I really hoped to be blown away with "assembly" but on the whole i was pretty dissapointed.
The battle scenes arent really that good. I mean you know your in for a poor war movie when the first shoot (from the main characters side) is a head shot from a pinned down position...

Also they have tried the now over used "shakey cam" used to great affect in saving private ryan. But the camera shakes way too much meaning you miss alot of the action, which to be honest probably isnt a bad think as the action is poor.
The end of the film had a nice wee touch, which i wont mention but it was pretty powerful.
Really not as good as brotherhood, saving private ryan or band of brothers.

Brilliant classic chinese film, shows a bit of a brilliant action at the beginning but its wears out as the film shows... But worth it on my benfit!!

The only reson I am giving the movie 4 stars, is based on its merits as a great war movie. Excellent effects and battle sequences make it a must see for any military enthusiast. Speaking for myself I found it a bit too emotional but that is not necessarily a defect.

For the rest don't be mistaken, this is communist propaganda pure and simple. The movie tries to hide behind the fact that every sacrifce should be cherished but on the other hand portrays the Nationalist troops as soulless figures, only there to be shot at while in fact they were fighting for their country too. Keep in mind that from 1917 to 1989 communism was the cause of millions of victims. Like everything else communist though, the idea behind the movie is self defeating as in the end it finally emerges that 9th Company were used as pawns for the greater ehem good in true communist fashion. Movies like Brotherhood, The Last Emperor and Kundun provide much more realistic views of the true nature of Asian communism.