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      Casualties of War

      R Released Aug 18, 1989 1 hr. 53 min. War Drama List
      84% 49 Reviews Tomatometer 75% 10,000+ Ratings Audience Score Pvt. Max Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) is stationed in Vietnam under Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn). Though Meserve saves Eriksson's life during battle, the two men clash when the callous senior officer orders the abduction of Than Thi Oanh (Thuy Thu Le), a young Vietnamese woman, to be used as a sex slave. When Eriksson refuses to take part in the abuse of Oanh, tensions between him, Meserve and the rest of the unit heat up and finally explode during a firefight with Viet Cong troops. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Jul 18 Buy Now

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      Casualties of War

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      Critics Consensus

      Casualties of War takes a harrowing plunge into the Vietnam War with a well-acted ensemble piece that ranks among director Brian De Palma's more mature efforts.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Michael S This film has some deleted scenes that honestly should've been here but man, this film is so underrated. A very powerful & intense drama that really sticks with you. It's such a shame that no one talks about it. Fantastic cast and a great musical score by Ennio Morricone. Definitely one of those movies you only watch once. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/01/24 Full Review Alec C In the midst of conflict, everyone is capable of committing the most depraved actions! During the Vietnam War, a young cadet is assigned to a group of soldiers who kidnap an innocent Vietnamese girl for sick pleasure, so he attempts to court-martial the rapists without getting killed himself. Based on a true event that happened during one of America's bloodiest battles, we are forced to confront the fact of what we would during those circumstances! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Michael W This war movie was great. Michael J. Fox, Sean Penn, Don Harvey, John C. Reilly, John Leguizamo, Ving Rhames, and the rest of the cast did a great job in this movie. The plot of the movie was dramatic, dark, and shocking. It's about witnessing a war crime and doing anything you can to make sure the men responsible suffer the consequences. If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out sometime. It may be scary to watch at times, but it still turns out good in the end. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/10/23 Full Review Nol P Don't get me totally wrong as there is a tiny bit of good in this film Casualties of War that I finally watched again just now and for just my 2nd and very last time ever. Mike J Fox was excellent! Story was ok. Direction was just ok. Sean Penn was weak and non convincing. And add to that on John C Reilly's performance and who is the absolute worst actor on the planet! I mean Pauly Shore and Cocaine Bear could have been more convincing! My rating cannot be better than 4.5 out of 10! I had better hopes too for this going in and it was all Michael J Fox or this would have easily landed a 2 out of 10 score! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/14/23 Full Review Shioka O Surprisingly J.Fox worked here. A rare watchable war film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/17/22 Full Review Lequisha S [4/5/21]: This was good man, heartwrenching. Some parts were clunky or on the nose (the newbie getting blown up) though. Cam from POV multiple times, with kidnapping and Meserve coming up to Eriksson after). The best scene was the black dude explaining to MJ Fox that the system is too strong. That's the way things are. Best shot was the rain coming down after the assault talks place. De Palma really went in with telling a brutal story about war. Here, I think all the violence depicted is warranted. We need to be repulsed with that imagery in order for his point to be made with the greatest effect. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/06/22 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Pauline Kael New Yorker Some movies... can leave us feeling simultaneously elated and wiped out. Overwhelmed, we may experience a helpless anger if we hear people mock them or poke holes in them in order to dismiss them. The new Casualties of War has this kind of purity. Sep 11, 2023 Full Review Terrence Rafferty Sight & Sound Casualties of War is the strongest, the simplest and the most painful of all the Vietnam movies because it isn't about how terrible it is not to understand what's going on around us -- it's about the agony of seeing terrible things too clearly. Jan 11, 2020 Full Review Ian Nathan Empire Magazine Michael J. Fox is a revelation as the mouse that roared, whilst the score, the direction, and the rest of the cast turn a risky film into a solid addition to the Nam canon. Rated: 4/5 Mar 16, 2015 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) This is a great movie. May 9, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A grim and sobering work. Rated: 3/4 May 30, 2021 Full Review Peter Bowen OutWeek Does Vietnam have a geographical place, a national history, a culture, or a political future? Not really, for as we are reassured at the end of Brian De Palma's military slasher film, Casualties of War, Vietnam was after all only a "bad dream." May 19, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Pvt. Max Eriksson (Michael J. Fox) is stationed in Vietnam under Sgt. Tony Meserve (Sean Penn). Though Meserve saves Eriksson's life during battle, the two men clash when the callous senior officer orders the abduction of Than Thi Oanh (Thuy Thu Le), a young Vietnamese woman, to be used as a sex slave. When Eriksson refuses to take part in the abuse of Oanh, tensions between him, Meserve and the rest of the unit heat up and finally explode during a firefight with Viet Cong troops.
      Director
      Brian De Palma
      Screenwriter
      David Rabe
      Distributor
      Columbia Pictures
      Production Co
      Columbia Pictures Corporation
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      War, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Aug 18, 1989, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Apr 16, 2012
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $17.0M
      Sound Mix
      Surround
      Aspect Ratio
      Scope (2.35:1)
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