Bat 21

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Bat 21

R

Released Oct 21, 1988

1h 45m

Action

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton (Gene Hackman) is shot down behind enemy lines during the waning days of the Vietnam War. His only connection to the outside world is through radio transmission with Capt. Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark (Danny Glover), a pilot who helps him craft an escape plan and maintain his sanity. Lacking survival skills and unfamiliar with the harsh terrain in Vietnam, Hambleton is forced to fight for his life as he witnesses the shocking horrors of war.

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

I was reminded of Hackman's comment in Night Moves that watching a Rohmer film was like watching paint dry - although in this case, it's more like watching blood coagulate.

Apr 5, 2010

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Variety Staff

Variety

A straightforward, surprisingly somber picture that sticks to the facts.

Mar 26, 2009

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Nigel Floyd

Time Out

An unsatisfactory mix of low-key heroics, buddy-buddy humour, and anti-war sentiment ..

Jan 26, 2006

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an above-average endeavor that ranks above many of its similarly-themed brethren.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 2, 2023

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Cathy Burke

United Press International

Bat 21 belongs to Hackman and Glover, and director Markle has the good sense to let these two veterans take over the show.

Oct 11, 2016

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 10, 2005

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kevin c

Set during the Vietnam war, Gene Hackman plays real life Colonel Iceal Hambleton who's aircraft goes down across enemy lines. Hiding from enemy troops he has to find a way to get to a meeting point with a rescue team which isn't as easy as it sounds. Hackman is great as always. Also stars Danny Glover and Jerry Reed.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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antonis k

Painfully dumb and wastes both Hackman's and Glover's talent unfortunately.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Mediocre war movie. Nothing special

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/18

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Audience Member

excellent visual for understanding 'Nam......

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

A helicopter pilot crashes in war torn Vietnam and is soon rescued.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

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william s

The little war pic that could....good story with one great performance(Hackman0.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Peter Markle

Director

Gene Hackman

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton

Danny Glover

Capt. Bartholomew Clark

Jerry Reed

Col. George Walker

David Marshall Grant

Ross Carver

Clayton Rohner

Sgt. Harley Rumbaugh

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Synopsis

Lt. Col. Iceal Hambleton (Gene Hackman) is shot down behind enemy lines during the waning days of the Vietnam War. His only connection to the outside world is through radio transmission with Capt. Bartholomew "Bird-Dog" Clark (Danny Glover), a pilot who helps him craft an escape plan and maintain his sanity. Lacking survival skills and unfamiliar with the harsh terrain in Vietnam, Hambleton is forced to fight for his life as he witnesses the shocking horrors of war.

Director: Peter Markle
Producer: Gary A. Neill, David Fisher, Michael Balson
Screenwriter: William C. Anderson
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Vision PDG, TriStar Pictures, Eagle Films
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.2M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo