Watch Green Zone
Watch Green Zone movie
- IMDB rating: 7.20
- IMDB votes: 10486
- Release Date: 2010
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- Crichton lies on the operating table with the neural chip removed, unable to communicate. Aeryn's cryogenic-ally frozen. The surgeon is able to restore Crichton's ability to speak. A dormant patient awakens and goes after everyone. Zahn attempts to revive Aeryn, but at a very high cost.
- tags: Green Zone, Green, Zone, Crichton, lies, operating, table, with, neural, chip, removed, unable, communicate, Aeryn's, cryogenic-ally, frozen, surgeon, able, restore, Crichton's, ability, speak, dormant, patient, awakens, goes, after, everyone, Zahn, attempts, revive, Aeryn, very, high, cost
Added: 12 March 2010
Vote: 29
More of the usual Hollywood hate America
It's sad to see so many people who can watch a lie about their countryand rave about it's truthfulness. Matt Demon is going down the road ofSean Penn and Tim Robbins to the point where the only movies he makesare critical of his country. You liberal lap dogs eat it it up becauseyou don't have the intelligence to read for yourselves. What do youthink Sadam did to the Kurds in his own country? Do you think afterthat he disposed of all of his WMD? Do you remember Hillary and LurchKerry both standing up in the Senate blabing about the WMD that he had?I guess it's easier to blame a man who had the safety of our country todeal than to consider what would happen if WMDs got into the hands ofterrorist. If you think 911 was bad try a Superbowl with a crop dusterflying over it with sarin powder being sprayed. Matt Damon my ass!
User: luisdim7Added: 18 February 2010
Vote: 18
Greengrass do it again
First with the Bourne trilogy Paul show us his great skills to filmmovies how he move the camera, what a good director. Then he show usFlight 93 were he finally show us that he is one of the greatestdirectors alive, plus he was nominated to an academy by this movie.
Now lets talk about the cast, Matt Damon show that he is very goodactor he performs beautifully his character, and Jason Isacs also madea good performance but nos as well as Matt, the rest of the cast wasgreat, very strong performances.
The Film in general is amazing the action sequences do not stay backand give a highly support to the movie one of the greatest advantagesof the movie. Great effects, great editing, great sound.
This movie in general is a 9.7 i rounded to the nearest number so iwill give it a 10, thats a green light to this movie, you must see itbecause with Greengrass in the helm will be a very good movie.
Added: 12 March 2010
Vote: 5
Political thriller with a theme of war
In Green Zone, Matt Damon plays Miller, an honest soldier who realisesthat the search for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq isfutile. Because there are none. When he challenges his commandingofficer on the intelligence that they've been given, he is told to"button it" in not too fine parlance.
But his integrity won't allow him to roll over and play dumb. He smellsa rat and so he ends up playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse withUncle Sam. This is very brave as Uncle Sam is represented by astop-at-nothing oily intern, Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) who isbacked by The Mighty Bush. I wouldn't want to be Miller.
So, the film pitches the two men against each other. One man, honestand wholesome, and the other, a politician. A David meets Goliath (sortof) which is a bit different to the last time Matt and Greg workedtogether. In Stuck on You, they were conjoined twins who couldn't livewithout each other. In this film, they are two sides of the same coin:sharp, tenacious and convinced they are doing the right thing - butwith diametrically opposed beliefs.
The credits tell us that the film is fictitious. But is it? It's nowcommon knowledge that were no WMDs in Iraq when the West invaded sothis film plays tribute to the real-life troops who risked and losttheir lives there. All because a power-hungry dictator needed an excuseto police the area. It will be a difficult film to watch if you've beendirectly affected by the Iraqi war but it may also be a comfort thatsomeone has bothered to document it, albeit from a fictitious soldier'sviewpoint.
For the rest of us, this political thriller with a theme of war isquite an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. But you will have totolerate the use of a hand-held camera that insists on cutting off MattDamon's head during many shots. Plus, this type of camera work justcan't keep up with running men which means a lot of scenes are blurredand this becomes annoying. But perhaps the most disappointing thing ofall is that Matt Damon doesn't take his shirt off. Not even once. Nowthat really is annoying.
Added: 12 March 2010
Vote: 10
A war based on a lie? You decide.
