Kevin's Watch

25. The Pianist, 2002
24. Seargeant York, 1941
23. Stalag 17, 1953
22. The Thin Red Line, 1998
21. The African Queen, 1951.
20. M*A*S*H*, 1970
19. Downfall, 2005
18. Patton, 1970
17. All quiet on the western front, 1930
16. Letters from Iwo Jima, 2006
15. Three Kings, 1999
14. The Longest Day, 1962
13. Glory, 1989
12. The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957
11. The Deer Hunter, 1978
10. Braveheart, 1995
9. Lawrence of Arabia, 1962
8. The Great Escape, 1963
7. Paths of Glory, 1957
6. Das Boot, 1981
5. Full Metal Jacket, 1987
4. Schindler's List, 1993
3. Saving Private Ryan, 1999
2. Platoon, 1986
1. Apocalypse Now, 1979

Source: AOL Moviefone


Discuss!

No Big Red One, ergo it's crap. Also no We Were Soldiers or 84 Charlie Mopic, Tora! Tora! Tora!, or Midway.

Replace TRL with something like Blackhawk Down...wasn't The African Queen more or less commentary on war, rather than an actual "war" movie? I hate to say it but the second half of The Pianist seemed to go gone forever, and, kinda, bored me to tears...

Then there's the classics like From Here to Eternity, They Were Expendable, and the like.

And no A Bridge Too Far?

Oh, But Three Kings made it.....

A Bridge Too Far: YES!
Tora! Tora! Tora!: YES!
Midway: no. out of all the movies on that list, I don't think it belongs. It's not bad, just not Top 25.
And I disagree with African Queen. I can't consider it a "war" movie.

However, I may add for your consideration:
The Wars (1983)
Napoleon (1927)
Das Boot (1981)
The Great Dictator (1940)
(and slip in "Ran" there...)

The African Queen? WTF? and Three Kings? I'm definitely calling bullshit on that one. I hate "The Thin Red Line" with a passion, it's gotta be one of the worst movies I've ever seen.

We Were Soldiers deserves to be on this list, and also Tora! Tora! Tora!

well, Three Kings is definately what could classify in the "war" movies category, and a good one. However it could be debated whether it was top 25.

I would have had Casualties of War in my top 4 or 5.

I can't believe Three Kings is on that list. It's a copy of Kelly's Heroes. And where the hell are Where Eagles Dare and A Bridge Too Far? They have also forgotten Stalingrad and Downfall.

This list is a joke.

Mash? Meh. African Queen? Is that even a war movie? I guess so, but they might as well have included Casablanca. Personally, I think Saving Private Ryan is overrated. The plot was pretty stupid. The first 20 minutes were great, but after that? Not so much. I can totally pass on Platoon and Apocalypse Now. Those are your typical Critic's "Oooh, greatest movies ever!" I'm surprised they couldn't justify listing The Godfather as the greatest war movie ever. Or Citizen Cane.

I disagree with Platoon as #2. Awesome movie, and maybe it ranks in the top 25, but not at the top. Apocalypse Now shouldn't be Number 1, either. And I don't know if Schindler's List really qualifies as a war movie to me.

Stalag 17 should be in the top ten. I loved Three Kings but I think if it's to be on this list it should rank lower.

Also, I notice that most of these are English-language films. Am I expected to believe that countries other than the US and the UK have no ability to make good war movies?

Alynna Lis Eachann wrote:Also, I notice that most of these are English-language films. Am I expected to believe that countries other than the US and the UK have no ability to make good war movies?

That's my main problem with it.

Stripes is the number one war movie of all time.

Where's Gallipoli?

Yeah, the more I think about it, the less I like this list.

Gallipoli is great!!! Three Kings? That's the Clooney one right? It was good but I like Courage Under Fire much more...

Yeah, the Clooney one.

CUF wasn't bad, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near the top 25.

This list is terribly incomplete. The Japansese make some real great war flicks. also, Why not list the Civil war documentary by Burns? Are documentaries not counted?

I wouldn't count documentaries.

I agree with everyone, this list is crap. My biggest problem is that most of these movies do not fit my idea of what a war movie is. I don't think MASH, Bridge...Kwai and even Stalag 17 should be characterized as war movies, because to me, a war movie should have grand battles and these movies don't. Same way with Apocalypse Now and Schindler's List. Don't get me wrong, I love these movies, but they're not war movies.

I was going to say something about AN, but I know it's a sacred cow for some people. I agree with your description DLB.

I'd second Kelly's Heros & Where Eagles Dare.
And throw in The Guns Of Navarone.
Ditch The African Queen, M*A*S*H*, & Seargeant York.