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@picturesinflow
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The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a hefty amount of fresh air through and through. The trailer heavily undersold this one with it focusing on highlights such as shootouts, fast moving vehicles and jokes. I get that, the trailer should be able to hype up everyone and should invite as many people as possible to witness it. However, this film does all that is shown in the trailer in spades, but focuses on something else, and that is the human connection in the midst of all-out war.
Plot wise, as mentioned above, it’s not something the viewer would expect. The Greatest Beer Run is about a man called Chickie Donohue (played by Zac Efron) who, in the midst of the Vietnam War, is safely staying in America, while about half of his friends are on the other side of the world. One day he has it, and with only negative information coming out of Vietnam, he decides to show his support in the only way he knows how, and that is to bring each and everyone one of them a beer. To put it simply, it’s about a man going into an active war zone to bring beer to his friends, and from that a viewer would expect a comedy, at least the plot makes it sound like that. The Greatest Beer Run Ever rather focuses on loss and tragedy, with slight glimpses of humanity sprinkled about, and with a whim, you are brought back to reality. It moves around and touches a lot of genres from comedy and action to thriller and documentary. To put in some context, if you have watched something from Taika Waititi and how he manages to make you laugh, and then BAM, someone important dies or something else very tragic, and that makes you change emotions on the whim. The Greatest Beer Run Ever tries to do the same at times, not to the same effect nor the same quality, but pretty respectable nonetheless.
Zac Efron, as every main star should be able, carried the whole film from start to finish. He managed to show emotions I have never before seen by him, and that is with little dialogue, but just with his face. However, he had so much help along the way, but that shouldn’t undermine everything he managed to achieve. Let’s round up a few:
Lt. Habershaw (played by Matt Cook) a guy too good to be at war, but sadly has to stay at his post. Hieu ‘Oklahoma’ (played by Kevin K. Tran) a traffic policeman, as well a good guy, just trying to be heard and make friends. The Colonel (played by Bill Murray) is a barman from an older war, being a tough guy, but ultimately looking out for the younger. Arthur Coates (played by Russell Crowe) a war photographer trying every way possible to get as much coverage as possible, without trying to die. Each and everyone did a marvelous job on this one and elevated the whole film.
Dialogue was another unexpected highlight, it wasn’t anything too high-and-mighty nor preachy, and for a war film it can get preachy fast, rather it focused more on different and unique relationships that each character had with each other, while the war was left in the background, but always visible.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever is not a masterpiece, many films are not, but it excels in bringing a fresh take on many war movies, not focusing on the bigger picture of the war, but on human perseverance in dire times. A definite watch for any war buffs and it’s a perfect film to recommend or watch with your dad (we don’t need to kid ourselves, most dads love these). Personally, I loved this one, but go on watch it and form your opinions, because this one will be heavily divisive.
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