I thought it was fairly conventional, as well as predictable. I even figured out early on that there must have been a presidential family member hiding amongst the refugees. As well as the sole African American member of the Seal Team having his “bonding” moment with “his people.”
Still, it was a well-made movie, technically. Not without its plot holes, though. And Monica Belluci has got to be amongst the most beautiful women in the world today, even if she can’t act. Rrrrrrr. And I certainly am getting sick of the recycled African stereotypes. Either they’re butchers on a scale that would make Hitler queasy, or they’re absolutely helpless sheep just waiting to get raped and mutilated.
The movie also has the luck of being a “timely and relevent” movie, or at least that’s what people will say. I can see how all sides on the Iraq debate could take something out of this, though it would probably fall on the pro-intervention side, with The Bruce being something of a conservative. Plus, just for good measure, they throw in that Burke quote at the end. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
I have not seen it, but Bruce is one of the few if not only actors left who can pull off being a bad ass and with little or no effort. His squinty eyed scowl wins me over every time. So even if its just average I will most likely love it.
And I certainly am getting sick of the recycled African stereotypes. Either they’re butchers on a scale that would make Hitler queasy, or they’re absolutely helpless sheep just waiting to get raped and mutilated.
Jeez, me too. And even the press is in on the insidious stereotype perpetuation! Everwhere I look its news agencies around the world, their voices saturated with smug cultural superiority, “Blah blah, two million Congoese dead within two years! Zany savages!” and “Rwanda kills four million native Tutsis within ten weeks. Its like a minstrel Monty Python doing a Hitler skit!”
And although both those examples stress the “murderous butchers” sterotype, they also strive to new heights of pan-offensiveness in the way they also implicate that the victims are “helpless sheep just waiting to get raped and mutilated”. Do you think it would be less offensive if the media stressed that the helpless sheep deserve it?
And don’t even get me started on the ultimate stereotype of helpless sheep - mass baby rape. The main plot point of Hollywood’s next African-derogatory Bruce Willis film?
I do agree that there is a stereotype being perpetuated in Hollywood in regards to Africa, but that stereotype is one that inevitably makes Africa seem largely better than it really is, not worse. Which is a shame, because if any area in the world requires a greater awareness in the American public’s mind, which would hopefully lead to a lot more humanitarian aid being sent over there, it is Africa.
PS: Africa Pundit is a good repository of all the daily news out of Africa.
The answer to the horrifying scourge, many experts including government officials say, can be found in the myth propagated by some sangomas or traditional healers that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Ironically, the country has launched a blistering campaign to counter ignorance about AIDS but rape activists said the myth seemed to be gaining ground. South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and sufferers are easy prey to so-called cures touted by sangomas.
I tole’ da witchdoctor, and dis is what he said… ooh aah, ooo-aa-aa, oo-ee wallawalla bing bang.
I saw this on Fark. Watch the interview of Bruce Willis by Martin what’s-his-name from TechTV. Martin doesn’t follow the usual line of questioning, and Bruce starts to get a little cheesed.
I thought it was pretty good up to the first helicopter ride, after that it became pretty average. Bruce Willis seemed to have some trouble with playing the hardass who discovers he has a heart … the line “what does it take to earn(?) your trust?” had me rolling my eyes.
Switching to pistols for the village fight was cool.
For some reason, I dislike seeing American soldiers get shot up right now.
Ahh yes… Magnificent point there Kayo. I now agree. Let’s not go to war. Instead of some guy getting hurt or shot in a war, let’s just let people get hurt, shot, tortured, murdered, raped, etc and just sit in our comfy little chairs and sip our hot tea.
hurting Iraqi civilians = check
shooting Iraqi civilians = check
torturing Afghanis under interrogation = check
murdering Afghanis under interrogation = check
raping people = not that i know of. good one, USA!
etc. = oh, yeah!
all in the name of stopping hurt, shooting, torture, murder, and rape, I guess you’re right, I’d rather we sat in our comfy chairs and sipped our tea.