This movie is Hollywood's attempt to moralize on the Iraq war and to alarge degree it works. By now it is common knowledge that the pretextused to justify invading Iraq, that Iraq had weapons of massdestruction, was a fabrication. The questions is, what is a soldiersupposed to do when he discovers that his mission is based on a lie?That is the crux of this movie and Matt Damon gives a strongperformance as a soldier who decides not be part of a cover up. Themovie makes one really wonder why the U. S. bothered to invade Iraq, acountry completely divided along sectarian lines and in total disarrayand why the Iraqi army was disbanded. After all, the army was the onlyinstitution in the country that could hold the country together, yet itwas dissolved, resulting in chaos that continues to this day. GregKinnear plays an uncharacteristically sinister role as an Americandiplomat who chooses expediency over truth and the other supportingactors give excellent performances that help make this movie not only awork of art but statement about truth and honor in time of war.
User: ladymoonpicturesAdded: 17 March 2010
Vote: 5
Damon's Greengrass' Little White Lie Zone
"Green Zone" attempts to blatantly manipulate the audience intothinking that the U.S. alone, attacked Iraq under the known, falsepremise of their having WMDs.
This is a lie.
The U.S. attacked Iraq after continued, perpetual deception anddefiance of UN sanctions and with the overwhelming support of aninternational coalition of forces, logistical and financial support todo so! In addition, the U.S. Congress, republicans and democratesalike, overwhelmingly supported the president in so doing.
The truth is, Saddam Hussain's evil regime had to come to an end...evenif they didn't find a pack of fire crackers! Frankly, we should'veattacked Iran who has been an evil, thorn in our side ever since theirillegal and war-provoking hostage taking of Americans on American soilwithin our Iranian embassy compound -- whom today provide the world'ssingle greatest threat to peace on the planet.
The "GZ" was essentially mediocre; told a routine story of search andrescue and was truly laughable with Damon breaking rank and as anenlisted, 'noncom', attempting to save the world in Bourne-like fashionwhich was waay, too absurd.
Added: 12 March 2010
Vote: 29
DeadGrass, not GreenGrass
This movie will be a TOTAL waste of your money, unless you despiseAmerica, then you will LOVE it! The portrait was thick with paint.Brush strokes of lying, deceit and manipulation. A person who loves ourcountry will automatically be repulsed by Mr. GreenGrass concept of the"truth". I have always considered Matt Damon an exceptional actor, butI also thought he was a patriot. His portrayal of Roy Miller in themovie was a confused chief warrant officer who created his own agenda.This kind of behavior is not even plausible. If you like this movie, Iencourage you elitist to move to another country. I suspect in one ortwo months you will begin to appreciate the free air of America andhave an epiphany, before crawling back to our shores. Shame on youMatt, for attaching your name to this travesty of "entertainment".
User: gheckoAdded: 13 March 2010
Vote: 29
Liberal Propaganda at its Finest
This is an exciting action-packed film and, it weren't trying to smackyou with Liberalist propaganda at every turn, might even have beenenjoyable.
It incorrectly and dangerously paints itself as a documentary type ofstoryline . . . when it is pure fabrication based on liberal ideals ofconservative conspiracy.
Of all 5 people who ere in the theater to see this movie, everyone cameout grumbling, and 2 people went to request their money back.
DON'T go see it, even if you are liberal, its not that great of amovie.
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 15
WMD's did exist, the Iraq's used them against Kruds and Iran
"Author: PWNYCNY from United States" "This movie is Hollywood's attemptto moralize on the Iraq war and to a large degree it works. By now itis common knowledge that the pretext used to justify invading Iraq,that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, was a fabrication." Havingbeen a Matt Damon fan for quite a while! It seems funny that a lot ofcomments are about WMD's and the supposed fact that they were notthere! Of course they were there, they bought them from the UntiedStates though a Northern European country and used them against theKurds an Iran.............THIS FACT! Go back and read the history, ofcourse this does not apply to liberals that can't see any further thentheir welfare check.
User: Troy_CampbellAdded: 12 March 2010
Vote: 6
Green Zone is well worth a trip to the cinema.
