Platoon Leader (1988)
Overview
West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.
Cast
Michael Dudikoff
Lt. Jeff Knight
Robert F. Lyons
Sgt. Michael McNamara
Michael DeLorenzo
Raymond Bacera
Jesse Dabson
Joshua Parker
Rick Fitts
Sgt. Robert Hayes
Tony Pierce
Jan Shultz
Brian Libby
Sgt. Roach
Michael Rider
Pvt. Don Pike
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Wuchak
***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
