When it comes to epic war movies, there are none worse than The Great Raid, reportedly made for US$80 million but as ineffective as a bomb that fails to detonate.
It was made with good intentions and is sincere in its tribute to the heroic US soldiers and prisoners of war (POWs) who suffered greatly at the hands of Japanese soldiers during the second world war.
The story centres on a small group of elite soldiers who embark on a mission to rescue 500 US POWs from a Japanese concentration camp in the Philippines.
It's based on historical facts and refuses to exaggerate real-life events and characters for dramatic effect. But director John Dahl has mistaken seriousness and sincerity for drawn-out tedium. His plain storytelling, which avoids elaborate camera movements or explosive drama, makes the two-hour movie an uninspiring mess that is painful to sit through.
While the film has all the makings of a great human and action drama, it's bogged down by a slow tempo. The scenes switch back and forth between the planning of the raid and the plight of POWs, instead of the actual raid.
Action only happens in the final 15 minutes of the film, so viewers may be sound asleep by the time the rangers fire their first shot.