Seen by many as a gap-filler until Greengrass and Damon make Bourne 4,this Iraq-set action-thriller lives up to expectations of being aclever, high-adrenaline picture that will only increase your hunger forJason Bourne's next outing. However, Green Zone doesn't merely sufficeas an in-between flick, it breaks through that 'gap-filler' label tostand out on its own merits as a meticulously crafted flick with awelcome sense of physical realism – as opposed to say, From Paris WithLove or Law Abiding Citizen – that ensures you're embedded deep withinthe action.
Greengrass and DP Barry Ackroyd have recreated a tremendously authenticIraq; the numerous wide shots are simply splendid, assumingly usingunderstated CGI to give it a gritty, war-torn atmosphere. When in closequarters the resonant sound design – punching gunfire, scratchy voicesover the comms, thumping footsteps, humming of distant helicopters –that accompanies the intense set pieces add an additional level ofimmersion that'll have you on the edge of your seat. The action itselfis of the same high standard we have come to expect from Greengrass:fast, hard-hitting, unrelenting, genuine and exhilarating. Whether onfoot or on wheels, Greengrass has a deft touch for creating suspensefuland convincing sequences that feel exactly like they would if occurringin real life.
If the story strikes you as slightly idealistic – all characters hereare depicted as a clear cut good or bad, no ambiguity at all – that'sbecause it is. The protagonist Miller is the main focus of the pieceand as such is given that extra profundity not afforded to the othersand Damon reliably makes the most of this, delivering yet another solidperformance. The rest of the cast are chiefly one-dimensional, butlet's face it, how much more fun is it when the hero screws over thepolitical scoundrel or the haughty Special Forces Captain when we knowwithout doubt they're bad people? It's credit to the seasoned talent ofIsaacs, Gleeson and Kinnear that they provide entertaining caricaturesthat sneer, growl and smarm all in the right places.
Don't wait for DVD, Green Zone is well worth a trip to the cinema.
4 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 -Classic)
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 33
The ugliest film I've ever seen
First of all:
Paul Greengrass is a brilliant director (and hey, I'm not a fan of theBourne films whatsoever). And Brian Helgeland is a talentedscreenwriter.
Oh yeah...and Matt Damon is cool too.
Now, having said this...the photography on this film is the ugliestcinematography I have ever seen.
The camera operator(s) hardly ever held the camera still. It was alwaysshaking! The grainy picture was just plain UGLY (and I like grainyfilms). The colors were way too muted and desaturated.
In short, the story was good, even believable...but the photography wasso poor...I couldn't see s---!
Again, this was the ugliest film I've ever seen.
Cinematographers: STOP using HAND-HELD cameras! You're professionalsfor hell's sakes!
Added: 9 March 2010
Vote: 27
Boring Action, Bland Characters & Theme Overkill
Green Zone is billed as an action film that's really a paint by thenumbers political thriller that isn't very, well ... thrilling. Firstoff, the film had no exciting plot twists. The story is all plotsprinkled with zero character development topped with redundant layersof theme. The theme, that "evil government lies to the people, etc...",can be interesting but when it's so thickly thrust into a script withsuch shallow, one-dimensional characters I find it hard to swallow (andit's not like I don't believe the GOV doesn't lie to us either -by bothreps and dems). Secondly, after Matt Damon's impressive performance inThe Informant I was ready for another. Not this time. He plays ChiefWarrant Officer Roy Miller like a wet leaf, a John Wayne"esquire" typeantihero who "plays by his own rules" which seems VASTLY out of placefor a character in the U.S. Military. It was more like Damon was thethrow-caution-to-the-wind spy, Jason Bourne, who had gone to Iraqi tofind the missing WMD's than a realistic depiction of an Army soldier.Finally, the film contained only two intensive action sequences,neither which were very exciting. The overall cinematography wasunimpressive, lacking and was wrought with an overuse of hand heldcamera work. I suppose since it's P. Greengrass I should expect it butcome'on, can you give us a break once in a while from the shaky cam(I'm getting a headache)? If you want a tension filled, beautifullyshot war film please see the Hurt Locker. Overall, this film deservesfive stars or a weak 6, if you're feeling generous. Definitely a rental(enjoyed Body of Lies more). Oh, and if you're getting up on your highhorse about how "anti-war this" or "anti-gov that" this film is then Ithink you missed the point. It's simple ENTERTAINMENT created to makeMONEY. Sure, the film has a strong political theme but it's called"show BUSINESS" for a reason and it's not because it's called "showPOLITICS" (like Fox News or Michael Moore).
