbers the bad with this transfer. Most scenes look pretty clean, with bright colors, accurate flesh tones, and stable contrast levels. I do wish this looked clean throughout, but I think fans will be pleased with this treatment.
Audio: How does it sound?
This release uses a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track, but don’t expect to be in the middle of the action, as this option isn’t that immersive. I did hear frequent surround use and such, but it never drew me inside the flick, just enhanced the experience a shade. Some of the later scenes could use a real boost to be sure, but even as is, the elements seem in decent enough form. The music comes through very well, while dialogue is clean and sharp enough, no volume errors to be hassled with. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, a French language option, and English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
