The Alamo

The Alamo_360P

source: The Alamo

I was at the Alamo a year or so ago and I found it a fairly disjointed experience. I did however build a picture in my minds eye of how it must have been and when I finally got to watch the latest interpretation of events I was pleasantly surprised. Moving beyond cinematography, direction, production, lighting and effects all of which were 1st class I must give a big thumbs down to casting... but only on one count.... what were they thinking of by casting Jason Patric as Jim Bowie? I firmly believe he was miss-cast. Whilst Thornton gave an epic and realistic view of Crockett Patric left us in a damp heap, sweating and thirsty. Overall I would say the direction and production was about as good as it gets but sadly this was not reflected in the Academy awards ( We all know this is no benchmark). An enjoyable movie overall and if you are ever down San Antonio way look in as I swear you can feel the spirit of those brave men beside you.

The movie was very realistic and somewhat true to form. Hollywood is a terrible historian, but this time they were pretty close. John Wayne's Alamo always insulted me because the only thing factual in his Alamo movie were the names of the stars and the mission. Other than that, everything was completely false, including the reason for the battle in the first place. This Alamo movie obviously took some liberties but was fairly factual. Disney's Crocket using Fess Parker and John Wayne's Alamo movie started a movement to discount any historical documents that didn't show the American propaganda these films threw out. This Alamo movie showed the reality of the people and the times. If you are a Texan, this is a must see. If you are not a Texan, but want to see why we are so hung up on the Alamo and the Independence it stands for, see this movie.

I spent six weeks in Texas History class learning about the Battle of the Alamo. The causes, the actual battle, and the aftermath. Then we had to write an essay comparing Lon Tinkle's 13 Days to Glory to at least four other books. Then it's near the end of the first semester, so our teacher lets us watch the movie during the class. I was stunned at how great the actors were, and the final day of the siege was absolutely stunning. The language, clothing, and appearance of the characters were on the spot. Don't be fooled by reports that this film is not historically accurate, because it pretty much shows what happened during the days there. Of course, there are some acts of bravado that probably didn't happen, but they fit in nicely. This movie has an amazing ability to show that the defenders had some faults, yet it also portrays the raw courage in the atmosphere.

I cried during Col. Travis' speech to his men about their dire situation. Billy Bob as David Crockett was hilarious. I overheard some San Jacinto re-enactors stating that the fiddle scene (playing with Santa Ana's group) was historically accurate. The last scene still has me puzzled. What is the significance of Crockett playing his fiddle in an empty Alamo? The movie brought out some items that I didn't realize. For instance, that David Bowie was ill and dying. It sparked an interest to go back to the Alamo and to refamiliarize myself with the story. Anyone with any affinity for Texas needs to see this film. Remember the Alamo!

i think this is the best one yet, compared to john wayne and his alamo. this alamo did not drag out useless minutes up to the battle, and i loved the way they included the battle of san jacinto in it. in wayne's alamo he portrayed the defenders as happy go lucky having a ball to be there. this one shows they are scared to death of what is coming once they know no help is coming. the battle scenes were great, not so graphic as patriot,or braveheart. and i loved the way the portrayed the human side of the mexicans, although it would be nice if they might had some deeper characters on their side. all the actors were cast perfect.i recommend this to all whether you have seen any of the others or not.

Remember the Alamo are the famous lines shouted by Sam Houston as he goes up against Santa Anna's army. This movie was very good. The special effects are so real. You feel as if you were at the actual Alamo. One thing in this movie stood out above anything else: Billy Bob Thorton. Billy Bob played an excellent Davey Crockett. I beleive that this performance will gain him an Academy Award nomination. This is one of the best peformances that I have ever seen from Billy Bob. With that being said the rest of the movie is simply average. The plot drags in places. Some of the characters were never fully developed and basically it required the watcher to do research before seeing this movie to trully understand it. If you are not from Texas or if you are not familiar with the history of the Alamo then I suggest you look up some stuff before going. I learned a lot from watching the movie and those guys were just DUMB. I don't know if I have this pride in my country.

This movie has just arrived on the DVD market in Germany, being deemed not interesting enough for the big screen ! I was delighted to see the movie. As a history buff I would watch paint dry in a period costume ! Sadly the viewing public are not interested in seeing a pure history flick, no matter how interesting the subject matter. Therefore movie makers have to make stuff like Pearl Harbour, which is basically a 3 way love story with the beginning of the Second World War as a back drop ! But hey, look at Band of Brothers...a historical mini series that has proved itself very successful ! Finally, The Alamo is a fine movie, historically close to truth without getting overtly sentimental. Now let's see something on the war of 1812 or the Mexican / American War....or is that being over optimistic !?

As an Alamo buff, I went to see this movie on opening day, and I must say that it was very good. The expansive battle scenes, historical accuracy, realism, and decent storyline make this film well worth seeing. It could have been better, but it is still prety good. Very well put together and acted. Even though you don't really get involved in the movie, the characters are as developed as they could be, considering that we already know what happened. Billy Bob Thorton is especially good as Davy Crockett. Some of the people who write bad reviews about this movie really don't know jack about what they're saying. There is nothing wrong with it. Sure, its not the epic it could have been, but it's still great. I'd give it an 8/10