The Great Raid (2005)

★ 6.5 2h 12m 374 votes IMDb
Sign in to rate this film

As World War II rages, the elite Sixth Ranger Battalion is given a mission of heroic proportions: push 30 miles behind enemy lines and liberate over 500 American prisoners of war.

The Great Raid

Where to Watch

Netflix Netflix Watch
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video Watch
Disney Plus Disney Plus Watch
Max Max Watch
Hulu Hulu Watch
Paramount Plus Paramount Plus Watch
Apple TV Plus Apple TV Plus Watch
Peacock Peacock Watch
Crunchyroll Crunchyroll Watch
Tubi TV Tubi TV Watch
Pluto TV Pluto TV Watch
Plex Plex Watch

Rent / Buy

Rent

Apple TV Apple TV Rent
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Rent
Amazon Video Amazon Video Rent
YouTube YouTube Rent
Vudu Vudu Rent
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home Rent

Buy

Apple TV Apple TV Buy
Google Play Movies Google Play Movies Buy
Amazon Video Amazon Video Buy
YouTube YouTube Buy
Vudu Vudu Buy
Fandango at Home Fandango at Home Buy

Cast

Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt as Lt. Colonel Mucci Age 62 · San Francisco, California, USA Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor. He is known for playing Paco Aguilar in Blood In Blood Out. He had supporting film roles in the 1990s in Demolition Man (1993), Clear and...
James Franco
James Franco as Captain Prince Age 48 · Palo Alto, California, USA James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in 127 Hours (2010), he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Franco is known for appearing in f...
Connie Nielsen
Connie Nielsen as Margaret Utinsky Age 60 · Elling, Frederikshavn, Denmark Connie Inge-Lise Nielsen (born July 3, 1965) is a Danish actress. She began her acting career working alongside her mother on the local revue and variety scene. At 18, she traveled to Paris, where she...
Logan Marshall-Green
Logan Marshall-Green as Lt. Paul Colvin Age 49 · Charleston, South Carolina, USA Logan Marshall-Green (born November 1, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series The O.C., Traveler, Dark Blue and Quarry, as well as his roles in the films P...
Joseph Fiennes
Joseph Fiennes as Major Gibson Age 55 · Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, UK Joseph Alberic Iscariot Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes (born 27 May 1970) is an English film and stage actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayals of William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love, Sir...
Marton Csokas
Marton Csokas as Captain Redding Age 59 · Invercargill, New Zealand Marton Csokas (born 30 June 1966) is a New Zealand film and television actor. Description above from the Wikipedia article Marton Csokas, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikiped...

Audience Reviews

Wuchak 7/10 Sep 20, 2023
**_The most successful rescue mission in American history_**

On January 30, 1945, the United States Army Rangers, Alamo Scouts, and Filipino guerrillas saved more than 500 POWs in the Japanese camp in the Philippines from certain death as the Japanese were ordered to "liquidate" all prisoners before evacuating in the face of MacArthur's advance. Benjamin Bratt, James Franco, Max Martini, Joseph Fiennes, Connie Nielsen and Marton Csokas star.

"The Great Raid" was based on the books "The Great Raid on Cabanatuan" and "Ghost Soldiers." I've read the latter and it's interesting seeing the film for live-action visuals of what I saw in my head.

The rescue, along with the liberation of Camp O'Donnell the same day, allowed the POWs to share the truth about the Bataan and Corregidor atrocities. While the raid had no strategic value, as far as winning the war goes, it sparked a new wave of resolve in the war against Japan. Not to mention, it remains the most successful rescue mission in USA history.

Although the movie was shot in 2002, it was pulled from release schedule on several occasions before finally having a limited released in August, 2005, with little-to-no marketing. Was it any wonder it failed to garner an audience and box office success?

Be that as it may, this is a solid WW2 flick based on a true story. The prisoners of the camp are the survivors of the infamous 60-mile Bataan Death March of April, 1942. The movie's not politically correct in that it shows the truth of the brutal savagery of the Japanese military. The actual raid doesn't take place until the 95-minute mark, but it's worth the wait; the build-up is informational and keeps your attention.

While I wouldn't call it great, it's a well-done and informative war flick for those interested in the subject. It's even better if you've read either of the books on which it's based.

The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes, and was shot in Bribie Island, Queensland, Australia, with the Manila sequences shot in Shanghai, China.

GRADE: B

Similar Movies