“The Alamo” retells the historic battle in the Texan War of Independence. The facts are generally well known. A rag tag group of approximately 155 manned the old Franciscan mission in an attempt to delay the Army of General Santa Anna. It was part of a plan to buy more time for Sam Houston who was forming a larger army. What those 155 may not have planned on, however, was dying.
In any event, they ended up facing over 4,000 Mexican troops.
Some of the more famous who were among the defenders of the Alamo included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
This story has been told many times in film, but this version (starring Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, and Billy Bob Thornton) does a better job than previous ones of making the event real and believable. You come to understand that these were not caricatures or idealized figures; they were real people with all of the accompanying flaws.
For a war movie, some might expect more violence and actual fighting. A little more might have been a good idea, but nevertheless, the film is effective.
Ultimately, it does what a good history-based film should do; It makes you think. Moreover, it drives home the point that this really did happen and that it isn’t just the work of a film maker’s imagination.
It also gives you more appreciation for America as a whole. In any event, it is a good film and I give it 4 1/2 stars out of 5.While the movie was a war movie that could have portrayed more violence and fighting the movie did do it job. After seeing the movie you look back at history and say wow that really did happen, and gives you more appreciation for America as a whole. Above all I give the movie 4 stars out 5.
Sunday, July 6, 2025