My grandfathers (dad's dad) first cousin was Vidal Tombo, one of the Philipino Guerillas solicited by the U.S. to aid in the actual raid.  From what I understand my grandfather as well was part of the force that went in the initial raid.  So now you know it: Yes, I'm part Philipino.

Yep, can't wait to see it.

For more info. go here:

www.miramax.com/thegreatraid/

movie forum.  and tag

There is a member here (can't remember who) whose Dad (Granddad?) is one of the men on the cover of this book...

Yup, I'll be seeing it. IIRC it was the 6th Ranger Batt. that pulled off the raid.


No distance too far,no sacrifice too great.............Rangers lead the way!

It's rated "R", so I better not go.  There might be a naked booby, and we can't have any nipples.......

Nope.  Usually when a movie is made and put on the shelf for a few years it stinks.

it's getting pretty good reviews so far...

The book was great.  I hope they use a real P-61 as the decoy aircraft.  I doubt they will, but one can hope.

So, this movie is based off of the book "Ghost Soldiers"?

It was a great book. I hope they don't screw the movie up...I don't have a whole lot of faith in hollywierd.

Quoted: The book was great.  I hope they use a real P-61 as the decoy aircraft.  I doubt they will, but one can hope.

Hate to burst your bubble, but I read in a review already that they didn't.  The couldn't find one for anything near a reasonable price, apparently.  One of the few historical inaccuracies in the film.

Quoted: Quoted: The book was great.  I hope they use a real P-61 as the decoy aircraft.  I doubt they will, but one can hope. Hate to burst your bubble, but I read in a review already that they didn't.  The couldn't find one for anything near a reasonable price, apparently.  One of the few historical inaccuracies in the film.

That and the amount of time spent on Margaret were my only complaint.

They used what appeared to be an old Boston, could have been a Beechcraft.

I am going to see it today.  Only 3 out of  10 theaters are showing it.  I hope it pulls in twice as much money as Lie 911.

WTF is it with this "Notebook" movie and wives/GF's?

A couple of guys at the firehouse mentioned it and how thier wives were all googly about it.

The IMDB description of it sounds nauesiating.

Wife and I will see it for sure.

I would expect they would use a P-38 in place of P-61.

My Great Grandfather on my Grandma's side was MacArthur's Aid and was left on the Island.  Survived the Bataan Death March and was rescued.  My Dad was named after MacArthur(as was I...Jr.)  I always wondered why

"With the help from God and a few Marines...MacArthur returned to the Phillipines"

Always loved that quote

Yes I will See It!!!

Tonight or tomorrow I will go check it out.

I am wondering if the History Channel has produced one of those "History v. Hollywood" specials on the movie. I'd like to see that.

My dad served with one of the rescued POWs in the mid-late 50s, Fred Vinton. Fred recieved the Silver Star for his part in the sinking of the Jap DD in the naval yard before the retreat down Bataan. He and some other Marines secured some boats and made their way to Corregidor. When the Japs made their landing, the Marines fired until they ran out of ammo. Then they stacked arms, broke out the smokes and surrendered when the assault troops made the shore. The frontline troops treated them kindly; it was the rear area troops and Korean guards that committed most of the atrocities. Fred avoided being shipped off to Japan because he could read German. The manual for the camp generators was in German so he was deemed necessary to the proper running of the camp. He had a Letter of Commendation from the camp commander basically stating just that. He was also responsible for hiding one of the camp radios.

A couple years ago, Fred finally recieved the Purple Heart he earned on Corregidor. He died last year. It's the first time I can remember seeing my dad cry.

Quoted: My grandfathers (dad's dad) first cousin was Vidal Tombo, one of the Philipino Guerillas solicited by the U.S. to aid in the actual raid.  From what I understand my grandfather as well was part of the force that went in the initial raid.  So now you know it: Yes, I'm part Philipino.

I think we're all part something.

Just a big 'ole nation of mutts

Just got back from the movie.  It should not be rated R.  PG-13 maybe.   The treatment of the prisoners was very sanatized.  It should be ok for 10 year olds or older.  I was kind of disappointed that it did not show the brutality of the prisoners, but what do you expect from Hollyweird?

Quoted: Just got back from the movie.  It should not be rated R.  PG-13 maybe.   The treatment of the prisoners was very sanatized.  It should be ok for 10 year olds or older.  I was kind of disappointed that it did not show the brutality of the prisoners, but what do you expect from Hollyweird?

Probably done so to not offend the japs.