User: the_PoppunsAdded: 13 March 2010
Vote: 23
Shake, Shake, Shake
Shake, shake, shake, shake your Damon.
I'm sooooo sick of shaky cam, seriously. I don't know how I haven'tgotten literally sick yet. Whoever is telling people this is a reallycool way to film movies, STOP IT! This movie was a waste of my time.Now I'm sure there is an audience for this. Probably a big one. Unlikethe rest of the free world, I still don't buy Matt Damon as an actionstar. As far as I'm concerned he seems like someone who should beattacking books at the most. This movie had some running around andshooting, and a hopping translator, and a lot of grainy greenness. Whatelse? I dunno. Some guy who looks like Telly Savalas with a mustacheand a message that will make you think. But only if you've never everthought before. Honestly, it was like a spoof of itself. A lot ofpeople running around spouting lines in very stern ADR work so you'llknow that you're supposed to be taking this almost as seriously as theyare. And it's how seriously it takes itself that makes it funny. Iremember a time when people complained about movies like Rambo forhaving very little dialogue. This was hardly any better. But that atleast was a good movie. This completely wastes Jason Isaacs. AndBrendan Gleeson just looks grumpy the whole time. And all you can thinkis 'when is the next Harry Potter movie?' Matt Damon fans who enjoyshaky camera work might like it. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.But it's up to you.
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 20
Predictable and Unforgivably Grainy
The plot is decent if a bit obvious at this point in time. What ruinedthis movie for me was its unacceptable, poor image quality. In this dayand age, we're accustomed to watching exciting movies in our homes oncrisp HDTV screens. I'm not referring to the hand-held effects. Thisfilm was grainy and out of focus. It was so bad that I thought thatperhaps there was a problem with the projection, but the subtitles werecrystal clear over the grainy movie. I was so disappointed with theimage quality that I considered going to the manager and asking for mymoney back. Has production value completely gone out the window? Itseemed to me that this wasn't for effect, but to save money. Momentsago I re- watched the trailer, and every second of the trailer iscrystal clear, what you would expect for your ten dollars. The actualmovie doesn't deliver on the quality promise of the trailer. If thetrailer had been grainy, I wouldn't have seen the movie. There arescenes in the trailer that are clear, but in the movie looked horrible.Maybe they'll clean it up for the DVD. This was a real disappointment.
User: DICK STEELAdded: 11 March 2010
Vote: 8
A Nutshell Review: Green Zone
The final scene of the film has the camera pan up to a desert landscapewith an oil refinery, suggesting that the real reason for the US ledinvasion of Iraq back in 2003, was not just solely because SaddamHussein had to be ousted, but in a way to secure the supply of a vitalresource that currently fuels the world's economy. Conspiracy theoristshad their field day when the world got sold on the existence of Weaponsof Mass Destruction (WMDs) in Iraq, and I too was one of those who hadstayed up late to witness then US Secretary of State Colin Powelldeliver those damning evidence, only to receive that embarrassing slapon the face when it turned out to be one elaborate hoax.
Wherefore art thou WMD? becomes the premise of Green Zone, upon which apolitical thriller cum action film got fused together in PaulGreengrass' signature technique of documentary- styled, shakycamera-work to elicit a sense of voyeuristic reality, and to bring usback to four weeks into the Shock and Awe campaign of 2003, with the USarmy frantically searching for WMDs to prove to a jittery world thatthe decision to invade was the right call. Written by Brian Helgeland(who wrote screenplays for films like Payback, Man on Fire and TheTaking of Pelham 1 2 3), his story as inspired by RajivChandrasekaran's book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq'sGreen Zone") again crafts a never-say-die alpha male in Chief WarrantOfficer Miller, played by Matt Damon who has shed those kilos from TheInformant, who with his platoon, is getting increasing frustrated bythe quality of intel that led them on missions to locate WMDs, only tobecome wild geese on a chase around the desert land.
