Uncommon Valor (1983)

Gene Hackman plays Colonel Rhodes, a frustrated veteran who rounds up a gang of the roughest men he can find, all to lead an invasion of a Vietnamese Prisoner of War camp at which he believes his son is still held captive. Seemingly far-fetched plot isn't as overblown as one might think, while the cast gives great, solid, and most of all believable performances, including Patrick Swayze, Fred Ward, and Randall "Tex" Cobb. Includes a high energy action-filled climax. Recommended for fans of gritty war-dramas. Besides, it's always interesting to see Tex Cobb doing a ballet improvisation.

Fmovies: Uncommon Valor stars Gene Hackman as a retired US Army Colonel who still wants an accounting of his son who was listed as Missing In Action when the Vietnam War ended in 1973. Rumors on rumors pile up as to whether we still have men kept as prisoners of war from the late conflict in Southeast Asia. Hackman thinks he has a lead and he goes to multi-millionaire Robert Stack who also has an MIA son with a plan of action that involves leading some veterans as a volunteer mercenary force to get their comrades out.

I'll say the same thing I said about Rambo II which touched on the same subject. Does it make any kind of rational sense that the Vietnamese or in this case the men are being held in Laos would keep prisoners of war after the conflict has ended? My guess is, sad to say that prisoners that we could not account for being held by the enemy at the conclusion of the war would probably have been just simply murdered.

But the idea that we could go back and win one in the extra innings of war certainly had appeal which accounts for the popularity of Uncommon Valor and Rambo II. At least Gene Hackman was not going to do it singlehanded the way Sly Stallone did.

Bearing all that in mind, Uncommon Valor is a nice action war film if taken on its own terms. The men that Hackman selects, all veterans from the conflict, Randall Cobb, Fred Ward, Tim Thomerson, Reb Brown, and Harold Sylvester are all professionals. The film never goes down to the rollicking and somewhat dopey hijinks of the A-Team. They have one youngster on the mission, a young Patrick Swayze on the cusp of stardom. He's there to rescue his father if possible.

The cast has a nice chemical camaraderie to it. Uncommon Valor is a decent enough action film, not to be taken too terribly serious.

Comments:

In my opinion, this is an excellent movie, primarily because it shows the camaraderie and exactly why such teams are so close knit. The scenes in Thailand (Laos) are excellent. Very reminiscent of the back country anywhere in South East Asia. The cast was well selected and worked very well together. I particularly enjoy the part where Sailor is asked about his money, as there are many, manydistractions in places like Saigon, Phnom Penh and Bangkok, as any veteran can tell you...LOL

Corrections: Gene Hackman plays the part of a Marine Colonel, not an Army Colonel.

In many Armies, a Full Colonel is considered equivalent to a General. Meaning that a civilian calling a Colonel a General may be a mistake and may not.

For example, in the Thai Army & Air Force, there are Colonels and there are Senior Colonels. The Senior Colonel is considered the equivalent of a General 'select', but may hold that position for years until there is an opening. To treat him as less than a General would be an affront of great magnitude...

Uncommon Valor fmovies. highly trained mercenaries + precise tactical mission + lots of explosions + Reb Brown!

no, Reb didn't exactly star in this film. In fact everyone's favorite beefy slab of machine-gun toting girlie-screaming mayhem has a pretty minor role in this one. Gene Hackman gives possibly his best performance as a disgruntled father of an MIA who leads a bunch of 'nam vets back to 'nam on an unsanctioned, privately-funded mission... by Robert "maybe you can solve a mystery" Stack no less!

This film has an outrageously fun concept, and it's also done remarkably well with half the film spent with the guys practicing their mission in an elaborate training-ground, and the second half with them pumping round after round into gook soldier. Sure the premise proved popular enough to inspire several later films like COBRA MISSION, MISSING IN ACTION, and RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART 2 (Director Kotcheff directed FIRST BLOOD)... but it's just so fun in an escapist, outlandish, Swiss-Family-Robinson sort of way you just have to love it. On the plus side, Uncommon Valor also features a wealth of your favorite B-actors, like Fred Ward (Tremors 1 and 2), Randall Cobb (Golden Child), Patrick Swayze (Steel Dawn), and the aforementioned Reb Brown (Robowar, Strike Commando, Yor, etc.).

Any film with Reb Brown happily chanting "bouncin' betty blows their balls off!" can't be that bad... it's just hilarious to see him so caught up in his role that his dialog becomes unintelligable later in the film amidst all his screaming and yelling.

One of Kotcheff's better films, certainly a step up from FIRST BLOOD... would've benefitted from a better musical score (since there really isn't much of one to speak of).

