Platoon Leader (1988)

***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