American Sniper (2014), a Review

 

I’m very selective as to the movies I watch and especially those that I pay to see in a movie theater. I saw American Sniper last evening upon the ‘recommendation’ of movie critic and obese movie maker Michael Moore. If that radical leftist didn’t like the movie, then it surely must be a good one. It was.

The Saturday prime time movie crowd filled the theater to 90%-plus capacity, as it has all over the nation. The movie is quite riveting and realistic, maybe too much so  in parts. Violence and sailor language permeates the movie. However, that is an accurate reflection of military life. The movie is definitely meant for adults.

The movie gives the viewer a peek at the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It follows the life of a famed Navy Seal sniper, Chris Kyle. The movie alternates between shots of him a home in the United States and him at work in Iraq. A couple particular moving events in the movie are when he is faced with having to shoot a young boy and his mother who are on a suicidal mission to destroy U.S. Marines with a grenade.   He reluctantly had to decide whether to shoot them or not. In another similar incident he held his fire until a young boy dropped a rocket propelled grenade laucher (RPG) that he picked up after Kyle killed the Islamist terrorist who was about to shoot at a Marine convoy.

Another series of scenes that stuck out to me was the battle within a battle between the ace Islamic terrorist sniper and the American sniper, Kyle. Over the course of much of the movie the battle plays out with the Islamist sniper getting the best of Kyle for the most part.

In his four tours of duty Kyle had some serious ups and downs at home relating with his wife and children. A lot of trouble came from his inability to leave Iraq mentally and emotionally. He was driven by some degree of revenge for what the Islamic terrorists did to some of his fellow combatants.

Kyle’s life was forever impacted at the end of the movie by a troubled veteran, who Kyle was trying to help.

Clint Eastwood directed and produced the movie. He is one of my favorite actors and he does a great job with this movie. The acting of Bradley Cooper as Kyle was also commendable. The movie is a five-star movie. I would recommend it for every adult citizen.

It is more educational than it is pure entertainment. It is educational as far as portraying with historical accuracy and graphic representation what America and the entire Western world facea in dealing with the corrupt nature of Islam and its most ardent and observant followers.  It delves into the life of a patriot American, who is willing to sacrifice his life and all that is important to him to preserve the freedom for which America is known and admired.

Four more years? For what?

We don't need four more years of increased food stamp and welfare recipients.

We need jobs.

Barry Soetoro aka Barack Obama has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he has no clue how to stimulate the economy. He has the reverse Midas touch ... He's so far out of touch, constantly caving to union, homosexual, abortion fanatics, and pro-Muslim demands ... He ignores the cry and needs of the rest of American ...

As Clint Eastwood so eloquently stated in his speech at the GOP convention, we need to "Let him go (pink slip him on November 6th)."

Million Dollar Baby (2006)

This Million Dollar Baby movie is not about the profits made by killing of millions of babies by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America or even about a baby inheriting a million dollars. No, it’s about justifying the murder of the disabled and chronically ill.

Most of this 132 minute film is about the raw determination and courage of a woman trying to accomplish her dream to be a champion boxer. Her whole life was focused on this one pursuit. Two of my favorite actors, Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman did a great job of acting as usual. Eastwood played a crusty old boxing trainer, who begrudgingly works with a 30 something female boxer. He trains her into a first class fighter. She works her way to the big fight. In that fight she suffers a severe injury, which causes her to be completely paralyzed including kept alive by means of a respirator.

I was impressed with most of the movie, maybe the first 110 minutes or so, but was extremely disappointed with the ending, the attempted suicide and the eventual murder of a paralyzed athlete, who was the victim of dirty opponent.

The movie seemed to lead to the justification of murder and suicide. It is never the right thing to do, to play God. Really, I could accept the idea of either not turning on the artificial breathing machine or turning it off at some point, but to actively attempt suicide and then to ask a friend to put you to death is another story.

RATING

The acting and the plot I would rate as **** out of *****. But give the movie no stars for the lack of morality portrayed by how the movie ended, its final solution. Overall, then the movie would get a ** out of ***** rating. I would not recommend watching, buying or renting this movie.

COMPARISON WITH GRAN TORINO

I watched another of Clint Eastwood’s flicks again, that being Gran Torino (2008), which I reviewed earlier. That movie depicted a dying man, in order to bust a gang menacing his neighborhood and assaulting his neighbors, sacrificing his life for his friends. That is a more moral and a much more worthy way to die.

CONCLUSION

The movie, Million Dollar Baby, does force you to examine the ethical end of life issues and gives you one side, and I believe the wrong side, of the issue.

Gran Torino (2008)

'DIRTY HARRY' IN RETIREMENT

Gran Torino is a very politically incorrect movie. It has many other redeeming features. The acting of Clint Eastwood is one. His acting is superb. Actually, that is the primary reason why I rented the movie the first week it was out (last week). The video store clerk told me he could hardly keep the film on the self since it was released last Tuesday. After watching it I could see why.

Eastwood plays a hardened, tough, gruff, but gravely ill senior citizen, Walt Kowalski, who just lost his wife, Dorothy. She was the love of his life. The impression I got was she was his whole life. He retired from the Ford plant where he put the last steering wheel into the last Gran Torino that came off the assembly line. He proudy owns that vehicle. The green Gran Torino co-stars with Eastwood.

We see this grouchy, Korean War veteran who say a lot of action and partook in a lot of killing during the war try to adjust to life without Dorothy. He lives by himself in a changing neighborhood, apparently filmed in Detroit, where his neighbors happen to be Hmongs (refugees from the Mountains of Vietnam). He tries to have nothing to do with these ‘chinks.’ The local parish priest had promised to ‘take care of Walt.’ But Walt tries his best to blow off the padre. His Hmong neighbors try to befriend him, he rejects their attempts. His sons and their families try to console them, but there never was any deep relationships and he throws them out of the house when they visit on his birthday bearing gifts of a large numbered telephone and a reacher, meant to help him reach things on the top shelf. The man is fit and fit to be tied.

The rest of the movie involves dealing with some of the not so friendly neighbors haunting the neighborhood, gang bangers of assorted ethnicity and color.

One caution is the violence that ensues when Walt butts head with some of the creeps in the neighborhood on the edge of becoming a ghetto. The macho Clint Eastwood shines even at his ripe old age. Another caution is the crude and course language found in gangster rap music lyrics. That is why the movie has an R rating.

The movie is for mature adults and late teens. It is not for the politically correct crowd or the sensitive. easily offended, or do-gooders of life.

In the end this very outwardly antisocial, very mean, unfriendly guy reveals his true inner character.

RATING

Even though it is a very violent and at times extremely vile language is displayed, the message of the movie is inspiring. Eventually Walt does make friends and makes an indelible mark on his neighborhood. I would give the movie **** out of ***** and only because of the excessive violence and filthy language, though to a certain extent both are necessary to get the point across.

It is definitely not a movie for younger children or immature teens or adults.