IMDb RATING
7.1/10
5.6K
YOUR RATING
Story of a cover up in the military.Story of a cover up in the military.Story of a cover up in the military.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 2 wins & 2 nominations total
Darcas Macopson
- USMC Guard at Subway
- (as Dwayne Macopson)
- Director
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I find it interesting that this movie is classified as a comedy, granted some of the procedures that Col. Burton is forced to go through are comical. What i find disturbing is this is based on the real true to life development of the bradley fighting vehicle. Not only was it produced at great cost (over 13 billion taxpayer dollars) but after spending that much money it was an unsafe deathtrap for anyone riding in it, unfortunately it was a troop carrier. thankfully we did not have any conflicts requiring the use of the vehicle until most of the defects were fixed. also disturbing is the fact that every officer involved in the development of the bradley was promoted and went on to lucrative defense contracting positions while Col. Burton was forced to leave the Air Force.
Anyone who has ever been connected to the military understands the great oxymoron that it is...and probably always will be...but this movie is a classic example of how the military can run amok if it isn't closely monitored...although the humor in this movie does help to make it easier to take...there are a few notable performances that elevate this past the "TV Movie Of The Week" stereotype...Richard Schiff as the put-upon colonel who gets the Bradley project dumped on him 1st, Cary Elwes as the Air Force lieutenant colonel who ends up with the task, Kelsey Grammar as a smug and pompous Army general...all spice up the film and make it better than it should have been...at the end, there is a scene involving the enlisted men on the testing team and Elwes that could be considered semi-sappy...unless you served in the military and understand the relationship between the men and Elwes and how it evolved...then that scene is strikingly important...you will love the part about the sheep...and I can assure you, having been in the Army, yes, this is how Army people talk and act...get this movie, watch this movie, enjoy this movie...it's a nice vacation from today's headlines...and you will roll your eyes at the end...
The Pentagon is trying to field a new armored personnel carrier into production to replace the aging M113. The main objective was a vehicle that could get combat troops into the battle as quickly and safely as possible. So when the design was finally established certain generals decided they wanted the Bradley Armored Personnel Carrier to be able to do additional missions as well. So a larger cannon was added which caused it to be larger. Since it was larger it became more of a target so additional armor was added. But since it had more armor it caused it to be slower and so aluminum replaced steel. And so on. Eventually, rather than having a vehicle that could get soldiers into the field quickly and safely, it became a monstrosity that was actually unsafe for the soldiers. Yet rather than admit these design flaws the decision was made to hurry up production as if getting the project approved was the ultimate symbol of success. At any rate, this film is so funny because this scenario is so close to the truth when it comes to the military industrial complex. Billions of dollars (with a "b") are spent on weapons contracts while soldiers are constantly short-changed on a litany of issues important to them. Be that as it may I thought Kelsey Grammar ("General Partridge") and Cary Elwes ("LTC James Burton) performed in an excellent manner. I also enjoyed the performance of Viola Davis as the loyal sergeant, "SFC Fanning". In short, this is a really good film that I highly recommend for anyone who has ever served or cares to see what goes on behind closed doors. Again, it's closer to the truth than many people realize.
This movie could have been good to watch on a big screen. The humor is good, the dialogues are fine and the actors never overact. General Partridge (Kelsey Grammer) forgets that the business of war begins with providing good material to the troops. Colonel James Burton (Cary Elwes) knows this and he delivers a speech to the test-company that must make a demonstration of the Bradley troop transporter. The senatorial commission cannot understand that the development costs of the vehicle lasted for 17 years and costed 14 billion dollars. The hearings and questions of that commission provides one of the most humoristic scenes of the movie and are unsurpassed by other political movies.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film, especially Kelsey Grammar as the unflappable general - always ready with a quick answer and so sincere you want to believe him, despite the utter absurdity of what he is saying. I am not sure whether to treat this movie as comedy or horror - it would be quite amusing as fiction , but I find it rather terrifying to think that it is based on a true story. Is this really how our tax dollars are wasted? As a former member of the military I find it all too easy to believe.
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough the film makes it seem as if Colonel James Burton was this naive officer ordered to rubber stamp the Bradley, only to discover problems, the picture was far more complex. Burton's own book - that was made into this film - shows this in the title: "The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard". "The Reformers" are a lobby group within the US military, that argue against the use of high-tech military systems and push for simpler, more basic systems. Burton was part of this group, and had already been involved in the procurement process on other projects, even going as far as to suggest his own Reformist designs.
Burton was also not the one to raise the red flag on the survivability of the Bradley; he was called in after the US Congress got worried about that particular issue. And the Bradley's E1 program - that eventually became the better protected A1 variant of the Bradley - was already underway when Burton got involved.
Lastly, the Reformers' idea of "live fire tests" was not something that was opposed by the US Army and that they then had to be forced into by Congress. While the Air Force and Navy snubbed the Reformers on that program, the Army had already agreed to it as Burton came on. The disagreement then was how these tests were to be made; the Reformers wanted to shoot at the Bradley with - as it is said in the film - "the biggest bang for the buck", while the Army objected saying that the Bradley would indeed fail spectacularly, and that nothing could be learned from such a test other than to confirm that - yes - a big enough shot will kill the Bradley, because it was never specified or designed to be as well protected as a main battle tank.
Still, it should be remembered that much of the film can be attributed to satirical exaggeration, and that the gist of it - that it took far too long to get the Infantry Fighting Vehicle that was specified already in 1958 - is essentially correct.
- GoofsWhen they are shooting the TOW missile at the Bradley full of sheep, the gunner says, "On the way," after which the order, "Fire," is given. This is totally backwards (and dangerous). When the gunner says, "On the way," it means he is pulling the trigger, which is something he should do AFTER the command to Fire.
- Quotes
Major Sayers: The Brits did a study on aluminum.
Col. J.D. Bock: That would be the same aluminum sheathing used on the Bradley, sir.
Major Sayers: When hit by a shell, it has a tendency to burn, and when it burns it gives off a toxic gas.
Major General Partridge: Goddamnit! We fought a revolution so we wouldn't have to pay any attention to the fucking British!
- ConnectionsFeatured in Tienes que ver esta peli: Juguetes de guerra (2022)
- SoundtracksAmerica, the Beautiful
Written by Samuel A. Ward and Katharine Lee Bates (as Katherine Bates)
Performed by the St. John's Cathedral Boys and Girls' Choir, Donald Pearson, Conductor
Courtesy of Delos International
By Arrangement with Source/Q
Details
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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