The movie's main contribution is its fresh look at the Vietnam War, being refought in the Kerry-Bush presidential campaign at the time of the film's release.
75
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
The most compelling reason to see this movie is the profile we get of the horrors of war.
63
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Clearly meant as an endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee's character.
50
Village Voice
Village Voice
The less-is-more approach to Kerry's war heroics (the incident that led to his Silver Star is covered only briefly) allows the crewmen to dominate.
Effective filmmaking, and at the moment, when a significant portion of this campaign is being fought in movie theaters, it's also effective politicking.
Little more than an infomercial for the candidate.
50
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
This week's campaign commercial, er, political documentary, is a portrait of Democratic candidate Sen. John Kerry's service in Vietnam.
40
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Pretty slight, but for a campaign commercial -- which is what it feels like -- it's pretty long.
30
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
Has little to recommend it. A sterling example of how an unimaginative combination of interviews and archival footage can drain the life from even the most compelling topic, it feels padded at a mere 68 minutes.