American Sniper?
 

Anyone see it? Trailers look awesome, I'm reading the book, which is pretty good...

Going to this week. Debating on taking the kid (mature 14) but probably not.

the book was awesome. They say the movie is even better.

I am.looking forward to it, and i have not said that about a movie in a long time. I just re watched band of brothers as well.
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Previews look pretty good. I like bradley cooper. Looks to be more about whole issue with battle and home front drama more so than a "war movie"
Read book when it came out it was a little over the top but enthralling. He was a bad ass as are most true warriors
Bum deal how he got it in the end. He was a lot about helpin vets
Maybe i ll go to the movies this year to see it but regardless i will eventually see it
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I liked the book a lot and will see the movie for sure (and I'm not a big movie guy)
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The theater was packed, and absolutely quiet the entire time.

I cannot underscore how good and tragic this movie is, and that it is very close to true and not Hollywood fiction. If you know most of the story, it is still worth seeing. Some people find it corny but if you know people that served or perhaps served yourself, it is much what you hope and expect to see.

I thought it was very good! One of those movies where the credits roll and you can hear a pin drop. Its funny how the actors that play the bad guys from Syria and Iraq keep popping up in different things. remembered a few faces from homeland...

I think it had the biggest weekend opening ever. May go see it this weekend.

not even in the top 25, Paul......I still want to see it though.....on my list.

First or second biggest three day ope on this time of year is wheat they are saying.

Good movie. Guess I need to read the book next - After Cain @ Gettysvurg which is great - rereading.

American Sniper
 

Saw the interview on Good Morning America with the widow of Chris Kyle. She said the movie was him, he laughed a lot, kept things lite, but that was the way he was. She was very pleased. Nice to hear hollywood didn't go "Rambo" on this one. Can't wait to see it. Its not just about who is over there, living the hell, but those back here doing the same.

Knew it was something like that. Just too lazy to look it up.

Ok......biggest in January.....45th overall.

You guys in Marketing? :hihi:
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I think it was the largest opening of a film partly shot in Morocco.

Beat out Hope and Crosby's Road to Morocco
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Great Movie in my book, Glad I saw it...

For God, For Country, For Family. I meet many people in the course of my current path of work that are just incredible. This is the story of one, surrounded by many of these special and mostly unhonored people.

There are many ways to serve our country, to give with the distinct possibility of giving all is beyond anything I can imagine, as I hide behind the bits on the wire

Finally got a babysitter last night so we saw it, loved it. Mind-boggliing that many on the left hate Bush/Cheny so insanely, that they cannot get behind a film whose sole purpose is to tell the story of the war experience of one man and his wife. I didn't hear one syllable that could be considered political propoganda, but try telling that to Howard Dean...

I thought it was very well done - Bradley Cooper completly trasformed into Kyle so much so I never felt like I was watching Cooper portray Kyle. I've worked with many in the SOF community for the past 30 years. They and their families deserve all of our respect.

I don't think it has anything to do with hate for Bush/Cheney, rather it's a negative response to the perceived glorification of racism and violence.

My pithy review from 2012.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...merican+sniper

What's missing in the controversy is how the book details the great lengths we go through to follow ROE's and behave in a manner totally opposite of the snipers characterized by among others Michael Moore and Bill Maher.

Will definitely see the movie.

it's now touted as the most significant war movie of all time
based upon how many people have flocked to see it.

Spence, racism,really? Do you people ever, ever get tired of playing that card? One of Kyle's pallbearer s was black, but hey, whatever it takes to protect the narrative, no matter how demonstrably false the claim is. Racism. That's the first I've actually heard that charge here. Two generations ago, Hollywood rallied behind the cause ow World War Two. The democrats have made a big cultural leap forward. I cannot stand these people.
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Spence, in your very insightful review of the book, you complain that the discussion of violence "is not balanced." Are you upset that American suffering wasn't greater? Because he did go into graphic detail of the physical toll brought upon several teammates who were killed or wounded and PTSD is discussed at length. Very curious about how, specifically, you'd like to see the violence more evenly distributed. As for glorifying the violence? Sorry, spence, but our entire military cannot be made up of effete liberals who pass out at the sight of blood, it doesn't work that way.
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I have not seen it yet but will soon. We were soldiers was a very powerful movie imho....
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Your misery knows no end.

Do you have to talk politics in 98% of your threads?

Feedback and reviews were good and on track until post #19, now I won't bother clicking on this thread.
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Paul, not miserable, just upset that one side of the political spectrum, your side, can't just admit the guy is a hero and leave it at that. And I don't like people lobbing charges of racism at a dead hero who can't defend himself. I presume that doesn't bother you, which is your right. When your side stops injecting politics in such an asinine fashion, I will gleefully stop commenting.
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I know you can't help yourself.