And it is his quest for the truth that we see him question hissuperiors, and decide to break ranks to do a little investigativelegwork of his own with a few good loyal men, only to discover the deepdivisions within whom he thought were the good guys who had put countrybefore self. With each faction from the various agencies such as DoD'sClark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear) and CIA's veteran Middle East analystMartin Brown (Brendan Gleeson), all displaying multiple levels ofincompetence, their innate nature of covering up their dirty deeds, andall too eager to gain one up against the other, no wonder everyone justcan't seem to get their act together, and we are where we are today.Even the press doesn't seem to be too independent this time round,suggesting that reporters make strange bedfellows with men in monkeysuits.
I had enjoyed how Helgeland weaves in plenty of real life parallelsinto the story, such as the puppet leader "chosen" by the West for hiswillingness to comply rather than a leader from within, and in someways, to showcase an admission into the kind of logistical screw upsand political missteps that had taken place in Iraq, only because theiraftermath to the invasion drew up a blank in rebuilding plans, exposinga strategy that is sorely lacking in being well thought through. And asa jibe to how the US has turned soft and lacking in moral authority,there's a scene that stood right out, that amidst the extreme chaos ofa military operation and death, comes the kind of decadence from withinthe established safe havens of Baghdad, making you wonder if you'vestumbled upon Beverly Hills instead.
The marketing folks have blared their trumpets at the collaborativereturn of Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon, who together have breathedlife into the Bourne franchise, and while they had debunked the rumoursof another Bourne outing, Green Zone reunites the two in delivering yetanother edge of your seat political thriller, with an action componentfeaturing the kind of military hardware that would make Michael Bayenvious, from Humvees to Black Hawks, showcasing drool-worthytechnology and plenty of FIBUA fighting done Greengrass style that itreally does seem that you're put right smack within the heat of theaction like a planted journalist, up too close to where the action is.
But despite all the military bravado, the other merit I'd see in thefilm is the portrayal of the character Freddy (Khalid Abdalla), anordinary Iraqi whose limp is testament that he had served his countryin the Iraq-Iran war. Being unwittingly caught up in the action andgiven the job as the de facto translator, his purpose in the film isnone other than to say "Yankees Go Home" at every opportunity, sincethe soldiers are unwelcome, and their presence serve little purposeother than to introduce chaos unseen outside of the Zone. PerhapsFreddy has the best line of all in the film, a reminder not to meddleneedlessly into the affairs of another sovereign country.
In the end, Green Zone comes off as a curious reminder that war isjustifiable only for a proper and just reason, since it inevitablyinvolves casualties, especially civilian ones. But as already seen fromhistory, rationales can be swayed by power presentations, heartfeltpersuasions, and the simple belief that one is doing the right thingfor the greater good, which comes with collateral damage. This filmserves as the perfect balance in being thought-provoking, and one forthe military action fan. Recommended!
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 2
Predictable but still very Nice ....
Coming into this movie ,i had loads of expectations and i would not sayit was not met. I am a Matt Damon,war movie ,international Politicsfan.So there is a possibility of me being a little bias towards themovie.But i would try earnestly not to be.
The movie is an hypothesis over Iraq war and WMD fiasco. Matt Damon isa WMD expert in Iraq but half way into the job and he realizes thatthere is something more sinister going on. He tries to discover thatand so goes the story. So far so good...decent acting,good charactersand pretty fast paced movie.
Some of the thing which i did not like was too much of shaky camerascenes . At one point of time ,I felt that director is trying to takeit too far to get that elusive ,"Reality Thing" and in turn is spoilingthe fun. Dear Director , We understand that its a movie and shaking thecamera would not make it MORE REAL MOVIE.To an extent its good and iliked the way it was done in Bourne series but i almost got an achethis time.
Another thing was the predictability but i don't blame the director asthis was an hypothesis movie which tried to explain the condition thatIRAQ is facing today. Who does not know that IRAQ is turning out to bea graveyard for Americans.So with that known it was easy to predictthat not everything would go right for Matt Damon.With that said theonly question was how ? and in this department Director pulled offpretty decent job. But at the end ,it was like ,i knew it would happen.
Over all it is a watchable movie for those who like Politics,War etc.
