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Anthony Barrile, Michael Boatman, Don Cheadle, Michael Dolan, Don James ... see more see more... , Dylan McDermott , M.A. Nickles , Harry O'Reilly , Daniel O'Shea , Tim Quill , Tommy Swerdlow , Courtney B. Vance , Steven Weber , Tegan West , Kieu Chinh , Doug Goodman , J.C. Palmore , J.D. VanSickle , Anthony Barille , Michael A. Nickles

Though the anti-war sentiments of Hamburger Hill come through loud and clear, the film is squarely on the side of those courageous, much-maligned Americans who fought and died in Vietnam. Based on a t... read more read more...rue incident, the story takes place in 1969, as the 101st Airborne Division confronts the Vietcong in a bloody battle over Hill 937 (aka "Hamburger Hill") in the A Shau Valley. During the next ten days, both sides incur heavy losses, but the Cong refuse to surrender the hill. The ultimate American "victory" turns out to be a hollow one indeed. Scripted by Vietnam War vet Jim Carabatsos, Hamburger Hill not only underlines the futility of the war but also the pressures brought to bear upon the troops by an insensitive, often hostile media. By utilizing a cast of unknowns, director John Irvin deftly avoids the Hollywoodized slickness of such bigger-budgeted efforts as Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Flixster Users

67% liked it

31,742 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

11 critics

R, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: John Irvin

Release Date: August 28, 1987

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DVD Release Date: February 15, 2000

Stats: 828 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (828)

  • blkbomb
    June 30, 2011
    blkbomb
    Vietnam has been done a lot better than this. Tha acting and writing for this movie was horrible and made for some pretty lousy characters. Platoon, Apocalypse Now, and Full Metal Jacket all had great acting and writing and that's why they stand high above this movie in effective... read moreness. Don Cheadle has a role in this movie and thank God for that. Although he has a smaller role than others in the movie, he clearly has the only good acting in this movie. It's realistic, but frankly I could care less because of the characters.
  • puffchunk
    February 15, 2011
    puffchunk
    So awful. Goes on the list of bad war movies along with thin red line and tears of the sun. It tried so hard to have a moving message that I couldn't stand to watch. Ernie Hudson's presence is the only redeming part.
  • SirPant
    September 29, 2009
    SirPant
    Overlooked and underrated, this is a realistic and brutal portrayal of the war in Vietnam. Powerful and entertaining!
  • danperry17
    January 25, 2009
    danperry17
    "It don't mean nothin'" is the characters' refrain in this film, and the main characteristic that makes this film worth watching. An honest-to-goodness war pic in the spirit of classics like The Longest Day, the campaign to take Hill 937 is memorialized in this film by the name t... read morehe troops bestowed upon it: Hamburger Hill. Though it was the late 80s, and while this film has some elements that suggest that it might have been at least partially directed at the Iron Eagle/Steven Seagal demographic, a much more important target audience for this film is probably veterans of the Vietnam War who, like those who watched (e.g., again) The Longest Day, were given the opportunity to see their own experience of a battle and a platoon dissected and re-created on the big screen... a basically true Vietnam War story among the thousands filmmakers have been scared to tell, minus the soapboxing of Oliver Stone, Stanley Kubrick and others. (Not to take anything away from Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July and Full Metal Jacket.)

    Hamburger Hill is a loyal film - opening with the Vietnam memorial and closing with a dedication to those lost in this battle and the war as a whole - and it's a portrayal not necessarily of the war, but of the people in the war. In one sense, I couldn't care much about the characters, because there are so many and they aren't very developed, but in another sense, the device works: in a platoon and war such as this one, a soldier doesn't really get to know his (her) peers so well - re-assignments and casualties very quickly get in the way. Some bonds do form, though, and Dylan McDermott (who, until now, I never liked in The Practice or anything else) played the role of the Sergeant very well, displaying his compassion for his men, and his understanding of the aspects of all of their personalities. (The film also features an early performance by Don Cheadle, and one of my favourite sitcom actors of all-time, Brian from Wings, Steven Weber.)