I was merely stating why some people have a negative reaction to the movie, I didn't state that I agreed with them. You're just programmed to assume the worst.

I really couldn't care less what he thought of Iraqis as long as it didn't influence his behavior negatively which I don't believe it did. His service to the country was impressive and his death tragic.

I read the book and saw the movie, and for anyone to play the racism card is staggering, proof that these people have such a deep hatred for the values that this country is based on, they cannot help but besmirch a guy like this. That's deep, crazy, deranged hate.

How would anyone know how he felt about Iraqis in general? He said in the book, several times, that he was deeply hurt when innocent citizens were hurt by the enemy, which he calls savages. Back in 1945, I don't think liberals cried racism when soldiers referred to the enemy as krauts or japs. Very interesting what happened to the left since then. Any thoughts?
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I think it's more opportunism than hate. What's wrong is that they're trying to define his character by a few quotes of suspect context and not looking at the whole.

I think a more interesting topic is what Kyle would have thought of this movie. He spoke in the past of how feel good war movies didn't represent the realities of war. Did Eastwood really just nail the perfect compromise? Haven't seen it so I can't say.

Very fair points. Kyle knew they were making the movie, they completed the first draft of the script before he died.

I'll disagree on the hate. The reason they demonize a hero with opportunistic lies, is that they hate what he stands for. Deep, deep hatred, imho
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Just finished watching it. Being a war / millitary movie guy i enjoyed the perspective in which it was told.

To say it was the best war movie of all time i would not, but i would put it up there in my top 3.

I am sure i will be watching it again.
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Morning joe had an NBC foreign correspondent on the show, who described kyle as a "racist" who "went on killing sprees." In other words, Kyle's actions are morally indistinguishable from what Adam Lanza did in newtown, ct.

Chris Kyle's kids are growing up without a dad, and they are enduring that because he was murdered while volunteering his time to help out a troubled vet. His kids will see these remarks one day. I can't get my arms around where the hate comes from. Chris kyle is gone, he's not running for president against Hilary...why do these people need to attack him. How can anyone capable of saying anything that stupid, be a newsman at NBC?
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That is a fair opinion. And it sucks for his family.
The flip side of course, is that if he did the stuff claimed, both over there, and the dubious accounts on domestic soil, does he deserve to be put as high on a pedestal w/o consequence because he is dead?

It is a tragic story ultimately, the way he was killed, with a young family left behind. Doesn't mean we should white wash it either....

I'm sure it is a good film, and I'll watch it when it is released for home viewing, even as a raving liberal, you can still appreciate it. :smash:

What Kyle did was authorized by strict Rules of Engagement, nothing indiscriminate as far as I can tell. You want to see the horror of indiscriminate sniper targeting research sniper alley in Sarajevo.

I'm sure many of our most valuable troop have done some less than desirable things at times. Kyle does appear to have lied about some things at home but who knows if it was just his character or perhaps the time in combat had an influence.

In the end his story is just a vehicle for a movie. It's really less about Kyle and more about the bigger message.

RIROCKHOUND -

Can you explain, by what logic, would you refer to his military record as a "killing spree", when there have been exactly zero charges brought against him for what he did? This is a news reporter for NBC network who said that. It's disgusting. If someone referred to Auie Murphy that way in the 1940's, they would have been mercilessly attacked by the entire nation for making that suggestion. We've come a long way...

"does he deserve to be put as high on a pedestal w/o consequence because he is dead? "

He chose to write a book, so it's fair to discuss these things. And no, I don't think we should necessarily halt criticism of someone after they are dead. But I do think that there shoud be some basis for the criticism. As for the "killing spree" reference, Kyle was never charged with anything, so that pretty much puts that to rest. As to charges of racism? One of Kyle's pallbearers was black. I'm not sure what evidence there is that he was racist, other than referring to the enemy (not all Iraquis, but the enemy) as "savages", which is hardly racist. Kyle routinely put his life at risk to help Iraqis that were allied with us, so I don't see how you can say he was racist against them, either. In all wars, out troops come up with derogatory nicknames for the enemy. Are we shunning that now, since it's not politically correct? Are we supposed to call the enemy "those fine fellows with whom we seem to have a slight disagreement"? That's not real life...

"Doesn't mean we should white wash it either"

I agree. But whitewash WHAT? Maybe he lied about the incident with Ventura (it's being appealed). What else has he done? Is the left reacting to stuff that wasn't in the book? I read the book twice. OK, the guy got in a few bar fights (unbelievably common in the military, I discouraged it among my kids, but had zero success, I simply could not stop it).

"Kyle does appear to have lied about some things at home"

Like what? Anything besides the Ventura thing?

"It's really less about Kyle and more about the bigger message"

First, I think you're wrong that it's not largely about Kyle's specific story. Second, even if yo a re correct, that's even less reason for people to attack him for his actions.