Hart's War, as you might guess, can get too earnest for its own good. But Billy Ray and Terry George's screenplay, taken from a John Katzenbach novel, is expertly plotted.

| Mar 7, 2018

Big WWII drama about honor, courage and sacrifice.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 24, 2010

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 30, 2006

This earnest WWII escape story throws in a courtroom drama, but to nobody's advantage.

| Feb 9, 2006

Reaches for more than it can handle, but it's well-acted and earnest in its intentions.

| Nov 6, 2002

Farrell ... thankfully manages to outshine the role and successfully plays the foil to Willis's world-weary colonel.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 15, 2002

An exciting, thoughtful and adrenaline-pumping war picture that is provocative and different.

Full Review | Mar 13, 2002

We're situated in that familiar showbiz intersection of Hollywood and Rhine.

Full Review | Feb 24, 2002

...it's not your typical war movie but I'm giving it thumbs down because I think its attempts to be different were quite frankly kind of ludicrous.

Full Review | Feb 19, 2002

There's nothing particularly astonishing about this WWII prisoner-of-war drama.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Feb 17, 2002

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 16, 2002

You'll get the enjoyable basic minimum. But not a whit more.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Feb 15, 2002

More or less self-destructs in a ridiculous last few minutes when it becomes a noble sacrifice-o-rama.

| Original Score: 2.5/5 | Feb 15, 2002

An earnest racial-issues picture that might have gotten respectful critical praise in a different era -- say, the '60s.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 15, 2002

As an actor's showcase, Hart's War has much to recommend it, even if the top-billed Willis is not the most impressive player. As a story of dramatic enlightenment, the screenplay by Billy Ray and Terry George leaves something to be desired.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 15, 2002

[S]turdy if uninspired...

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 15, 2002

Hart's War contains a fatal structural flaw. A racially charged court-martial that takes up half the picture turns out to be a just a cover.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Feb 15, 2002

...a sluggish courtroom potboiler about racism, murder and due process.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Feb 15, 2002

The cinematic equivalent of three-dimensional chess.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Feb 15, 2002

Watching this film, what we feel isn't mainly suspense or excitement. The dominant feeling is something like nostalgia.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Feb 15, 2002