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 2
Not the clich? you might expect
Enter the theater on this one with pre-conceived notions that it'll bea one sided leftist Hollywood affair, and you'll only be partly right.The end result with Green Zone is a better than expected Iraq Warepisode, one we found more rewarding than the celebrated Hurt Locker.As for the politics, there's some of that and in the end the message issort of "America bad, America greedy", but it's moderated by enoughproper storytelling that you shouldn't care. Director Greengrass andActor Damon hook up once more to rekindle their born of Bournecollaboration, yet don't let that put you off, Damon doesn't do aninvincible super soldier here, and doesn't get to dispatch hordes ofbumbling mercenaries in the process. Instead, he's an army chiefwarrant officer commanding a team of WMD hunters. After the invasion iswell under way, Damon's Roy Miller notices that the intel his team hasbeen fed leads to empty warehouses and no mass destruction whatsoever.Questioning the source of these tips, Miller comes upon a deep rootedmanipulation of world politics involving shady DC honcho ClarkPoundstone (Greg Kinnear), who's the most disappointing character inthe whole movie. They try to make him singularly responsible for thewar, which is ludicrous and not workable. On the plus side, Damon doeswell and is assisted by several quality thespians, like Jason Isaacs,who plays a special ops officer involved in the conspiracy. While aminor character, he does his usual macho villain magic with greataplomb and deftly lends the role unexpected depth. Too bad it wasn'tdeveloped at more length. Meanwhile, Brendan Gleeson acts as asympathetic CIA lead agent that helps Miller along in unraveling thismess, but this turn as a Langley-sourced ally doesn't become Gleesonone bit. Then there's the assortment of assisting personas, such asMiller's local interpreter and reluctant partner Freddy (played by KiteFlyer's Khalid Abdalla), obvious journalist Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan) andstereotypical Iraqi general Al-Rawi (Igal Naor). The latter is at thefocus of the plot, because he symbolizes the old Iraq and the US lapsein tapping established politics in building a post-Saddam nation. GreenZone is very watchable, the story tight and the dialogue apt. Theaction isn't bad but some of the shaky cam work leaves audiencesconfused. Overall, everything on screen is quite believable, there'ssome preachy politics but not too much, and Miller indeed never spillsover into Ramboland. Also, some of the engagements within the story areambiguous, so it's not easy to say which one is truly a good or badcharacter. However, this isn't to say Green Zone is a spectaculartriumph. It's one of the better Iraq War movies out there, but stilllacking in professionalism – Damon carries his rifle around like anumbrella most of the time, and the soldiering skills depicted aren'tall that impressive. In the end, the title is likewise misleading ,because the Green Zone itself never plays a major part in proceedings.However, this is nonetheless a recommended flick you should check outto remind yourself mainstream Hollywood fare can be a pleasantsurprise.
User: C-YounkinAdded: 9 March 2010
Vote: 19
In the zone
Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass re-team and they brought theirshaky, hand-held camera with them. It's Jason Bourne in a non-JasonBourne movie, but it stands right up there with those films. Based onRajiv Chandrasekran's book, it takes place during the early days of theIraq war. Damon is Army Chief Roy Miller, baffled by poor intelligencethat has so far led to squat in the WMD department. He soon findshimself in the middle of two opposing agendas. Aided by CIA Chief toBaghdad Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson) and hindered by SpecialIntelligence Coordinator, Clark Poundstone (Greg Kinnear), Miller soonmust go off the grid in order to find "Magellan", an Iraqi official whomay or may not be providing false intelligence. Amy Ryan also shows upas a journalist in Judith Miller clothing. Lensed by the alwayshyperactive Greengrasss, "Green Zone" is a raw and breathlessly plottedthriller that captures the chaos on the ground, the intensity of everymission, and the suspense waiting in every Baghdad back-alley, bunker,etc. The action is immensely entertaining, especially the finalnail-biting fire-fight. Of course we know about the WMD's now but BrianHelgeland's screenplay is still loaded with intriguing Iraqi politics,and questions about responsible journalism and governmental deceptionthat still resonate today. Matt Damon again proves himself a bourneaction hero and he anchors the movie with a determined and intelligentperformance. Kinnear, as the slick politician who won't let anythinginterfere with bringing change to Iraq, and Gleeson, as the gruff CIAchief who thinks this change stuff is a bunch of crap, are bothterrific. Khallid Abdalla also turns in strong work as an Iraqi citizeneager to do what's right for his country. "Green Zone" is first a greataction flick, but with a strong story to boot.
