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DramaWar

Platoon Leader

- War is hell. This was worse...

West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.

Release Date : 1988-10-01

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : The Cannon GroupBreton Film Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Michael Dudikoff

Character Name : Lt. Jeff Knight

Original Name : Michael Dudikoff

Gender : Male

Robert F. Lyons

Character Name : Sgt. Michael McNamara

Original Name : Robert F. Lyons

Gender : Male

Michael DeLorenzo

Character Name : Raymond Bacera

Original Name : Michael DeLorenzo

Gender : Male

Jesse Dabson

Character Name : Joshua Parker

Original Name : Jesse Dabson

Gender : Male

Rick Fitts

Character Name : Sgt. Robert Hayes

Original Name : Rick Fitts

Gender : Male

Tony Pierce

Character Name : Jan Shultz

Original Name : Tony Pierce

Gender : Male

Daniel Demorest

Character Name : Duffy

Original Name : Daniel Demorest

Gender : Male

Brian Libby

Character Name : Sgt. Roach

Original Name : Brian Libby

Gender : Male

Michael Rider

Character Name : Pvt. Don Pike

Original Name : Michael Rider

Gender : Male

William Smith

Character Name : Major Flynn

Original Name : William Smith

Gender : Male

Al Karaki

Character Name : Kemp

Original Name : Al Karaki

Gender : Male

Evan J. Klisser

Character Name : Larsen

Original Name : Evan J. Klisser

Gender : Male

Evan Barker

Character Name : Klinski

Original Name : Evan Barker

Gender : Male

A.J. Smith

Character Name : Lt. Riley

Original Name : A.J. Smith

Gender : Male

Bill Olmsted

Character Name : Medic

Original Name : Bill Olmsted

Gender : Male

Themi Venturis

Character Name : New Lieutenant

Original Name : Themi Venturis

Gender : Male

Joyce Long

Character Name : Mother With Child

Original Name : Joyce Long

Gender : Male

Yasmin Jacobs

Character Name : VC Woman

Original Name : Yasmin Jacobs

Gender : Male

Raymond Phoenix

Character Name : Lieutenant

Original Name : Raymond Phoenix

Gender : Male

André Jacobs

Character Name : Captain Davies

Original Name : André Jacobs

Gender : Male

Dean Raphael Ferrandini

Character Name : Medic

Original Name : Dean Raphael Ferrandini

Gender : Male

Reviews

W

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

***One of the lesser Vietnam flicks of its era, but has some positives*** A Lieutenant fresh out of West Point (Michael Dudikoff) is assigned to command a platoon at a remote outpost in the jungles of Binh Dinh province, Vietnam. His cynical men don’t respect him until he returns after being wounded and has a little more wisdom at jungle warfare. "Platoon Leader" (1988) was based on the memoir by James R. McDonough and mixes the plot of “The Green Berets” (1968) with style more akin to “Platoon” (1986). But this is noticeably low-budget by comparison and typical of 80’s Dudikoff or Chuck Norris flicks. (Think of the contemporaneous “Braddock: Missing in Action III” by the same director, Aaron Norris, Chuck’s brother). Despite some dubious acting and a story that coulda been more compelling, there are worthwhile elements (like a couple of unique pieces on the soundtrack) and even some moving moments. Dudikoff is effective in the titular role as is Robert F. Lyons as the more-experienced NCO. The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot on a farm in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which is a decent stand-in for Southeast Asia. GRADE: C