Benjamin Beckham

I don’t usually leave movie reviews, but this movie absolutely deserved it. I'll start with a positive: I liked the neutral stance of the protagonist. With no clear villain, the movie offered a non-biased perspective, which I appreciated. Now for the negatives. Spoiler alert! We were expecting a war movie, but it lacked a backstory and quickly went downhill. The relationship between the younger girl and the older guy felt too reminiscent of "The Last of Us." I hoped we weren’t entering a "Daddy Daughter" movie phase. The movie focused more on Kirsten Dunst and her photography than the war. Instead of war scenes, it felt like an “artist” movie. I found myself appreciating the cinematography more than the storyline. There wasn’t enough fighting for a war movie. The actual war scenes were crammed into the last 13 minutes of the two-hour film. The day-to-night transitions between chaos and calm in the city felt unrealistic, and the idea of Texas and California seceding was laughable. The movie missed an opportunity to explore a realistic civil conflict, instead presenting a simplistic narrative of a journalist seeking a quote from the president. The abundance of ammo and lack of gore made it feel fake. The climax, with two people casually entering the White House, was highly implausible. In summary, we expected a war movie but got a film more about a journalist in hostile settings. It was disappointing.

*No spoiler* I’m a harsh film critic and this film is a well deserved 5 stars. Great tribute to the original as well as a good stand alone movie. In some ways I find it superior to the original. Phenomenal casting, lots of action, comedy, couple emotional roller coasters. It has it all. I enjoyed the references to the first movie and it was not overdone. They also did a good job in the storyline, especially without saying where it took place. It had the element of “it didn’t matter, the content overrules the where”. Tom Cruise is looking great at 59, and the other actors/actresses that returned also look good. Excellent casting. Great film!! Must see!