Box-office hit of the 80s about a misfit team re-reunited by Gene Hackman to carry out a suicide mission behind enemy lines . A group of Vietnam vets are drafted to go on a near-suicide mission and to rescue one of their own left behind and taken prisoner by the Vietnamese . ¨Uncommon valor¨ is an entertaining film with Gene Hackman who aware his son can still be alive and decides to go in after him . As Hackman is a tough officer along with the ordinary and troublesome team of unadapted ex-soldiers of Vietnam . The retired military man himself training a group of rebel and misfit soldiers for a dangerous assault on Laos. In the hands of hardboiled director Ted Kotcheff and a tough-as-leather cast headed by Hackman , that's all the plot that's needed to make one rip-roaring wartime flick . Supported by a rich businessman ,Robert Stack , whose son was also a POW, the bunch engages in a perilous and violent adventure attempting to rescue the POWs and at the same time re-direct their lives . Hackman's mission is two-fold and in violent style : first turn his soldiers into a hard fighting unit and later on they go to invade Laos in search of prisoners , still Missing in Action . The unit formed by diverse characters include a cocky hunk as Reb Brown , Harold Sylvester as a chronic malcontent , Randal Tex Cobb as a ready-to-blow nutty , Fred Ward as a lame-brained soldier , Tim Thomerson as old veteran and a beginner Patrick Swayze . The first half of the film allows the colorful cast of character actors to have their fun as they get their tails whipped into shape and develop shaky relationship with their leader . The final part is all action, as the commando wreck havoc and then run for their lives. The relentless assignment is set against strong training, risked adventures and hazardous feats . The dangerous mission includes a two-fisted group formed by a motley and diverse squadron played by all-star cast of the 80s . This is a rugged actioner concerning about an experienced officer , Col. Rhodes , he undertakes training the valiant unit of soldiers that get a chance to redeem themselves . At the end they must participate in the suicidal mission behind the enemy lines , to wipe enemies and rescue prisoners by means of a violent assault over a strongly protected camp.

Gene Hackman as Colonel Rhodes who gathers a motley crew assumes the character of the leader in this thrilling war movie stunningly directed by Ted Kotcheff , being well scripted by Joe Gayton and uncredited by also actor Wing Hauser. This is a routine Actioner with prestigious star Gene Hackman as the Vietnam veteran resulting to be one of the best roles he'd made in the 80s , as he's fine as tough , cold , obstinate Colonel . This formula action/war/thriller packs frantic movement , perilous adventures , relentless feats , and buck-loads of explosive action and violence . The noisy action is uniformly well-made, especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes on the concentration camp , including some spectacular shootouts and bombing . Apart from the values of team spirit , cudgeled by Gene Hackman into his rebel group , the film is full of feats , suspense , and thrills . Rough Hackman is good as leader of the motley pack together to thwart enemy camp , as well as the largely secondary cast with special mention to Randall Tex Cobb and Patrick Swayze . Atmospheric and exciting musical score by James Horner and appropriate cinematography filmed by cameraman Stephen Burum in several locations from Bangkok, Thailand ; Hanalei, Kau

Uncommon Valor (1983) is a underrated Vietnam war flick that I have grown up with it, it is one of the best classic Vietnam films from Patrick Swayze, alongside with Gene Hackman! I really love this film to death. I grew up watching this movie it was all time my favorite war film. This movie was made before Missing in Action and Rambo: First Blood Part II was released. This film shows a great courage and heroism to US soldiers who served in Vietnam who were missing in action and were held captive in Vietnam camps. This movie is about a U.S. Marine officer who puts together a team of Vietnam vets who served in Vietnam and he try's to rescue his son, who he believes is among those still held in Laos after the Vietnam War. Directed by Ted Kotcheff who previously directed First Blood (1982). I used to had this movie on VHS but I don't have it anymore and I can't get the Blu-ray because it is not released yet. This is my first number 1 Patrick Swayze movie he ever made. It is his best work from the 80's, even tough he had a small role. I really had a blast and fun watching him in this movie, playing a Marine Kevin Scott.

"Boy, you just bought the whole can of whup-ass!" "Boy, you usin' that oriental martial bulls**t on me's gonna get real expensive."

Plot: Ten years after his son went MIA in Vietnam, U.S.Marine retired Colonel Jason Rhodes assembles a private rescue team to find Americans held in POW camps in Laos.

What I love about this movie is: you have a solid excellent cast: Gene Hackman, Patrick Swayze, Fred Ward, Reb Brown, Randall "Tex" Cobb, Harold Sylvester, Tim Thomerson and Robert Stack. This is a fantastic war movie, it has drama, action and humor. This film has it all and it done so well with it is heart sleeve. I don't understand why this movie is so underrated and forgotten, like no one mentions this movie today. This was Randall "Tex" Cobb's second film later he played another Vietnam vet in MacGyver (1985) Season 3 Episode 16 (1987), I love the fight scene between Sailor (Randall "Tex" Cobb) and Kevin Scott (Patrick Swayze), Swayze using his martial arts on Sailor was epic, fantastic. This is my favorite best scene in the film ever, and I love Sailor's dialogue I absolutely love everything about this movie!

You have a training sequences, you have a real mission with a real Viet Congs. You have a beautiful music theme song from James Horner which I love it and I love the song Brothers in the Night by Ray Kennedy. This film was filmed and released in the year 1983, that year when I was born. This film is the first and the best 'Vietnam rescue mission' movie. I have the film in my top list for a long time. Sad that out of the cast, the youngest, Patrick Sawyze, is the only one of the team who is dead in real life. Its a great movie, good script, well directed action and nicely rounded characters that live with you well after the movie is over.

I really love Patrick Swayze, who was US marine in this movie and he was kicked out of the unit for striking a radio operator who fall a sleep. I love Patrick's character Kevin Scott, I love Reb Brown in this movie as Blaster. But I love to death Randall "Tex" Cobb as Sailor, I love this character to death! I love Fred Ward as Wilkes, he was a Tunnel rat, he doesn't like close spaces, after the fight with Kevin and Sailor we found Kevin's story, why he want's to be In this mission, it is because his father was shot down in