It had it's moments here & there but it was all over the place & kinda hard to follow.

While it's a very ambitious film, & well-acted by everyone involved, Derek Luke's uneven performance was the weak link out of the major players involved. When he was good he was really good. But there's far too many moments where it seems he's just in it for the paycheck that Wesley Snipes wasn't able to capitalize on. It's the other soilders & the little boy that really steal the show here. Matthew Libatique is also starting to make a name for himself as 1 of the better DP's working right now. And Terrance Blanchard's scores never disappoint.

I'm pissed I missed the 1st 5 minutes or so but I think everything comes full circle in the end. The pacing is a bit choppy & I'm sure alot of people will find the fantasy/miracle aspects a little corny. It certainly could've been trimmed down a bit but at the running time wasn't really a major gripe from my standpoint. There's not a ton of action but the sound effects during the battle scenes were just as good as anything from Clint's camp *wink*.

It should be noted that this is much more than just the "black" perspective of the war. The Italians are just as much if not more of the focus here. And while of course the subject of racism is touched upon early & often, we're not beat over the head with it like on the sports board. It's handled very well for the most part with 1 or 2 exceptions that I won't spoil. It'll be obvious when you see the scenes I'm referring to. If the 1st instance actually happened then it certainly should've been included. If it didn't (which I really doubt) then I think it should've been left out.

Overall I liked it but at this point it's hard to say it's deserving of any Oscar noms.