ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

Steineded How sad is this?

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

johnalmquist CONTAINS SPOILERS....After watching this movie on HBO Go, I absolutely had to look it up and research the topic. I'm a history buff, and couldn't believe the story to actually be true. I'm going to make this as logical as possible, but first, I had to give points to the acting in the movie. Aside from the historical inaccuracies, I had to tip a hat to Don Johnson for his work in making this film. This quite possibly was his best acting - EVER - and it was in a made for TV movie?? It was THAT good. Way to go man. I give you props 21 years after the fact.1. THIS IS NOT BASED ON A TRUE STORY! After reading numerous articles and reviews - one written after the release of the film - the BS meter is off the scale. For as young as the internet was back in 1995, people were really upset about this film, the story, the supposed slaughter of the horses, and inaccurate military portrayals of MacArthur and the common Cavalryman, enough to light up their Netscape 24/7 talking about how terrible the U.S. was back in the day to do this to innocent little bunnies - I mean horses. The fact is, this is a TALL TALE - like Paul Bunyan - passed down and told by drunken cowboys with a dash of history (the Bonus Riots in DC and the turning in of the cavalry sabers) baked in to make it just a little bit more believable. I agree with some of the other reviews that HBO has done a much better job in recent past with their historical research. Today, the claim that it is based on a true story would be supplanted with, "This is a story that some guys told me in a bar in Santa Fe. Here is the best article I could find: "In Defense of Honor: General Douglas MacArthur and the Horse Cavalry of 1934", by Bob Seals 2. MacArthur was NOT a horse killer! Just to reiterate, both military and historical records back up the fact that this NEVER HAPPENED, and General MacArthur did not order the slaughter of these horses. Yes, the esteemed General did get a bit loopy later in life, after the Korean War, and was dismissed by Ike, but this was in the 30's! He is in his military leadership prime, and was given a short stick and a black eye. In fact, at the time of this movie, 1934, the U.S. was in the middle of the Great Depression, and there was a shortage of working horses and mules. I've seen figures that state all 500 horses could have sold for as much as a several million dollars in today's money. Didn't happen.3. The names of the main characters in this film are made up - with the obvious exceptions. 4. There is no "Milk River" dividing the U.S. from Canada. Anywhere. Look on a map. The border in Montana is the 49th parallel. For 1000 miles. 5. They didn't have to go to Canada, or a Native American Reservation in Montana - they went right THROUGH 3 or 4 of them on the map in the film!! If you look at the map in the film, starting from the Sonoran desert, they head north, right through the Apache and Navajo nations, then have the opportunity to dump the horses in one of several, including going right past the Uintah and Ouray reservation in Utah and through the middle of the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Finally, in Montana, there are the Crow, Blackfeet, and other reservations with vast swaths of territory that make these guys look like they couldn't find their "you know what" in the dark. I give this movie 6 stars for good acting and story line, but understandably, the historical aspects and claim that it is based on a true story detract from the appreciation of the better parts of the movie.

levimcnew As a soldier, there was a lot that I noticed about how much care they had in researching the Army and how people dressed and acted. For instance, ranks. A 1st Sergeant introducing himself as Master Sergeant (which, despite being the same pay grade, is a lower rank in the command structure) makes me cringe. A Command Sergeant Major being called "Regimental Sergeant" is also quite bad. Come on, this isn't Great Britain! If you are going to be making a movie depicting the US Army, then the least you can do is a little bit of research. Mixing and blending titles and positions with other armies from around the world doesn't work whatsoever. Uniforms were also pretty bad. Every single man in the film had a uniform, that I can tell was made in a costume shop, just thrown on without any knowledge of how to wear it. There was even people with a full beard. Following the first World War, Every Soldier, Marine, and Airman (excluding only the Navy because they had their own rules) had to maintain a clean shaven face. The only facial hair allowed was a mustache. They introduced this because a clean shaven face would have a proper seal on a gas mask. Ceremony and simple discipline. Since when does the colors get hoisted on to the flag pole during the middle of the day? And why were they not playing Reveille? Why were they hoisting it while it was still folded!?!? Why were they turning in their sabers in some sort of rag-tag ceremony and not have time for a proper change of command? The man was retiring as well. There would always be a ceremony for that, at the very least. The US Army is a creature of tradition, and there is tons of books, articles, and other things to do some proper research! And now to discipline... ugh... it is one thing to disagree with your commanding officer, it is a complete disgrace when you yell it at the man's face for every man to hear! If it's an unlawful order, then it is your duty to respectfully disobey. Beyond disobeying the aforementioned order, you hold your tongue unless questioned. This movie is pretty hard to watch. Having been a Soldier, it is excruciatingly hard to overlook the little things. In order to really sell the story, it needs to be authentic. That includes doing some actual research. It's not hard. Even in the 1990s it was easy. Seriously, a trip to Fort Hood, TX would have helped this a lot. There they have a museum dedicated to the history of the 1st Cavalry Division and even a ceremonial mounted Cavalry Troop dressed in period uniforms. The sources for proper information is endless.

bchole This is a great movie! As an old Cavalry Officer myself (albeit Air Cavalry) this is a great story, presented in an excellent manner. Doing the right thing in the face of official and professional ostracism illustrates personal courage as strong as the courage required to face the enemy on the battlefield. Doing the right thing is not always the easy thing to do, particularly when you stand by yourself in an organization that expects and demands conformity and acceptance to change. The change forced upon these few horse cavalry soldiers, by an organization determined to leave the old way and adopt the requirements for mechanized cavalry, during the early days of World War II, is a story that all should remember. The courage of these soldiers, to do the right thing, and disobey official orders, provides a lesson not only in honor but personal courage that very few would be able to see through to the end. This is an excellent movie and in my opinion, the finest performance by Don Johnson I have seen.

Chloe1251 I love horses, but would still enjoy this movie even if I didn't! The story of the resurrection and redemption of a disillusioned, bitter man, and the effort made to save these beautiful animals is deeply moving, without being sappy in the least.I'm not a Don Johnson fan, but feel he gave a tremendous performance in this film, possibly the best of his career.Although this is quite a simple story but it's not an easy movie to watch, particularly for someone like me who abhors depictions of any brutality towards animals. I admit I sobbed through most of it, but it's well worth the Kleenex! This is an underrated film that really deserves viewing.