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Revolution Studios
Not part of a collection.
He was trained to follow orders. He became a hero by defying them.
Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician.
Wuchak
Jan 29, 2023 · via TMDB
**_Solemn life-or-death jungle mission is one-note, but worthwhile for a few reasons_** A squadron of Navy Seals led by Lt. Waters (Bruce Willis) are ordered to Nigeria to remove a beautiful American doctor (Monica Belucci) from a Christian village before Islamic militants move in and annihilate 'em all. The Doctor insists that "her people" go with them and so Waters opts for leading 'em out on foot to the Cameroon border. Will they make it out alive? "Tears of the Sun" (2003) has an ultra-serious vibe and _some_ depth. If you appreciate "The 7th Dawn" (1964) with William Holden and Capucine, this is cut from the same cloth, just with modern production quality and more focus on grim jungle drama & action, like "Rambo" (2008). While it's arguably on par with "The 7th Dawn," it doesn't stand with the giants of the genre, such as "Apocalypse Now" (1979) or "Platoon" (1986). For one thing, the characters outside of those played by Willis and Belucci are relatively forgettable, which isn't the case with "Apocalypse Now" and "Platoon" wherein you know and remember the bulk of the key characters. Another good example would be "Last Of The Mohicans" (1992), which has a similar tone and theme, i.e. protagonists being chased through the forest by savage antagonists. The issue I have with "Tears of the Sun" is that it jumps right into the thick of the jungle story without allowing the viewer to get to know anyone. The theme is heavy and the vibe is fittingly serious, including the score, but because we aren't emotionally tied to the characters the picture comes across too heavy-handed and melodramatic. It doesn't help that it's one-dimensional. Meanwhile the 2-hour movie is fairly slow moving with the big-action sequence not taking place until the finale. The problem with this "exciting" climax is that the viewer, once again, doesn't care what happens at this point because we don't really know the characters and therefore have little emotional attachment. Although the story takes place in Nigeria the picture was obviously shot in Hawaii. The difference in geography is enough that the film loses points for realism, but who can deny the beauty of Hawaii? So maybe it gains the points back. The Director's Cut merely adds the deleted scenes from the Special Edition DVD to the film. In other words, unless you absolutely love the flick it's not necessary to buy the Director's Cut; just watch the deleted scenes. Speaking of the deleted scenes, there's one quietly potent scene where a black American talks with a black Nigerian. It has good dialogue and should've never been cut. Yet "Tears of the Sun" has some attributes, including the ultra-serious vibe, cinematography, score and Monica Belucci. The harrowing sequence where the squadron saves a rural village from some ruthless militants is well done. But this is far from a good film IMHO; at the same time, it's not bad and has its points of interest. Check out "Rambo" (2008) if you want to see the same theme done in a more effective manner. GRADE: B-/C+
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Bruce Willis
Lieutenant A.K. Waters
Monica Bellucci
Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks
Cole Hauser
James 'Red' Atkins
Eamonn Walker
Ellis 'Zee' Pettigrew
Johnny Messner
Kelly Lake
Nick Chinlund
Michael 'Slo' Slowenski
Tom Skerritt
Captain Bill Rhodes
Akosua Busia
Patience
Peter Mensah
Terwase
Malick Bowens
Colonel Idris Sadick
Chad Smith
Jason 'Flea' Mabry
Charles Ingram
Demetrius 'Silk' Owens
Paul Francis
Danny 'Doc' Kelley
Sammi Rotibi
Arthur Azuka
Jimmy Jean-Louis
Gideon
Awaovieyi Agie
Musa
Benjamin Ochieng
Colonel Emanuel Okeze
Hadar Busia-Singleton
Amaka
Fionnula Flanagan
Sister Grace
Pierrino Mascarino
Father Gianni
Howard Mungo
President Samuel Azuka
Cle Sloan
Mission Rebel
Allison Dean
Rape Victim
Rodney Charles
Christopher Marwa
Jewel McDonald
Village Woman
Harry Van Gorkum
Carrier Reporter
Naomi Shohan
Production Design
Mauro Fiore
Director of Photography
Marlene Stewart
Costume Design
Toby Bronson
Key Set Costumer
Deborah Rutherford
Makeup Artist
Clinton Wayne
Prosthetic Makeup Artist
Jim Dooley
Additional Music
Russell Earl
CG Supervisor
Kym Stys
Stand In
Phil Neilson
Stunt Coordinator
Eric Chambers
Stunts
Eugene Collier
Stunts
Layla Alexander
Stunts
Harry Humphries
Technical Advisor
Josef Cannon
Utility Stunts
Antoine Fuqua
Director
Jeff Okabayashi
Second Assistant Director
Phil Neilson
Second Unit Director
Michael Bauman
Gaffer
Barbara Harris
ADR Voice Casting
Cathy Schulman
Associate Producer
Stephen J. Eads
Associate Producer
Mary Vernieu
Casting
Joe Roth
Executive Producer
Ian Bryce
Producer
Mitchell Bell
Production Coordinator
Hans Zimmer
Original Music Composer
Lisa Gerrard
Original Music Composer
Willie D. Burton
Production Sound Mixer
Lisa Gerrard
Vocals
John Frazier
Special Effects Supervisor
Denise Ream
Visual Effects Producer
Scott Farrar
Visual Effects Supervisor
Dödens Gudson
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The Silence of the Lambs
Apocalypse Now
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Anne of Green Gables
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God Does Not Believe in Us Anymore
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People Will Talk
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And Then There Were None
Chronicles of my Village
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Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams
Paradise Now
The Ritual
Serenity
Anna and the King
A Doctor's Story
Rambo: First Blood Part II
The Devil's Bath
The Himalayas
The Inheritors
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Sunday Drivers
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Report from the Aleutians
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...And Your Love Too
One Minute to Zero
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A Hologram for the King
Guernica
The Price We Pay
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Jag dräpte
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Never So Few
Nightsiren
During One Night
Century
The Flame Within
Boxing Helena
I Demand Payment
In the Fire
Attack of the Gryphon
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The Disease Has Taken the Farmhouse
Ultimate Sacrifices: CPT. Jennifer Moreno
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Wicker
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Walking with Shadows
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Free State of Jones
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Nowhere to Run
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
The Great Raid
Sand Castle
Amina
Behind Enemy Lines
Seraphim Falls
The Kill Team
Bat★21
Jawbone
Johnny Mad Dog
Seal Team Eight: Behind Enemy Lines
Mar 3, 2003
Mar 7, 2003
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2020
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1965
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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