Top 10 World War II action films of all time

@Private:

@LHoffman:

… Galaxy Quest (#7) is ahead of Apollo 13 (#19) - Does that tell you that Galaxy Quest is actually somehow better than Apollo 13?

Galaxy Quest is the best film ever made. Perhaps if we changed the heading and criteria for this thread I could get it in somehow?

Hahaha… Definitely could fit it in somehow. I think I need to watch GQ again now that I have aged a bit. Maybe I will find it funnier. Isn’t that what your avatar pic is from PP?

Galaxy Quest could be considered a better space movie than Apollo 13… if you were defining comedic space movies. Otherwise, Galaxy Quest is a pure joke of a film.

@LHoffman:

Quite the contrary, you seem to be the one focused on it and it is clearly setting you precariously close to a fit of rage.

“Fit of Rage”?  :roll:

I don’t think Mr Fantastic could reach as far as you are with that statement. At this point, you’ve pretty much gone to the Chewbacca Defense on your rant… and no… I will not look at the monkey.

@LHoffman:

Isn’t that what your avatar pic is from PP?

That’s right Hoff. Perhaps not QUITE the best film ever made, but I did watch it again a few months back and find it very entertaining.

I did try to distract from the heightened tone with my GQ joke. Sorry I failed. There’s no point in falling out Wolf & Hoff. From my PC screen you both seem like good guys.

Hoff is just representing YG’s criteria in YG’s thread, as he understands it - correctly I think. My last serious post was not an attempt to challenge YG’s intentions, just my excuses for not being more help. YG can define HIS thread as he likes.

But I did make one contribution that has got lost in the crossfire:

@Private:

However one comment would be that comparing Letters from Iwo Jima with Battle of the Pacific leads me to think the latter is the better film. Has anyone else seen it?

@Private:

@LHoffman:

Isn’t that what your avatar pic is from PP?

That’s right Hoff. Perhaps not QUITE the best film ever made, but I did watch it again a few months back and find it very entertaining.

I will say this for Galaxy Quest… if you are a fan of the original Star Trek series from the 60s (and we’re only talking the original series… if you’re unfamiliar with it, or only like the newer franchises, this does not apply to you)… then you will love the heck out of Galaxy Quest. 99% of the references in Galaxy quest either are subtlety (or not so subtlety) speaking of things common to the original ST series and/or the lore and the cast rivalries with one another after the series ended. Galaxy Quest is an homage to the original Star Trek series, but if that’s not your cup of tea, then Galaxy Quest will fall flat for you.

@Wolfshanze:

_“Fit of Rage”?_� :roll:

I don’t think Mr Fantastic could reach as far as you are with that statement. At this point, you’ve pretty much gone to the Chewbacca Defense on your rant… and no… I will not look at the monkey.

It was deliberate hyperbole. Though you did seem agitated, perhaps you need another treatment?

@Wolfshanze:

I don’t think Mr Fantastic could reach as far as you are with that statement. At this point, you’ve pretty much gone to the Chewbacca Defense on your rant…

Hey man, if you can’t read and follow along with my spelling it out for you, that is your own problem to deal with.

@Wolfshanze:

and no… I will not look at the monkey.

Not sure what monkey that was but here, let’s look at this one. There are similar features between the two of you:

And now with the personal insults… congratulations on revealing your true self.  How petty.

@Wolfshanze:

And now with the personal insults… congratulations on revealing your true self.  How petty.

It was less of an insult and more of a commentary; you have to read into it a bit. You continue to avoid actually talking about the issue/evidence at hand and only respond with emotionally charged commentary.

Besides, you were the one who brought up monkeys. Even though this is an orangutan.

And my true self is very apparent on these boards. You can look at my post history and others here will vouch for me as being a fair and honest member who is not prone to throw out personal insults. It just isn’t worth my time. That said, I do welcome you to the boards because very evidently new blood revitalizes stagnant discussions.

@Virginia:

I will get a little personal here.  My father was a ball (belly) turret gunner on a B-17.  His plane was shot down over Yugoslavia, and he was rescued/saved by Yugoslav partisans. Received the Bronze Star.  He HATED ‘Memphis Belle’.  He said about the ‘colorful metaphors’ so often used, "We never talked liked that!  We never used language that harsh"  His words not mine. So I’m a little biased and would never include that movie in a top 10.  Just my opinion.  the movie has merits, as many of you testify.  I’m just biased.

