Battle of the Pacific (2012) AKA Oba: The Last Samurai (2011)

The battle for Saipan during WWII. The original title is more appropriate for this movie but hey at least the dubbing is good! Much like Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), this is told largely from the Japanese perspective or at least not overly 'YAY AMERICA!'. This isn't a big Hollyweird production so FX are modest and sweeping panoramic shots are minimal. Think of this more a story of the Japanese version of Thermopylae with a small band of Japanese soldiers dodging 1000 times their number. Some great notions of Japanese honor and culture alongside some of the anti-American propaganda those who aren't students of the era may not know. If you are a fan of intelligent war movies this is tailor made for you. Not to say the mindless ones (Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now) aren't fun and enjoyable watches. Obviously some of the accuracy is a matter of opinion but overall a solid docudrama. A worthy tribute to a forgotten hero. Recommended.