Quoted: Yup, I'll be seeing it. IIRC it was the 6th Ranger Batt. that pulled off the raid. No distance too far,no sacrifice too great.............Rangers lead the way!

Just finished Gost Soldiers.  BTW where did they find the men for the 6th Rangers?

As far as a P-61 goes, IIRC there aren't any left flying, and only a handful of P-38s.

Quoted: Tonight or tomorrow I will go check it out. I am wondering if the History Channel has produced one of those "History v. Hollywood" specials on the movie. I'd like to see that.

Yes, they have.  It is a little different from the normal HvH, they go to the Phillipines and retrace the steps of the Bataan Death March and the path the Rangers took.

They say it sticks pretty close to the facts and I agree.

Quoted: Quoted: Just got back from the movie.  It should not be rated R.  PG-13 maybe.   The treatment of the prisoners was very sanatized.  It should be ok for 10 year olds or older.  I was kind of disappointed that it did not show the brutality of the prisoners, but what do you expect from Hollyweird? Probably done so to not offend the japs.

They said that they felt they needed to tone it down, that it would be too graphic.

I went expecting to see a lot of blood and gore(not that I really like to see blood and gore), but it was tamer than most slasher movies that kids go to watch.  I just did not like the way that it was toned down.  It did not give the feeling of suffering from the prisoners that they must have had.

jesus christ, what a huge steamin' pile o' crap this flick was!!! 2hrs of melodrama and bad acting to see 15 minutes of good (and true to the real thing) action!!! this IS cabanatuan...

there are NO boobies in this flick. when the japanese "military police" torture the beautiful blonde spy in manila, they don't even strip her down to her slip, let alone bra and panties or naked. and (THIS IS NOT A SPOILER BUT A CLARIFICATION!!!) she had a passport from a nonbelligerent nation, that's why she was able to operate in the hospital and steal drugs to smuggle to the pow's. when the movie first starts you find out this gorgeous blonde, who's a frigging foot taller than 99% of the entire country, is the widow of an american officer yet she seems to operate with impunity in manila, right under the noses of the japanese military govt. it's not til they're 3/4 of the way through that you find out she's travelling on a latvian passport...

this movie musta had a pretty low budget cuz they pulled a john woo and used one twin engine plane and two fighters flying in the same frigging formation in the entire film. except for the twin engine, that flew by itself when it flew over the camp.

you felt absolutely nothing for the rangers cuz there was no build up to their formation or training. the ltcol who led them terrorized them and beat them into a formidable fighting force, he made them do crazy shit in training that they only did cuz he went first. none of this bonding was shown. benjamin bratt looked like he was trying to imitate r. lee ermy in the camp...and for some reason they left out the part where he asked every man in the unit to swear an oath to god to rescue the pows or die trying...maybe too much god for hollyweird? i dunno, i thought it would have made a good scene.

and wtf was it with that model pretty pow??? i swear to god this guy had blonde highlights in his perfectly mussed hair and full pouty lips! i figgered he MUST have been playing the camp "girlfriend"!!!

man, there was so much bad about this movie. but the action, the actual attack on the camp appeared to mirror almost exactly the accounts of the rangers. it was pretty neat to see the saving private ryan effects of a .30-06 round on the human body, too. no neat little holes but big chunks and pink mist flying into the air.

i dunno, if it was me, i'da waited to rent this from net flix. i wouldn't buy the dvd and i sure as hell wouldn't have paid the $20+ to see it at the movies...oh well, perhaps i'll be able to save someone else the misery...i'm pretty sure several people walked out of the theater.

I've just discovered that IT'S NOT SHOWING IN MY TOWN

i kinda wished it wasn't showing in mine!

I just saw it this afternoon, it was interesting but there wasnt much fire fights or combat scenes until the end and it was low budget with lots of fire bombs everytime something blew up, the sound effects sounded pretty good when they fired the bazooka ,small arms were mostly  Springfield model 1903 and M1 Garands and a few machine guns but it was all at night and the guns didnt show up too well but they had lots of muzzle flash.

the begining of the movie shows actual watime news reels and again at the end of the movie

Quoted: I just saw it this afternoon, it was interesting but there wasnt much fire fights or combat scenes until the end and it was low budget with lots of fire bombs everytime something blew up...

bet you guys didn't know that the first use of nukes wasn't at hiroshima and nagasaki...it was the raid on cabanatuan!

oh yeah, the musical score...holy shit, the guy who scored this flick needs to have his baton broken. and his fingers, too! a movie score is supposed to highlight and accentuate a mood. the score in this flick pretty much beats it about the head and shoulders and leaves it for dead in an alley!!!