Seemingly forgotten soon after its release, Vietnam War epic We Were Soldiers is an unforgettable look at a drawn out struggle for a landing zone in the early moments of the war. Mel Gibson leads a packed cast as they struggle, constantly out numbered. It never turns away from its graphic violence, and rightfully shows a small portion of the Vietnamese struggle to survive as the conflict continues.

Before heading off to begin the fight, We Were Soldiers struggles to develop its characters. True or not, Mel Gibson is a prototypical "good soldier." He's a caring father, loves God, spends ample time with his kids, and pushes those inspiring speeches for his troops when they're down. It nails every cliché before the troops are sent off to war.

Brief interludes head back to the home front after the soldiers begin their fight. Aside from that, a full hour and half is given to the violent struggle. Credit is due to director Randall Wallace for keeping a pace and maintaining intensity. Gritty gore serves as a reminder and is not inserted for cheap shock value.

It's even more impressive to consider that the battle takes place in a small area with a constant back-and-forth struggle. Napalm serves to create the oversized explosions audiences are used to and gripping intensity brings nighttime scenes to life. Emotion is wonderfully crafted through every aspect of the war.

Some may find the drama overwrought or forced. Based on true accounts, very little has been changed for this screen translation from a book of the same name. Audiences will find the ending forced, especially when the Lieutenant makes the call to air support to wipe out the entire Vietnamese advance out of the blue. It's too logical that this should have happened long before the situation intensified to the point in which the squads are almost completely overrun.

We Were Soldiers handles everything properly aside from a few brief lapses. Even a small dose of humor manages to lighten the mood enough to keep the depressing aspects from becoming overbearing. This is a truly great movie, lost to the Platoons and Private Ryans of the world.

This HD-DVD presentation is littered with grain in the early moments. Into the war, outstanding detail from the tall grass to the trees masks this problem. It's always there, and it can be said it adds to the atmosphere or feel of the film. Black levels are amazingly rich and consistent. This is the best looking fire of any HD-DVD to date, eclipsing even Backdraft. The purity and range of the color is unbelievable.