You can tell that 71: Into the Fire will be an action-packed movie with gunfire and explosions right from the get go. Fans of Choi Seung Hyun or popularly known as TOP from Big Bang will see a different side of their idol in this one. He plays Oh Jang-beom, the leader of the student soldiers who were tasked to defend Pohang.

Among the other 71 student soldiers is Koo Kap Jo (Kwon Sang Woo), who at first disdained authority and hated following orders given by Jang Beom. 71: Into the Fire is a coming of age movie for the student soldiers. You can see how Jang-beom matures as the movie progresses. Kap Jo also learned how to be responsible and not just think about himself all the time.

Also in 71: Into the Fire is Kim Seung Woo as a South Korean officer. I find this funny because the last time I saw Kim Seung Woo and TOP together was in IRIS, where they both played North Korean agents. TOP’s character in both IRIS and 71: Into the Fire are somehow similar in a way because he hardly spoke in both projects.

71: Into the Fire showed that the Korean War is a war between countrymen. This is the sad truth about it. Just like in any other war in the history of mankind, there’s really no winner in the end. Everyone loses. The movie is two hours long but it doesn’t feel like it. 71 student soldiers against battalions of North Koreans, you can guess how it would end. No one survived the massacre but at least they managed to delay the North Korean army advance into South Korea.

There are several noteworthy scenes in 71: Into the Fire. Action is non-stop from start to finish. TOP fans might have a hard time watching it with all the gore and blood in it. But I know that won’t stop the rabid fans from watching this movie. If you love war movies like Saving Private Ryan then you’ll enjoy this movie.

To start with, The Hurt Locker is a unique war movie that didn’t have to resort to gimmicks to tell its story. It centers on one man, Sergeant First Class William James (Jeremy Renner) of the EOD squad in Baghdad. It didn’t tackle the politics behind the war or the issues that surround it. It is neither left nor right. It is just about one man and his job.

There are people complaining about the inaccuracies depicted in The Hurt Locker. What they failed to realize is that this is a movie and not a documentary. The director and writers have the creative license to come up with things that would make the story look good in the big screen. This is the case in this movie. If you want an accurate account of what happened in the Middle East then watch the news or the History Channel.

The Hurt Locker is a decent movie but I was surprised that it won the best picture award in the Oscar’s. Well 500 Days of Summer, which was my top movie of 2009, was not even nominated so I guess my opinion is insignificant.

Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner): This box is full of stuff that almost killed me.

Don’t get me wrong. I did enjoy The Hurt Locker. I also think that Kathryn Bigelow did a good job. Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, and the rest of the cast gave an inspired acting job. Plus there’s Evangeline Lilly who served as my eye candy in this movie.

The Hurt Locker is well made and kudos should be given to everyone involved in making it. Some say it glorifies the war. I beg to disagree. Some Gulf War veterans don’t like the inaccuracies it portrayed. I can’t argue with them but I do know a good movie when I saw one. The Hurt Locker is one of the best movies made based on the conflict in the Middle East.

Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) is the leader of the Basterds, which is a group of American soldiers whose goal is to kill Nazis within the occupied territory. Then there’s Shosanna (Melanie Laurent), a Jewish cinema owner who has witnessed her family being massacred by Landa’s group.

The lives of the Raine, Shosanna, and Landa intertwine with each other and end with the slaughter of the Nazis, including Hitler, in the cinema. We all know that Hitler didn’t die in a cinema but why stick to historical facts when a fanfic will be more entertaining. The Inglourious Basterds has a lot of historical inaccuracies; if you want to know the truth then watch a documentary instead.

Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt): You know somethin’, Utivich? I think this might just be my masterpiece.

At first I was annoyed with Pitt’s accent but it became bearable as the movie progressed. Pitt, Waltz, Laurent, and the rest of the cast members of the Inglourious Basterds gave an outstanding performance. When Mike Myers came on screen, all I could think about was Austin Powers. Oh well, he did play a British military man in this one. Diane Kruger provided additional eye-candy as Bridget von Hammersmark.

Quentin Tarantino knows how to entertain his fans. He managed to make World War II fun. The Inglourious Basterds is 2 ½ hours long but it’s filled with suspense, drama, action, and humor that you wouldn’t even notice the time. A lot of people and spell checkers hate this movie. They are calling it a travesty and an insult for those who died during the war. But Tarantino didn’t pass it as reality. It’s his version and I like it.