The Alamo
2004
An epic that evokes films such as HOW THE WEST WAS WON and DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE ALAMO details the key 1863 battle fought to win Texas from the Mexican government. Originally constructed as a Spanish mission, the Alamo provided a secure post between Texas settlements and the troops of General Santa Anna (Emilio Echevarria), .. Read more
| Starring | Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson |
|---|---|
| Director | John Lee Hancock |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Audio Descriptive |
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The Alamo
An epic that evokes films such as HOW THE WEST WAS WON and DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE ALAMO details the key 1863 battle fought to win Texas from the Mexican government. Originally constructed as a Spanish mission, the Alamo provided a secure post between Texas settlements and the troops of General Santa Anna (Emilio Echevarria), protecting the scores of people working to develop the budding territory, including Davy Crockett (Billy Bob Thornton), James Bowie (Jason Patric), and Sam Houston (Dennis Quaid). But when it was left in the care of an inexperienced leader, the men stationed at the Alamo found themselves in a deadly ambush by Santa Anna. With an insurmountable advantage in strategy and sheer numbers, Santa Anna led the complete slaughter of Alamo forces, an act that incited the ire of Houston who initiated the turnaround that brought Santa Anna's quick defeat. Thornton provides a standout performance as Davy Crockett, who had gained notoriety as an adventurer, rumored to have jumped the Mississippi River. As the Alamo troops prepare to fight, Thornton's nuanced Crockett tempers their adrenalin with horrific battle tales and helps them come to terms with their impending mortality. While graphically reminding viewers of the horrors of war, the film also pays homage to the bravery and patriotism of the men who fought to liberate Texas, live in a free democratic society, and build better lives.
| Starring | Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson, Emilio Echeverria, Jordi Molla |
|---|---|
| Director | John Lee Hancock |
| Studio | TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 13 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Audio Descriptive |
| Language | English, English Audio Description |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 27 Dec 2004 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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All in all, Hollywood would rather forget The Alamo. The biggest flop of 2004 cost somewhere in the region of $100 million to make, and topped out at $22 million at the US box-office. read more »
- LOVEFiLM
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Most helpful member's review
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22 out of 32 people found this review helpful
The Alamo -
The film was entertaining and certainly worth watching but did not live up to its hype. I suspect that this may have been due to skimming the plot in places. There must have been over editing or scene cutting to reduce the length of the film.
It follows the well known historical events of 1836 far more closely than previous Alamo films and avoids the myths that were perhaps partly created by these previous films. Unfortunately it is the myths that make such films more memorable.
The acting was first class and portrays the humanity, courage & helplessness of the defenders. In line with current trends the Mexicans speak Spanish and this adds to the 'us & them' American bias (!!). -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 6 people found this review helpful
John Wayne did it better.........
My main critcism of this film is one that can regularly be levelled at the films currently being churned out; I simply didn't care enough about the characters. No real screen time had been devoted to developing the characters or explaining their motivation - it was of no consequence to me that Travis took a bullet (in fact, I had to track back to establish that is WAS Travis), Wayne's Crockett is replaced by a 2 dimensional character that left me bewildered as to why anyone elected him to congress in the first place, or indeed remembered him a centuary and a half later, and Bowie spends most of the film rolling his eyes or posturing. The film simply didn't convey the sense of patriotism, self-sacrifice and whatever other motivating factors led these people to fight an army against overwhelming odds.
A film to watch when you have nothing better to do. -
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