Seems like the ending was rushed and done on the cheap. The way the whole scenario came together seemed forced. Didn't care too much for the constant zoom-in zoom-out, back and forth camera movement and the weird sounding ricochets. Did anybody notice how the Cobra didn't use the gatling gun, but used the rockets on the two bad guys on the beach? The rocket fired, and hit the guy just like a bullet and with hardly an explosion. Bad editing perhaps?
shareThats the editors doing, but yea that scene was useless.
shareIt was one of the worst battle scenes ever, that's for sure.
shareHave to agree- sort of. I worked on that portion of the film. We spent five days in the Alabama Hills and on the edge of Owens Lake, in CA. (BTW, that's about 200 miles from ANY beach- I understand the beach sequences were shot about a week later at Miramar).
I was an enemy soldier. I never had so much fun working on a film; got to work with some very good stunt players, watch Viggo Mortensen do a lot of his own stuff, and hang around Harry Humphries while he did his thing. We shot a lot of set-ups, blew up a ton of black powder canister loads, fired off a few thousand rounds of 5.56, 7.62Com, and .50 BMG blanks, drove the bejesus out of some Russian heaps, and ate like kings.
And then the film comes out- wait, what? WTF and all that. That lame faked-up camera-shake and stuff. Boo. Oh well, we got paid and had fun whether the film was a dog or not.
I can say it was not done in too rushed of a manner (other than the usual hurry-up-and-wait) and it certainly was not done on the cheap. It does come down to the editing.
If the battle wasn't done on the cheap, then the editing sure made it look like it.
What scene are you in? I'll keep an eye out for you next time I run across it on cable.
Obviously I don't haunt the IMdb boards much- just now saw your reply. Two key sequences where we are in the film is the long distance shot where the jeeps full of soldiers are driving down the dirt road and come to a stop. Master Chief dispatches the bad guy about to discover O'Neill and then drills a soldier further downrange at the jeeps. You don't actually get to see that specific bit but I was standing next to the stuntman as he threw himself down on the ground. Then there's the wide shot of the soldiers running up the hillside towards the rock piles.
And the entire sequence in the dry wash (or 'wadi' as the shoot schedule called it)- we're in the trucks and jeeps. I can pick out a few friends but I am having trouble seeing myself in the shots - I was generally to the left of the action, although again I was adjacent to the one soldier who gets hit while manning the machine gun in the truck.
I agree with you that the editing was terrible. It's too bad, really, because a lot of people worked really hard to get those shots. To see their efforts get wasted like that is hard, but then, gotta be philosophical about it.
And is it because you were background to a movie it must be obvious you don't roam IMDb? Or what is that supposed to mean? :)
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It means that it took me a few months to see the post that I was replying to. Some people come on here every day. I drop by once in a while. By the way, your comment was directed at a post almost two and one-half years old. I only was aware of it because now I get an email whenever somebody replies to something I said, which occurs about once in a blue moon.
shareThe entire scenario is implausible as it's highly unlikely that a Seal team would have tried that kind of mission in the DAYTIME.
Completely phony film.
Consider the talent used (and ,NO, I don't mean Demi Moore) I expected a better showing.
Giving this film 3/10 is being generous.
Bad films are a crime against humanity.
"TV show quality battle sequence"
Thank you!
That was my assessment when I first viewed this film years ago. It reminded me of those old A-Team episodes from the 80s. Lots of people yelling, running and shooting, some big explosions and no one really getting hit.
This film felt like the entire script was lifted from one of those bad 80's action/adventure tv series.
Also, is it just me or were the "SEAL" Team actors all pretty much non-descript and forgettable? I mean, other then Viggo as Master Chief who else from that team stands out? Was this done on purpose so as to NOT detract from Demi's newly buffed up physique or what?
I'm still not sure if I should rate this movie really low on its own merits or bump up the score to 4 or 5 because of severe unintentional hilarity, especially in the fight scene.
I have seen many comedies that didn't make me laugh as hard as this flick.
What was up with all those seals, commandos, tough as nails professionals going all "wooo" shooting their guns one-handed and prancing around like it's the first time they've ever used a gun in their life?
Ridley Scott, ladies and gents! They gave the guy Oscars. Oh well...
For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco
Scott has never won an Oscar himself. Unfortunately.
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I saw this movie in 1997 shortly after it was released. At the time the battle sequence seemed pretty good. One year later Saving Private Ryan came out and the way a firefight was filmed would never be the same again.
Watched G.I. Jane today for the first time in almost eighteen years. Yep it's a pretty poorly done firefight. I also noticed the the Cobra never fired it's main gun - just fired rockets. Now watch Gladiator and Blackhawk Down. I would say Mr. Scott and his editors are definitely portraying battles on a much higher level since G.I. Jane.