The Last Full Measure

Oddly, it is in the combat recreations, that have been praised for their accuracy, that The Last Full Measure falters. But in the present day political and bureaucratic battles, the film really starts to pay its rent.

Ultimately, we're just meant to recognize bravery and salute. The movie's not strictly necessary for that.

Writer/director Todd Robinson spins this tale of heroism with a lot of purple sentiment but surprisingly little of the jingoism expected from a film like this.

The film largely evades any perspectives that might question the institutions that put our soldiers in harm's way.

"The Last Full Measure" is lost in the fog of war from the moment it starts.

The amazing true story of a soldier's valour in Vietnam takes a back seat to a decades-long tale of bureaucratic incompetence and corruption.

While its story mechanics are creaky, the valour of Pitsenbarger is evoked cogently, in well-executed battle sequences.

No amount of marquee talent... can fully compensate for the inert melodrama peddled by this inspired-by-true-events film, which recounts the 1999 campaign to see Pitsenbarger properly feted.

Despite its flaws, this movie reminds us all of the sacrifices made by soldiers and to be mindful of how we treat them when they come home.

Todd Robinson... has managed to turn this tribute to a verifiable hero into a plodding, somnolent snooze.