American Sniper

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Adebisi

Clump of Cells
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I didn't go into the movie expecting to dislike it
frown.png


I like Clint and war movies. Sigh.
 

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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And now you have explained that you didn't like it 37 times. It's fine, you don't have to keep defending your dislike of a movie.
 

Adebisi

Clump of Cells
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Pretty much just a mediocre flick. I felt like there was no build up or decline. This is a mediocre war movie. Easily forgettable. I didn't go into the movie expecting to dislike it
 

Adebisi

Clump of Cells
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On a serious note.

I'm afraid of being labelled a SJW for not liking this movie.
 

BrutulTM

Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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I'm not defending it, I'm just asking questions about it. I'm interested in the movie and I live in the sticks so I won't have an opportunity to see it probably until it comes out on DVD.
 

Kuriin

Just a Nurse
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1,020
Going into the movie not knowing what happened -- but I do remember hearing that this guy died on the news a couple years ago (didn't realize it was same person) -- I thought it was an OK movie.
 

Lithose

Buzzfeed Editor
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On a serious note.

I'm afraid of being labelled a SJW for not liking this movie.
I enjoyed it but overall it wasn't as spectacular as many people are saying. I can see why a lot of people thought it was "meh". All the basic movie stuff was great. Camera work, sets, action scenes--all amazing. The character was fairly interesting. But I think you and Chaos are pretty close to the mark that it never really developed itself into a story aboutsomething. I mean, it's obvious that him vs other sniper was supposed to be the classic three arc struggle; and Eastwood tossed in a lot of obtuse symbolism about his having to leave his sniper rifle behind and what not, and how difficult it is to "leave" a war. But the theme of the movie seemed to be about him being uncomfortable at home, then running away to where he was comfortable. If that was translated into a meatier epilogue, it would have been great.

But instead, it wasexplainedto us (Notshownto us). "Killing wolves never bothers me. I was uncomfortable at home because I'm not helping people when I obviously could be....I need a purpose if I stay at home...Oh? Disabled vets? Purpose found"magicall better. <--------That throw away scene, should have been beefed up and it would have helped explain his feelings and actions in the rest of the movie. And it would have made it a better film. If the him "adjusting" to home life had been 30 minutes instead of ten, with a decent look at how helping the other veterans calmed him down and took away his survivors guilt? It would have made all the other scenes where he was all twisted up feel a lot stronger.

Still a decent movie, I thought it was worth the price of admission. But in the end, it felt like the movie didn't know what it wanted to say (Even about the character). It wasn't a pure war movie about an objective, and camaraderie, the futility/triumph of surviving war like BoB, Generation Kill, Black Hawk Down, Platoon ect. But it also wasn't one of the movies that was purely about the toll of war at home, like Flags of our Fathers or (Pick any number of Vietnam war movies). It just kind of languished a little between both those stories and never really developed well. The final 10 minutes almost feels like Eastwood put the doctor in just so Cooper could literally explain to us the theme of the movie.
 

iannis

Musty Nester
31,351
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Yeah, I listened to that one. I felt kind of the same way. People would come up to me in public fawning all over me, thanking me for my "service" or my "sacrifice", and it is awkward, especially since I just did secure comms. I was definitely not The Legend.
Without secure coms there can be no war with Eastasia. We must kill Eastasia. Eastasia is enemy.
 

Needless

Toe Sucker
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Does bradley cooper get at least one 360 no scope? or is he actually a gigantic casual?
 

Lanx

<Prior Amod>
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Like many said, it's a meh movie. Is the life of a sniper supposed to be 99% boring until you pull the trigger for 1%? then that's the movie. I really would have rather have seen this movie flipped, instead of it being a bad autobiographical movie.

i didn't need the formulaic:
i shoot animals
terrorists are bad - warrrr
boot camp
treat ppl as animals

i got enough of that in full metal jacket or hell even gi fucking jane.

Nope, just 20mins of him established on his 100th confirmed kill, then ending with his final number and 60mins of him adjusting to home life/helping out PTSD whatever, would have been a better movie. If you want to give the movie props, you can say sienna miller looked amazing.
 

BoldW

Molten Core Raider
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I didn't see any overt propaganda in this movie - I actually think it tried to shy away from that and just tell the tale. It was a story about a guy's experience in war and how it effected him (sorry no Baylicious buildup and climax). I just don't see the whole propaganda angle like Rogen pointed out (I think he was just trying to be funny - and honestly, I started watching this expecting to see it).
That would be like saying a PoV movie about Hitler was pro-Nazi or a movie about Darwin was pro-evolution.

Eastwood's a good storyteller, and he did pretty good here (Eastwood's bias is discernible, though I attribute some of it to the PoV of Bradley's char). I wouldn't say it's a great movie, but it was good and worth a watch. I certainly wouldn't say it glorified war or was all full of nationalistic messages, if that's anyone's concern. I think anyone who watches this who thinks PTSD is made up by liberal psych major BS might think twice about how war affects a person, though - you don't go through shit like that and came back the same as you left - I felt that was the ultimate "message" of the movie.