Out of curiosity, did your dad ever see the colour documentary Memphis Belle (made around 1944, and which I’ve seen), which is probably very different from more recent feature film of the same name (which I haven’t seen)?  He might have liked it.  That one doesn’t include any foul language.  In fact, one of the things I found the most striking about dialogue in the film was the (admittedly staged for the soundtrack) intercom communication between the members of the bomber crew as they battle enemy fighters over Germany.  The crew members show excellent signals discipline: they keep their voices level (no shouting) and with one exception they strictly limit their statements to businesslike tactical information: things like, “Fighters, ten o’clock high” or “B-17 going down, two o’clock low.”  The single exception is the one that proves the rule: one crewmember makes an irrelevant comment or an emotional remark about something (I forget the details), and the pilot’s voice is immediately heard on the intercom circuit telling him to cut out the chatter.

I like Letters from Iwo Jima. Action is present and Japaneese perspective is interesting.

@CWO:

@Virginia:

I will get a little personal here.�  My father was a ball (belly) turret gunner on a B-17.�  His plane was shot down over Yugoslavia, and he was rescued/saved by Yugoslav partisans. Received the Bronze Star.�  He HATED ‘Memphis Belle’.�  He said about the ‘colorful metaphors’ so often used, "We never talked liked that!�  We never used language that harsh"�  His words not mine. So I’m a little biased and would never include that movie in a top 10.�  Just my opinion.�  the movie has merits, as many of you testify.�  I’m just biased.

Out of curiosity, did your dad ever see the colour documentary Memphis Belle (made around 1944, and which I’ve seen), which is probably very different from more recent feature film of the same name (which I haven’t seen)?  He might have liked it.  That one doesn’t include any foul language.  In fact, one of the things I found the most striking about dialogue in the film was the (admittedly staged for the soundtrack) intercom communication between the members of the bomber crew as they battle enemy fighters over Germany.  The crew members show excellent signals discipline: they keep their voices level (no shouting) and with one exception they strictly limit their statements to businesslike tactical information: things like, “Fighters, ten o’clock high” or “B-17 going down, two o’clock low.”  The single exception is the one that proves the rule: one crewmember makes an irrelevant comment or an emotional remark about something (I forget the details), and the pilot’s voice is immediately heard on the intercom circuit telling him to cut out the chatter.

I have no idea if he ever saw that.

Sink the Bismarck?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFWwPYB74ac

The famous line from that is the captain telling his men to “keep going” even if the freaking thing is sinking into the water.

@Imperious:

The famous line from that is the captain telling his men to “keep going” even if the freaking thing is sinking into the water.

The captain or the “fleet” commander?

Fleet commander is my favorite! He’s very cheerful.

The fleet commander, Admiral Lutjens, spends much of the movie smugly saying “That is good, that is very good,” while the ship’s C/O, Captain Lindemann, spends much of the movie protesting feebly “But, Sir…” every time Jutjens decides to do something stupid or dangerous or arrogant.  Lutjens only changes his tune at the end of the film when the ship is being blown to hell all around him and when Lindemann angrily asks him, “So where is your Luftwaffe cover now?” to which Lutjens replies in baffled surprise, “But the Fuhrer promised me!”

not sure i saw that a long time ago. Perhaps this fleet commander

Actually, the character in the film who says “Keep going” during the final battle is the British Commander-in-Chief (technically Admiral Tovey, though he’s not named).  It’s how he replies to an officer who says that the British ships need to stop shooting at Bismark because their fuel situation is critical.  Tovey, in real life, was so frustrated that Bismark was still afloat despite the pounding she was taking that he exclaimed in frustration, “Somebody get me my darts!”

@CWO:

The fleet commander, Admiral Lutjens, spends much of the movie smugly saying “That is good, that is very good,” while the ship’s C/O, Captain Lindemann, spends much of the movie protesting feebly “But, Sir…” every time Jutjens decides to do something stupid or dangerous or arrogant.  Lutjens only changes his tune at the end of the film when the ship is being blown to hell all around him and when Lindemann angrily asks him, “So where is your Luftwaffe cover now?” to which Lutjens replies in baffled surprise, “But the Fuhrer promised me!”

Right on!  :-D