WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
It's about a medical unit during the Korean War. One of the most successful TV programs in history was spun off from this movie.
LET ME EXPLAIN...
I never watched the TV show, but I was still looking forward to this one. I thought it would have some humor in it, but I honestly didn't know if the movie was more of a drama or a comedy. In the end, the film is more like Easy Rider.
How so? Well, it had no real storyline. It was very anti-establishment. And my wife and I just didn't really like it.
While there were some parts I thought were pretty funny, all of the humor and hi-jinks were tasteless, and some scenes just didn't make sense. Overall, this movie was a disappointment.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
According to the "Backstory" special feature on the DVD, "M*A*S*H" wasn't just anti-establishment to war and authority, but to Hollywood itself. It was turned down by many in Hollywood before it finally got green-lighted, and it portrayed war and the US military in a way never done before. Combine this unconventional approach with its setting in a historical war, and I can see why it's on the AFI List. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, winning for Best Writing (despite the fact that the cast admits it didn't really stick to the script very much).
Rather than give a complaint about the movie in general, I thought I'd try something different and mention the couple things I liked.
1. Elliott Gould was really good as Trapper.
2. It was pretty cool seeing so many famous actors in one film at a point where they were all really young and relative unknowns. Kudos to the casting director.
LET ME SUM UP...
Aimless "story" of doctors in a mobile medical unit during the Korean War. It reminded me a lot of Easy Rider, though not nearly as painful to sit through. Tasteless humor, though some parts were pretty funny.
MY RATING: 4/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 94
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