Bat 21

R

Released Oct 21, 1988

1h 45m

Action

List

82%

17 Reviews

Tomatometer

57%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

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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

Full Review

antonis k

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

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Mediocre war movie. Nothing special

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/18

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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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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

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

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

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

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

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

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

Rated: 3/4

Feb 2, 2023

Full Review

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

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 10, 2005

Full Review

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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: Jerry Reed
Distributor: TriStar Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: TriStar Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Action
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