Taps (1981)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Simply A Masterpiece

Just perfect...

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

I like when a movie is different. This movie is, as I don't remember other movies with a similar theme. It shows young soldiers who already understand what honor is and are ready to withstand their principles. Being a soldier is not easy, as you have to hide your emotions and stay strong no matter what. This movie does show young soldier's lives pretty good.*** Spoilers - don't read if you want to rewatch: The movie does have plotholes, or strange decisions (why they never asked for media attention or didn't ask more actively to complete their demands). Unfortunately, because of this most people outside probably thought they are just crazy terrorists, because the media didn't show their motives really and showed just one side of the story. Or for example why did the general at the beginning never said that it was the kid who took his pistol and shot?***This is basically the first Tom Cruise' movie (Endless Love had only 20 seconds of him) and I must say, I was surprised how good his acting in this movie already is. His character is different and I really liked him. Great job Tom! On overall, the movie is good and it is worth watching. Even rewatching again if you have a company.

I spent many years trying to get a copy of this film and finally it appears on my Netflix account a few weeks ago to my utter joy! I was only two when this film came out but it's long sat on my list of must-see movies, and finally at 34yrs old I have watched it and was very glad to say the wait was worthwhile.The film tells us how the changing times are going to take away this military school, an institution loved by those who attend and run it, in it's place condominiums. As usual capitalism is the underlying theme driving the change. These military boys want to take a stand and with these things the situation get wildly out of hand, not helped by the adults who won't sit down and talk which ultimately is all they have been asked for from the get-go.What struck me from the beginning is how the people acting most like adults through the whole situation were the children, the adults who could very easily taken control of the situation, by giving credit where credit was due and showing some respect to the boys, instead opted for throwing their weight around and yes, in the end they won, but was the cost too high?This film teaches a great lesson in how we tackle potentially volatile situations in life. Sometimes with a bit of thought and consideration an alternative route may be more or just as successful with less destruction and force.I will be recommending this film to others.

I just finished watching T*A*P*S for the first time in many years. It was, and still is, a powerful movie. The different characters were wonderfully written and played very well by the different actors.If you have never seen this movie I suggest doing so.I liked the whole movie. The story line was phenomenal. It's about a military school called Bunker Hill Military Academy and it's students. At the beginning of the movie it is the end of the school term and the start of summer vacation. Some of the students are staying for the summer, including Cadet Major Brian Moreland (Timothy Hutton), Cadet Captain Alex Dwyer (Sean Penn), and Cadet Captain David Shawn (Tom Cruise). The school's superintendent is General Harlan Bache (George C. Scott).Moreland is newly promoted to Cadet Major at the beginning of the movie. He is friends with Dwyer and Shawn, and he tries to emulate General Bache. At the commencement ceremony for the out going senior class General Bache reveals that the board of trustees have decided to close the school at the end of the next school year. They want to make way for a condominium complex.One very powerful scene is when the remaining cadets are having a dance. Some local teens are harassing arriving guests and the cadets. Moreland politely asked the teens to move along. One of the teens walked up to Moreland and threw a punch. As Moreland and the other cadets are defending themselves one cadet runs and gets General Bache. As soon as Bache attempts to stop the melee one of the teens jumps on his back and grabs for his sidearm. The teen gets the handgun loose from the holster and pulls the trigger. Bache didn't know that there was a live round in the chamber. The teen who first attacked Moreland was shot in the chest and died instantly. The police are called and Bache is taken into custody.The following day the board members come to the academy to do inventory of the weapons located there. Moreland realizes what is going on and before the sheriff comes to confiscate the arsenal, Moreland takes them. Moreland wants the academy to stay open. He and the remaining student body take control of the academy and refuse to surrender. At one point, Moreland's father comes to negotiate the surrender, it does not go well.Even though Moreland is friends with both Dwyer and Shawn, the animosity between Dwyer and Shawn is very evident. In one scene it is revealed to Moreland that Shawn has given orders to shoot anyone coming over, around or under the walls by the sentries. Moreland barely blinks, saying that those were the proper orders to give. The tension on Moreland gets to be too much when twice several students leave, when asked, rather than stay to defend their school. As time goes on, one student is burned in an accident after the power was turned off and another student was shot because the National Guard unit that arrived thought he was firing at them (he wasn't).After Moreland finds out that Bache passed away from a heart attack Moreland begins to question whether he and the other cadets are doing the right thing. Dwyer attempts and succeeds in talking Moreland into surrendering. Shawn has other plans. The power really goes to his head and he starts firing on the National Guard. The National Guard returns fire and eventually kills Shawn. Moreland attempts to save Shawn but is killed also. Dwyer carries his friends body from the barracks followed by Colonel Kerby (Ronnie Cox).This is a adrenaline filled movie that ends very tragically. It's about teenagers, who are sent to a military school for one reason or another, taught to be soldiers and defend their rights. But they misread what they are taught, and end up in a world of hurt. The movie ends with the cadets surrendering and Dwyer carrying Moreland out the front gate.I like movies like these. I like how it actually has a plot that goes from A to Z. The acting in this movie is pretty good. I give this 10 stars out of 10. Even though it is a dated movie, and some of the sentimentality is different between the time it was made and today, it's still pretty good.

