Search - History 101 (Platoon / Dances with Wolves / Windtalkers) on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 7/2/2024...

Windtalkers - True story of a critical part of war.

William J. (billystan3) from AUBURN, NY
Reviewed on 1/14/2015...

Whoever thought of putting these three films together in one package couldn't have chosen three better films. The only drawback is the DVD Platoon which is one of those double sided disks. For some that would be a plus, but I'm just not a fan of them. I give this collection 41/2 out of 5 stars.

For History Enthusiasts or Movie Buffs

Stephanie Kotkin | Melbourne, FL | 01/06/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this set for my brother, who is a history major in college. These are three great movies in a great boxed set. If you can get it when it's on sale, I would go ahead and buy it (especially if you don't own the movies already). You can't get many sets like this for the price. I suggest reading about each of the three movies if you aren't familiar with them. Here are some summaries from DVD Price Search:



Platoon (Special Edition): Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and based on the first-hand experience of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone, Platoon is powerful, intense and starkly brutal. "Harrowingly realistic and completely convincing" (Leonard Maltin), it is "a dark, unforgettable memorial" (The Washington Post) to every soldier whose innocence was lost in the war-torn jungles of Vietnam. Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) is a young, naive American who, upon his arrival in Vietnam, quickly discovers that he must do battle not only with the Viet Cong, but also with the gnawing fear, physical exhaustion and intense anger growing within him. While his two commanding officers (Oscar-nominated Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe) draw a fine line between the war they wage against the enemy and the one they fight with each other, the conflict, chaos and hatred permeate Taylor, suffocating his realities and numbing his feelings to man's highest value life.



Dances with Wolves - Extended Cut (Two-Disc Collector's Edition): A "truly spectacular" (The New York Times) film that combines action, romance and breathtaking adventure, Dances With Wolves is "a cinematic masterpiece" (American Movie Classics) that is nothing short of "a triumph" (Roger Ebert)!Sent to protect a US outpost on the desolate frontier, Lt. John Dunbar (Kevin Costner) finds himself alone in the vast wilderness. Befriending the very people he's sent to protect the outpost from, the Sioux Indians, Dunbar slowly comes to revere those he once feared. But when the encroaching US Army threatens to overrun the Sioux, he is forced to make a choice one that will forever change his destiny and that of a proud and defiant nation.



Windtalkers: In the brutal World War II Battle of Saipan, Sergeant Joe Enders (Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage) guards and ultimately befriends Ben Yahzee (Adam Beach), a young Navajo trained in the one wartime code never broken by the enemy, the Navajo Code. But if Yahzee should fall into Japanese hands, how far will Enders go to save the military's most powerful secret? John Woo directs this "exciting" film."

The best epic about the American West

D. J. Nardi | Washington, DC | 01/17/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, this is a powerful movie. I recently rewatched it after several years and suddenly remembered what really makes a great movie. I love how "Dances with Wolves" begins with an intimate portrait of the American West, from the vast plains to the charismatic wolf "Two-Socks". The film follows Kevin Costner's emotional but nuanced journey from disillusioned Army officer to Sioux patriot. The acting is superb all around. There are no shallow characters, even within the U.S. Army. Every character seems to have several layers of emotional complexity. "Dances with Wolves" is an emotional and visional treat. I can't wait until it comes out on blu-ray."