military movies

Top 5 authentic enlisted characters in military-themed movies

Once you do a hitch for Uncle Sam, things never look quite the same. Military-themed movies are no exception.  Like so many American males, I had always been drawn to…

Watch Navy SEAL Jocko Willink break down combat scenes

“If your reserve parachute doesn’t work, the procedure is…basically you’re gonna hand salute the world and you’re gonna hit the dirt…because you’re gonna die,” said former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink without much to indicate whether he’s crac…

This Kiwi pilot inspired Tom Hardy’s character in Dunkirk

The pilot checks his watch and does another calculation. The fuel gauge on his Spitfire had been shot out by a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter, and he was reduced to estimating his remaining fuel level with quick arithmetic. As he approaches the…

5 superheroes who served in the military

Author’s Note: For the sake of simplifying, we’re gonna go with Marvel Cinematic Universe origin stories — which can differ from comic book history — sprinkled with a few bits of comic book lore to fill in movie gaps. This arti…

7 epic ‘gearing up’ montages from action movies you love

When an action film needs to let the audience know what gear the good or bad guys have in the arsenal, they turn to the epic cinematic tool that is the “gearing up” montage. Also known as a “lock and load” montage, the idea is to get …

6 more military movie deaths we’re bummed about

War movies are a dime a dozen. The ones that truly stay with us are ones through which we connect to the characters as if they’re members of our own unit — like they could be our own best friends or beloved commanding officers.

Your handy viewing guide to military episodes of The Simpsons

To give some perspective, The Simpsons is older than Operation Desert Storm. Troops who enlisted when the show started are able to retire from the armed forces now. After 27…

5 great military soundtracks to study or just relax to

The military isn’t all action and adventure. There are plenty of dull tasks required of service members that can send even the most motivated of troops to sleep. Whether it’s…

This is the state that looks most like Afghanistan, according to Hollywood

If you’re looking to make a movie about the Afghanistan War, it should be obvious that you’re not going to be filming in Afghanistan itself. That hasn’t stopped Hollywood from…

6 small changes that would have made these military movies better

We love movies! That’s exactly why studios spend millions of dollars making them. As long our eyes are glued to the silver screen, they’ll continue to put out blockbuster after blockbuster. Some film moments, however, don’t land well with the au…

5 reasons why ‘Braveheart’ should have been about Robert the Bruce

Hollywood takes creative licenses with any historical story, there’s no doubt about that. In some cases, taking a closer look would mean they don’t have to. Mel Gibson’s 1995 medieval…

Some veterans went balls out and made a ‘Jurassic Park’ fan film

The craziest thing we could do for this franchise was to fly people and equipment to Hawaii and try to tell a story that has all the elements people love about Jurassic Park but from a tactical military perspective,” producer and …

Unrealistic war movies that still nail military life

It’s no secret that Hollywood has a knack for getting the military wrong in war movies. Whether it’s diverging from reality in movies that are “based on a true story” or it’s pretending grenades create massive fireballs when they explode, the m…

The Tiger used in ‘Fury’ was captured after being disabled by the most improbable shots

Out of nowhere, a shot cuts through the last Sherman tank in the column, blowing its turret off. The three remaining Shermans reverse from the road as another shot whizzes into the dirt, narrowly missing them. Backed into a wood line, the Shermans s…

5 things Lord of War got right about gun running

Lord of War boasts numerous sound bites that service members quote ironically. It genuinely is an entertaining film and one of Nicolas Cage’s best roles. It has become a staple…

Darth Vader has a ranger tab, and other military veterans in ‘Star Wars’

Star Wars boasts some of the most hardcore fans of any franchise, but some might not know the impressive military background of the Empire’s most fearsome warlord. Darth Vader, the main…

3 reasons ‘War Dogs’ is the best civilian war movie

Two childhood friends take advantage of a loophole in the way the U.S. military puts out its contracts and become international arms dealers. Yet, it’s the crazy true story on…

Falcon and Winter Soldier: Episode 6 brings us home

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finale had a lot of loose ends to tie up — and a lot of Phase 4 fun to set up. The series began…

5 horror films that best portray true military reactions

Horror films are ripe with terrible tropes that make audiences groan. Invariably, plucky young adults are pinned against a supernatural or monstrous force. So long as these young adults aren’t idiots (like the morons who decided to go skinny-dippin…

6 of the best slow-motion action scenes ever

Powerful punches, smooth moves, and acrobatic stunts are just some of the elements that make for an impressive action scene. To amp up a film’s imagery and add intensity, some filmmakers go a little beyond the standard fight and employ one of the m…

‘Assault on VA-33’ director Christopher Ray understands veterans, because he is one

Christopher Ray is a Navy veteran film director behind the new action movie ‘Assault on VA-33.’ He was a Deck Sea Man, Quartermaster and photographer during his active duty years….

‘Whiskey Tango Foxtrot’ is a funny war memoir that will make you want more

“She’s Kim Baker, I’m Kim Barker,” Kim Barker tells me. She’s the New York Times metro reporter and author of The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakis…

I watched ‘Cherry’ so you don’t have to … but here’s why you should

Don’t get me wrong. Cherry was a very well-done film that authentically portrays the cluster f*** of the military. And it should — the screenplay was based on a semi-autobiographical…

‘War Dogs’ is what a junior enlisted gun-running empire would look like

Imagine the two most ballsy but also kind of dimwitted members of your squad — the Pvt. Snuffys and Lance Cpl. Schmuckatellis of the world. Now imagine them in civilian clothes with millions of dollars. Take it one step further and im…

This small military office influences some of Hollywood’s biggest films