Even through I didn't watch this... 30 years after it debuted in theaters worldwide in 1981-82 it's still truly the military film that welcomed us into the Reagan years in the US. It was adapted from the novel Father Sky written in 1979.. but adapted for the early 80s, tackling the state of US Military academies and the people who are a great part of them. In this film... it's not about the major US military academies but the minor ones that are being given their own moment.In this case, Bunker Hill Military Academy. (The film through was filmed in historic Valley Forge Military Academy and College in Wayne, Pennsylvania, near the famous fields where Washington and his men took camp for the winter in 1777.) The academy, similar to the Surovov Military Schools in Russia and Belarus as a junior military college, trains middle and high school level boys academics, character and leadership skills preparing them to become part of the US Army soon as officers in the USMA in West Point, and is led by the great George Scott, a retired US Army general officer, as its Commandant. (He's to me my Gen. Patton, Ol' Blood and Guts....)That movie reminds me of the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War... (the academy got its name from this great battle)At the academy's graduation parade Scott shocked everyone with his announcement: by the next year, as decided by the school board the academy will be closed and the land where it is located prime real estate. No one is more surprised of this than the next year's cadet commander, Timothy Hutton, by now a Cadet Major (Scott had promoted him the night before), leader of next year's seniors and the corps of cadets (the last in its history) and mentored by the veteran commandant. He's well loved by the cadets here and is truly their leader, especially by the cadet officers under him. Also surprised by this bad news are his two fellow cadet officers and best friends, CDT CPT Tom Cruise, a elite cadet company commander (thus the red beret on his uniform) and CDT CPT Sean Penn of the cadet cavalry troop and also the executive officer of the corps. The other cadet officers, Giancarlo Esposito and Evan Handler, cadets Daniel Kimmel, John P. Narvin Jr., Brendan Ward, and others were also dismayed but as always had hope in Hutton to do something about it at once. They share the same feeling with the Commandant... that when they're still around it will not close down and continue its mandate.At the academy prom that same night a group of town teens came to disturb the occasion outside. When two of the COs suddenly approached them then angrily followed by the other cadets, a fight broke out and suddenly Scott came out to intervene when one of the teens stole his pistol and when he had it back, it shot one of the teens by accident, killing the teen. And after being arrested, he later had a heart attack and had to be rushed to the hospital. The result: the school board decided it would push on with the closure in a month or two. That made everyone shocked and soon the school would be a virtual fortress and its cadets, led by Hutton, Cruise and Penn... soldiers on a mission to save this piece of history for good, all at the cost of their lives.While on the go for supplies the truck that CDT CPT Esposito drives with some of the cadets (Hutton was left behind and had told to the dean and others in the armory about his future plans to prevent the school's closure) is stalled and is attacked by the same teens that disturbed the prom but later comes back thanks to Cruise's efforts. Upon returning their weapons and positions are prepared and soon... it's in a state of siege. Soon the police surround the grounds, then the parents come in to ask their boys to give in, among them Wayne Tippit, the Army Master Sergeant who is also Tim's dad (In one occasion he tells Hutton that what they are doing is the "wrong execution of the right idea"), and soon... the Army National Guard unit led by Ronny Cox, a ANG Colonel who wants the cadets out. Soon he informs them of the commandant's demise and the cadets pay tribute to him at once but later.... things are gonna turn bad.The film follows the rest of their actions very well. It's a well depicted and beautiful film made. It's truly the best military academy film made after over 30 years. Of course who would forget this would be Tim's first after his Oscars achievement, Tom's film no. 2 and Sean's debut performance? And also the late George Scott did well here too as the academy commandant. It's very good and it motivates me a lot.Oh and the final scenes... when Cruise is found by Tim and Sean firing a machine gun at the Army National Guardsmen shouting "It's beautiful, man! BEAUTIFUL!" and is later shot dead with his best pal... it's tragic and shocking. One of the film's best moments. As a future US Navy NROTC student I'll gonna love it and I truly recommend watching this. 3 decades after, the memory of the cadets killed in the fight for Bunker Hill Military Academy will still be remembered, forever. They died for a good cause... and the film illustrates this in a great way.Eternal glory be to all of them who died just like every soldier, doing the ultimate sacrifice for the defense of our freedom. I always think of them everyday. Always.