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The most daring rescue mission of our time is a story that has never been told
As World War II rages, the elite Sixth Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war.
Wuchak
Sep 20, 2023 · via TMDB
**_The most successful rescue mission in American history_** On January 30, 1945, the United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved more than 500 POWs in the Japanese camp in the Philippines from certain death as the Japanese were ordered to "liquidate" all prisoners before evacuating in the face of MacArthur's advance. Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Max Martini, Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen and Marton Csokas star. "The Great Raid" was based on the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" and "Ghost Soldiers." I've read the latter and it's interesting seeing the film for live-action visuals of what I saw in my head. The rescue, along with the liberation of Camp O'Donnell the same day, allowed the POWs to share the truth about the Bataan and Corregidor atrocities. While the raid had no strategic value, as far as winning the war goes, it sparked a new wave of resolve in the war against Japan. Not to mention, it remains the most successful rescue mission in USA history. Although the movie was shot in 2002, it was pulled from release schedule on several occasions before finally having a limited released in August, 2005, with little-to-no marketing. Was it any wonder it failed to garner an audience and box office success? Be that as it may, this is a solid WW2 flick based on a true story. The prisoners of the camp are the survivors of the infamous 60-mile Bataan Death March of April, 1942. The movie's not politically correct in that it shows the truth of the brutal savagery of the Japanese military. The actual raid doesn't take place until the 95-minute mark, but it's worth the wait; the build-up is informational and keeps your attention. While I wouldn't call it great, it's a well-done and informative war flick for those interested in the subject. It's even better if you've read either of the books on which it's based. The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes, and was shot in Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia, with the Manila sequences shot in Shanghai, China. GRADE: B
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Benjamin Bratt
Lt. Colonel Mucci
James Franco
Captain Prince
Connie Nielsen
Margaret Utinsky
Logan Marshall-Green
Lt. Paul Colvin
Joseph Fiennes
Major Gibson
Marton Csokas
Captain Redding
Robert Mammone
Captain Fisher
Max Martini
1st Sgt. Sid "Top" Wojo
Mark Consuelos
Cpl. Guttierez
Cesar Montano
Guerilla Leader Juan Pajota
James Carpinello
Cpl. Aliteri
Clayne Crawford
PFC Aldridge
Gotaro Tsunashima
Yamada
Craig McLachlan
2nd Lt. Riley
Sam Worthington
PFC Lucas
Kenny Doughty
Pitt
Natalie Mendoza
Mina
Paolo Montalbán
Sgt. Valera
Masa Yamaguchi
Lt. Hikobe
Paul Nakauchi
Sgt. Shigeno
Freddie Joe Farnsworth
2nd Lt. Foley
Laird Macintosh
2nd Lt. O'Grady
Jeremy Callaghan
Lt. Able
Diarmid Heidenreich
PFC Daly
Luke Pegler
PFC Miller
Dale Dye
General Kreuger
Jerome Ehlers
Col. H. White
Brett Tucker
Major Lapham
Kristian Schmid
Cpl. Lee
Warwick Young
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Steve Harman
PFC Chestnut
Tim Campbell
Cpl. Friedberg
Matt Doran
Ron Carlson Radio Op.
Nicholas Bell
Duke
Iain Gardiner
McMahon
Christopher James Baker
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Christopher Morris
Sgt. Williams
Eugenia Yuan
Cora (Manila Nurse)
Alvin Anson
Rudi
Simon Maiden
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Rez Cortez
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Bembol Roco
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Yutaka Izumihara
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Valerie Berry
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Adolf Hitler
Self (archive footage)
Douglas MacArthur
Self (archive footage)
Peter McCaffrey
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Peter Menzies Jr.
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Peter McCaffrey
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Chris Anderson
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John Dahl
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Pietro Scalia
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Bonnie Timmermann
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Koko Maeda
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Tom McSweeney
Casting
Bob Weinstein
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Harvey Weinstein
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Michelle Raimo Kouyate
Executive Producer
Lawrence Bender
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Johnny Caruso
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Trevor Rabin
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Aug 12, 2005
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1965
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Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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