Reviews

This movie is so cheesy that for a very B Grade Post Apocalyptic movie it is actually worth watching. Just grab the pop corn, put the brain in neutral, press play and watch.

You'll have to see past the low budget props, I think they borrowed a lot from the set of Planet of the Apes, and maybe 1,000,000 years BC, and some of the computers are very 1980's, but then Star Trek the original series was supposed to be 22nd century, these computers blow those away.

And women in skimpy costumes made from animal skin always make a movie worth watching for guys. The dialog leaves a lot to be desired, but like I said, just put the brain in neutral and be entertained.

This has to be one rip roaring ride of a musical. Good tunes, Wandering Star was a huge hit on the charts, great actors, Clint Eastwood and Lee Marivin in the leading roles. Would have loved to see this on stage. Lee Marvin comes across as the typical type of Westerner that shuns anything remotely looking like civilisation, but then can you blame him? Clint Eastwood as the straight laced god fearing settler on his way to new lands and gets an education in life. The lure of gold and the excitement of the rush of 1849, gambling, prostitution, bigamy, the list goes on. No Name City, population male gets a work over with the diversion of a stage full of french whores, a preacher that nobody wants, scheming gold tunnelers, a frozen wagon train containing a young bloke who gets the full Lee Marvin education on life. Funny, memorable and completely enjoyable. I have watched this film again and again, and I know they will never make them like this again.

Although this movie seems to go on forever, it seems to gloss over the important aspects of WHY the war between the States occurred. You may wonder what and Aussie knows about the issues involved, but I have been an interested student of American history from before the Revolution up to World War 2. It does miss out certain actions, after the conclusion of the battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia, the movie states that General Lee went on to invade the North and fought a battle at Gettysburg, the following movie in the trilogy, but this movie does not mention that this was Lee's second attempt at an invasion of the North. The Battle of Antietam, Maryland, is completely missing, and until the battle of Gettysburg, was the bloodiest battle of the war, followed by Shiloh, and a significant one. Although the Confederates withdrew before they were defeated, it was the first time General Robert E Lee had failed to gain a victory over the opposing Union forces, it also fails to mention how the Union came to stop Lee at Antietam, after all, if this event had not occurred, the Battle of Antietam would have taken place at Camp Hill instead, and may have ended up a Confederate victory and with the Union losing the war. But Gods and Generals, unlike Gettysburg, does try to put a civilian aspect to the war, the wives and children left behind, the patriotism shown on both sides, believing they were absolutely right and that God was on their side and this would be shown in a Union or Confederate victory. There is a small discussion of the issue of slavery by 'Stonewall' Jackson, (Stephen Lang), with his coloured cook, and also by Lt Colonel Joshua L Chamberlain, (Jeff Daniels), with his brother, Sgt Tom Chamberlain, (C Thomas Howell), but mostly, this mammoth subject, one that raged across the entire United States before the secession and across both the United and Confederate states after secession, is missing, mostly it concerns itself with States Rights and how the men of the South were fighting for their rights. But it doesn't mention clearly what those rights were, though at the time of the division of the United States into Union and Confederate, I doubt those who voted for secession could have defined them clearly either.