Men of Honor [Blu-ray]

This is all quite uplifting on its surface, but in attempting to hit the requisite highlights of an inspiring biography, director George Tillman Jr. (Soul Food) reduces Brashear's achievement to a succession of clichés, forcing Gooding and De Niro to battle sentiment with their noteworthy performances. As Sunday's neglected wife, Charlize Theron is completely extraneous; Hal Holbrook's diving-school commander is a ranting caricature; and newcomer Aunjanue Ellis barely registers as Brashear's wife (in part because their obligatory romance is handled with an utter lack of finesse). There's no question that Brashear's efforts are heroic and worthy of recognition, so Men of Honor serves its basic purpose. Still, one can't help but wonder if Brashear's story would be even more impressive with a more authentic treatment. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

• Superb Acting and a Good Story: Although some of the things shown in the movie were not true and the character of Billy Sunday was a composite of several people and not a real person, the important basic facts were true and remarkable. Carl Brashear did in fact lose a leg from a shipboard accident and did come back from that tradegy to become a master diver with an artificial leg. And he faced a lot of racism. The man had super-human determination. He actually wrote 100's of letters to even get admitted to diving school, as told in the movie. He is a true hero and this is a very inspirational movie. I had never taken Cuba Gooding, Jr. very seriously, probably because of having seen him in light comedies before this. He proved himself more than capable of handling a difficult, dramatic role. He is still not a matured actor and has a way to go to be as good as more seasoned actors. In spite of that, he really pulled off this role very well. De Niro does a wonderful job too as the unrelenting trainer. Yes, there are some things in the movie that seem a bit contrived, but it didn't bother me because I knew I was watching the story of a great hero. Even though some facts were distorted, it does not diminish in any way the remarkable achievements of Carl Brashear.
• "Men of Honor" The title says it all: In the Amazon.com review the author talks about all the cliches in the film and I agree that there were some stereotypical characters and plot points, but that's really okay. What's important about the film is the message that underlays it all: everything's a struggle, but with the courage to stick to what you find honorable you can overcome pretty much anything. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character Carl Brashear exemplified this attitude and, later, Robert De Niro's character found this same courage. It's something that a lot of us need to find in these seemingly dark times.
• Good Movie, A Bit Too Long.: Men Of Honor is the story of a poor black man who after joining the Navy desperately wants to become the highest rank of Navy Diver. The movie takes you through his trials and tribulations dealing with his superior officers trying to keep him from obtaining his goal. The movie is part inspirational, part love story and very dramatic. The writing is good and the movie is believable (it is after all based on a true story). My only complaint is that the movie drags on a little. If the movie were a half hour shorter I would give it 5 out of 5 stars but length makes this a 4 out of 5 star review.
• Men of Honor: This is a true story that makes you cry and anyone inspired to go do things and think about it after the movie. It is as inspiring as a new goal or program. My father lost his leg in a lumber mill and went back to the mill after amputation and knocked out a wall, climbed ladders with weights like this guy and learned to run and skip again. It shows will and brute strength to overcome amputation whether you relate it to navy diving of the first black man ever that made it into that school of the Navy or your dad who was going into the Veitnam War like mine who lost his leg at a mill and what you can accomplish no matter what if you DO NOT QUIT. I sent this to my father and my 75 year old roommate who was 43 yrs Airforce admired it to in Korea and Veitnam personally. We could not leave the screen for the third time!
• Inspirational : Men of Honor is an inspirational film about never giving up no matter how hard the work or unlikely the odds. It is based on the true story of Carl Brashear, the first African American salvage diver for the U. S. Navy.
  
  Brashear is the son of a hardworking farmer who wants his son to be more than he ever was. He joins the Navy with his own dreams of moving up in rank but unfortunately he lives in a time when black men aren't even allowed to swim in the same waters on the same day.
  
  For most of the film De Niro plays his superior officer, Chief Sunday, and the one who's been ordered to break Brashear and send him home, on his feet or on a stretcher. De Niro is an awesome protagonist, as only he can be, to Gooding's warm heart and determined nature. The forward and backward motion created by leads Cuba Gooding and Robert De Niro keep the film moving and the tense in the expectation of the outcome.
  
  There are other notable appearances from actors such as Charlize Theron (Monster), Hal Holbrook (The Firm), Michael Rapaport (The War at Home), Powers Booth, David Keith (High Incident), David Conrad (Ghost Whisperer) and Carl Lumbly (Alias).
  
  It's a great film and I will definitely watch it again.