    Protest, race relations, bureaucracy and media sensationalism are all in the background, but while some may call the portrayal of these aspects of the war dismissive, I concur with the soldiers' opinion that the film presents: it don't mean nothin'. This is a film about the experience of a group of men fighting together, and probably more for each other than for any of the supposedly noble goals of God or country or apple pie or communist containment, or whatever the hell that war was about. Real men went, and real men died, and this is a film that doesn't lack in realism in making its point. Some parts could have been better - for the last 10 minutes everyone is wearing way too much eyeliner, for example - but at the risk of over-intellectualizing a simple war movie, I'm going to say it: I truly think that this is a misunderstood film, and one too often overlooked in the Vietnam canon.
  • garyX
    December 17, 2008
    garyX
    Hamburger Hill is the story of a group of soldiers ordered to take a "strategically important hill" in Vietnam. Overshadowed by its contemporaries Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, this is a very creditable account of the Vietnam war viewed day by day by soldiers fighting a pointles... read mores and bloody battle for a grid reference. It's essentially an analogy of the whole war, as the characters are dehumanized, traumatized and butchered by a largely unseen enemy for reasons it's difficult to fathom. The structure of the film is basically a series of brutally realistic and mud-soaked battle sequences punctuated by the soldiers bonding and discussing the various politics involved in their being there. This does come across as a little dry and emotionally uninvolving by its very nature as there is little point and therefore plot to the action and obviously a glorious victory is not forthcoming. A young Don Cheadle and particularly Courtney Vance as the likable and politically outspoken Doc are the standouts of an otherwise no-name cast, and it is an intelligent and honest depiction of men at war that's well worth a look if you enjoyed its contemporaries.
  • cosmo313
    June 20, 2007
    cosmo313
    Underrated and realistic film about one of the bloodiest and most gruesome battles to take place during the Vietnam. Save for appearances by Dylan McDermott and Don Cheadle (before they were stars), the cast is virtually unknown, and that's a big plus. Another highlight is the mu... read moresic- both the standard rock songs of the sixties and the haunting score by Philip Glass. Check this one out, you won't be disappointed, especially if you're looking for a realistic war film that isn't a big budget Hollywood affair.
  • crossbladezero
    July 9, 2011
    crossbladezero
    "Up on Hamburger Hill, there's a plastic tree. Are you here with me?" I don't like contemporary music, but I just had to take that opportunity. You know, while I was at it, I should have said "there's a plastic explosive", because everything's blowing up in this. Of course, it's ... read morenot just action, action, action. There are some deep messages and this film wears that on its sleeve, but more on that later. Touching on the other flaws, we have a lack of character development, too much story development, periodic lack of engagement, the occasional choppy edit and the occasional gore exaggeration.

    Probably the film's biggest problem is that it feels so amateur. The score, sound and many writing decisions don't feel very professional. Writing is cliche, the sound editing is inconsistent and the score is weakly-composed. Maybe it's because the team behind this is RKO, which hasn't produced a groundbreaking classic since the '40s. Granted, it was "Citizen Kane", but most of that was done by Orson Welles.

    Still, through all of its flaws, the film remains a decent film supported by mostly snappy editing, good production designs, fairly decent effects and strong characters. As for the performances, they really carry the film. Hey kids, it's time for another episode of "Cameron's Redundant Acting Discussion Corner". Guess what kids, the actors have sharp chemistry, give off a compelling atmosphere and emote well. No, but seriously though, as cheesy as the film is, the actors remain compelling and keep you in the film.

    Man, what a terrible review. You know what that means: This film isn't that outstanding. Still, in spite of its flaws and amateurish mistakes, "Hamburger Hill" remains a fairly well-acted and generally compelling thrill ride worth experiencing.
  • BlueTorch
    February 17, 2006
    BlueTorch
    A little too realistic for me, but I can't argue that it's not a good movie.
  • fb25827189
    April 27, 2011
    fb25827189
    An extraordinarily gifted cast makes Hamburger Hill a fantastic film about the horrors of Vietnam and how it affects the soldiers who fought in it as they are faced with the impossible task of taking a hill that is full of Vietcong. The whole cast is great but watching Courtney B... read more. Vance was the biggest highlight of the movie, he was so great in the movie.
  • leekyle1968
    June 27, 2007
    leekyle1968
    so-so vietnam flick

View All Hamburger Hill Reviews

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff
March 26, 2009
Variety Staff, Variety

Irvin, who shot a documentary in Vietnam in 1969, the year the action takes place, makes fine use of the Philippines locations and the verisimilitude supplied by the production team. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

A well-made Vietnam War film that narrows its attention to the men of a single platoon in a specific operation. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

No matter what you think of the script, it's impossible to dismiss what's up on the screen. Full Review

April 28, 2010
Film4

This is a film about the futility of war expressed in the simplest terms. Full Review

April 28, 2010
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Although it was underrated at the time of its release, time will eventually reveal that Hamburger Hill is one of the best and most realistic films made about the Vietnam War. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
February 27, 2007
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

The most remarkable traits of this realistically detailed chronicle of a crucial, bloody Vietnam War combat is that it steers clear of Stallone's right-wing machismo in Rambo and of Oliver Stone's met... Full Review

Derek Adams
June 24, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

There are a couple of rocky moments, but the large cast of unknowns go through hell convincingly, and illustrate the randomness of mortality. Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
August 27, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

Serves as a grim reminder of what it was like for young men to live and die in the war in Vietnam. Full Review

Brian Mckay
March 18, 2003
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com

cliched but entertaining Vietnam war drama/action.

Chuck O'Leary
October 5, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

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Hamburger Hill Trivia

  • In which 80s Vietnam War flick did the soldiers perform the morale boosting "Don't mean nothin'" ritual?  Answer »
  • "Hamburger Hill" is about which war?  Answer »
  • Which "Ocean's Eleven" star is in the 80s Vietnam War movie "Hamburger Hill"?   Answer »
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