Hellen
I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
rusty-61689
The training camp at the start looks like Australia all the trees are Australian trees. Gums and eucalyptus.
sol-
Tension simmers between a tough-as-nails sergeant and the soldiers who he eventually leads into battle at Iwo Jima in this iconic World War II drama. John Wayne is very good as the moody sergeant with a beating human heart behind his tough exterior and John Agar is excellent as the private who clashes personalities with him the most. The son of a legendary military leader, Agar has to wrestle with the fact that he feels obliged to fight regardless of personal preference. He also has a touching scene in which he waxes poetic about marriage and fatherhood as ways to prove that one's life meant something. None of the other characters or performances are on the same level as Wayne and Agar (though Forrest Tucker has the occasional strong moment) and considering how blatantly flag-waving a film it is, it is understandable that 'Sands of Iwo Jima' might not appeal to some viewers. The two main characters have more dimension than the typical patriotic soldiers out there though, and the film is technically well produced. There are some great montages and gradual dissolves and the film seamlessly incorporates actual battle footage into the filmed action. With lots of zooms and tracking shots, the film is hardly static either. Some of the special effects (backdrops as Wayne drives along) show their age, but this stacks up rather well all things considered.
grantss
Classic John Wayne war movie.Set in World War 2, a veteran US Marine Sergeant, Sgt John Stryker (played by John Wayne), is given the task of training and leading a squad of largely raw recruits. We see his tough leadership, for their own good, the invasion of Tarawa, more training and, ultimately, the invasion of Iwo Jima.Tough, gritty war movie. Quite realistic and convincing in its portrayal of war, and what goes on to make soldiers ready to fight.Good performances all round. One of John Wayne most famous roles, and a character he was born to play. He doesn't disappoint.Not perfect - there are some sub-plots or scenes that seem quite pointless and/or clumsy, but these are few and far between.Great movie.
wes-connors
During World War II, bombastic Marine Sergeant John Wayne (as John M. Stryker) trains a diverse (for the time) group of younger men for the tough "Sands of Iwo Jima" battle. Deserted by his own family, Mr. Wayne develops fatherly affections for his recruits, while lambasting them. Wayne gets close to arrogant John Agar (as Peter "Pete" Conway), while bickering with him. You've got to wonder why Wayne trained anyone, when he could have easily won the battle of Iwo Jima by himself. Come to think of it, why didn't we just send Wayne to knock off Hitler, and be done with it? Since this film is so ludicrous, I decide to ask my aunt about the actors. Wayne was "a very handsome man," "opinionated" and "in charge" most of the time. Eventfully, he became the character "John Wayne". Agar grew a little too fond of alcohol as time went on, although "he was a very nice man." They would meet for drinks in beautiful downtown Burbank. If Agar had a few too many, and became "nasty," my aunt would sing a few choruses of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" to quiet him down. Okay, she said, "to shut him up!" Now that I see he was divorcing "Mrs. Agar", I know why that technique worked.Back to the film… It was nominated for several "Academy Awards" and is nicely produced. Several of the actual Marines serving at Iwo Jima appear. Director Allan Dwan, whose career date back to many successful "silent movie" features, brings a lot of experience to the film; he works well with Wayne and gets a more comfortable budget than usual, from the studio ("Republic"). Wayne solidified his superstar status with "Sands of Iwo Jima" and his iconic characterization received a "Best Actor" notice; but, see his "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (also 1949) for a better overall performance.****** Sands of Iwo Jima (12/14/49) Allan Dwan ~ John Wayne, John Agar, Forrest Tucker, James Brown