User: SDockorockerty_MarkIIAdded: 12 March 2010
Vote: 19
Complete lack of suspense means "Green Zone" should be a "No go zone"
Wow, what a waste of time and money. The whole premise of "Green Zone"is that Matt Damon has to run around to try and stop what could becomean insurgency. As we all know there was and still is an insurgencyraging in Iraq. Therein lies the reason for the complete lack ofsuspense. The Bourne movies worked not only because of the freneticaction scenes but because suspense filled every frame of the movie,this is definitely not the case here. Beyond the lack of suspense,there are several other problems with this movie. The characters arecompletely one dimensional. We are never given a reason for MattDamon's determination to find out the truth or uncover the conspiracy,nor are we given much character background on the female journalist.The other characters appear as basically cardboard cut outsparticularly Jason Isaacs who is barely recognisable in his role as"soldier who only follows orders" model 6. The action scenes are alsopretty boring and the last long action sequence were boring rather thanexciting, particularly since the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Overall, "Green Zone" fails to excite, intrigue and even makes youcringe when it attempts to shoe horn something meaningful in at theend. Don't waste your money or your time.
Added: 13 March 2010
Vote: 2
Not Quite Bourne or United 93, But Still Worth Seeing
The Green Zone is the latest in the War on Terror/Iraq movie trend. Itfollows Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon) a month after theinvasion of Iraq and his hunt for Weapons of Mass Destruction. Problemis he's not finding any. Miller, and a good many others, arefrustrated, but it seems many more Americans don't actually care.Rebuild, rebuild they say. And so begins Miller's quest to figure outwhy there aren't any WMDs in Iraq.
(Plot spoilers) Of course, this doesn't surprise us the audience, atall. We already know there aren't any, and we already suspect the U.S.government did some lying. After about half an hour, I was able tofigure out the plot. The WMD source is a liar, or maybe nonexistent.The Pentagon chief is the main bad guy (not interestingly, the Baathgeneral, he's the movie's source of hope). Miller is the soldier doinghis duty, the Wall Street Journal reporter will get the truth out therein the end.
I'm not trying to tell you that what he shows you isn't believable.There was certainly deception by the US government with the WMDs. TheGreen Zone just gets predictable way too quickly.
The movie's strongest point is its cinematography. If I didn't know anybetter, I'd swear this was shot in Baghdad weeks after the fall ofSaddam. Greenglass and his cinematographer nail the scene, from bombedout buildings, blacked-out skyline of the city to the little detailslike the signs on Coalition headquarters.
Greenglass's shaky cam returns too, made famous by the two Bournes andUnited 93. It works wonder for tension and pacing in the action scenes.I also noticed the film was incredibly grainy, for effect of course,but I found myself wondering if it was really necessary.
Oh, lest I forgot the incredible action sequences. Boy do we get them,although this isn't a war. The violence isn't continuous, butGreenglass knows how to turn create tension and intensity whenever gunsare drawn.
The actors work well too. Matt Damon is credible in his role, everyoneelse does their job well enough. The one actor who surprised me wasKhalid Abdalla plays Freddy, an injured Iraqi who gets caught in theintrigue and becomes Damon's translator. In a movie filled withmanipulators and soldiers, Freddy breathes fresh air by being anordinary guy trying to do what's best for his country.
Final Words. 6/10. Amazing cinematography and directing, Greenglassproves he's one of the best directors in the business. The actors allperform well. The action works too. Just please, next time, make theplot unpredictable.
Added: 12 March 2010
Vote: 9
Damon's best
Damon's performance is brilliant and the Director has done an amazingjob in conveying an authentic feeling that will put all other moviesabout the Iraq war to shame. Green Zone proves that Matt Damon isn'tjust a Bourne Ultimatum hit wonder. He is a mature actor. The moviedares to venture into an area where the critics (the same folks whobrought you the lies about WMDs) are shown for who they really are.Greengrass goes beyond the camera techniques of Bourne Ultimatum todeliver an epic film, every dollar given it's values worth. Thescript's cohesiveness, Damon's brilliant performance and Greengrass'sdirection will leave you satisfied, and the critics confounded. Dotruth a favour, watch Damon's amazing performance in the Green Zonethis weekend.
