Gods & Generals - Review Up (No Spoilers)

[Jeff in BigD]

I'll be seeing it Thursday night & I'll let guys know what I think.

 

[dianeschlicht]

It comes out on Friday here, and I can hardly wait! This looks like a good movie.

 

[Grog]

I'll be looking forward to your review. I won't be able to see it until Saturday evening or Sunday.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I can't wait to hear the review, I want to take my dad to see the movie.

 

[Pam]

Jeff,
Must you always flaunt your connections to us common folk??!!

We're hoping to see this movie this weekend. DH has the book and I just started reading it.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Originally posted by Pam
Jeff,
Must you always flaunt your connections to us common folk??!!

LOL, what's the fun in seeing movies early (except, you know the free movie & no crowds & stuff) if you can't casually brag about it?

 

[Wagamama]

Oh my goshness!!! I can not wait to see this movie!! My history professor was the historical consultant on this movie and has a small part!! I can't wait to see it!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kim in TN]

I can't wait to see this movie!

 

[Krisu]

Jeff, did you go yet?? Don't keep us in suspense

 

[Pam]

LOL, what's the fun in seeing movies early (except, you know the free movie & no crowds & stuff) if you can't casually brag about it?

Because you make common folk like me feel sad!

I'm just kidding! So - how was the movie? DS is Scout camping again from Fri.-Sunday. He just commented to me tonight that he can't wait to see the movie with his Dad. (I'll probably go too.)

We've actually been to all of the sites/battlefields in the movie. DD got sick at the house where Stonewall Jackson died and almost threw up in the house - but that's another story.....

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Ok, I'm back. (no spoilers)

Most of the movie deals with the POV of Stonewall Jackson. It was good, but I was a little disappointed.


Ok, here's the good:
-The opening credits are great, showing the various flags of the Civil War, with an Enya-like mournful ballad.

-The historic accuracy is almost dead on.

-Not much blood for a war movie, though there are a couple brief gory parts.

-There was something I haven't seen in an age, an intermission.

-Extremely detailed.

-It talks about the Irish involvement, which is a subject that usually isn't talked about at all in movies about the subject.

-They actually wrote the movie with the sensabilities of the time, not PC mentalities pushed to fit into the era.

-They show the strong religious convictions of the men & it is a major theme of the movie.



The bad:
-This one is a little over 4 hours, but it didn't really need to be IMO.

-Some of it seemed a little self-congradulatory.

-A cameo by WV Democratic Senator Robert Byrd (& former klansman) as a confederate officer - not a good move IMO.

-The gap between acting talent was sometimes a little noticable, though most of it was good.

-If you don't like documentaries, avoid this movie.

-While it does a good job of showing the point of view of the south, it was kinda of redundant.

-It could have focused on other things instead of being redundant in a few manners.

-It explains that it's part 1 of a trilogy (which were miniseries), but I think a little bit of an epilogue would have helped to wrap things up for this story.



The ugly:
-The editing could have used a lot of work.

-One scene should have been cut, but I'm sure the fact that Ted Turner was in it was the reason it didn't end up on the cutting room floor.



Overall I liked it, but again, I felt it could have been much better.

 

[Grog]

Thanks Jeff. Sounds as if the good outweighed the bad (I hope!). I'll be seeing it Sunday

 

[dianeschlicht]

I love documentary type movies, historic novels, AND the civil war. This definately sounds like my kind of movie, but FOUR HOURS!!! I don't think I can sit in a theater seat that long!!!

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
I love documentary type movies, historic novels, AND the civil war. This definately sounds like my kind of movie, but FOUR HOURS!!! I don't think I can sit in a theater seat that long!!!

That's why there's an intermission.

 

[Patrick IL.]

Thanks Jeff for the review I did not know that this was a trilogy until I read it in another review and also in yours here. I think I shall try to catch it this weekend.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I really enjoy these types of movies, historical and sweeping. Hope to see this one.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

No problem guys. The important thing I think is for people to think of it more as a fictional documentary rather than a conventional movie.