The Great Raid (2005)

How can an American man not love “The Great Raid”? It’s the dramatic retelling of U.S. troops leading a spectacular assault on a cruel POW camp run by the Japanese during World War II. The mission: Save 500+ Americans inside. It has sacrifice, valor, tragic death and American flags waving high and proud. It’s even filmed in that honey-gold hue that makes everyone think, “Them sure was the days,” even if they weren’t around for them days, and the reality that those days sucked. But the film’s a loss. Directed by John Dahl, “Raid” is as riveting as a high school textbook. The plot splits into three stories that connect with each other, but never the audience: The troops (led by Benjamin Bratt and James Franco), the suffering POWs (led by Joseph Fiennes) and the nearby resistance fighters (led by Connie Nielsen) all play like an NBC Miniseries from 1985. Edited to ribbons. Only the end credits provide spark as footage from the real battle’s aftermath plays. The rest is like a forced march. Franco’s narration is mind-numbing. C