FEATURE FILM

Platoon Leader

5.5/10
TMDB58 votes
1988Original: English97 min

West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.

Genres: Drama, War, Action
Cast: Michael Dudikoff, Robert F. Lyons, Michael DeLorenzo, Jesse Dabson, Rick Fitts

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THE STORY & THE PEOPLE

About Platoon Leader

War is hell. This was worse...

Platoon Leader (1988) is a film in the drama, war, action genres. Directed by Aaron Norris. The cast includes Michael Dudikoff, Robert F. Lyons, Michael DeLorenzo, Jesse Dabson.

Released
1988-10-01
Original language
English
Runtime
97 minutes
Status
Released
Production countries
United States of America
Production companies
The Cannon Group, Breton Film Productions
Directors
Aaron Norris
Writers
Andrew Deutsch, Rick Marx, David L. Walker

Platoon Leader cast & characters

Audience reviews

5.5/10 from 58 TMDB votes. Ratings and reviews are supplied by TMDB. Reviews are attributed to their original authors.

Wuchak

TMDB member review

*One of the lesser Vietnam flicks of its era, but has some positives* A Lieutenant fresh out of West Point (Michael Dudikoff) is assigned to command a platoon at a remote outpost in the jungles of Binh Dinh province, Vietnam. His cynical men don’t respect him until he returns after being wounded and has a little more wisdom at jungle warfare. "Platoon Leader" (1988) was based on the memoir by James R.…

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*One of the lesser Vietnam flicks of its era, but has some positives* A Lieutenant fresh out of West Point (Michael Dudikoff) is assigned to command a platoon at a remote outpost in the jungles of Binh Dinh province, Vietnam. His cynical men don’t respect him until he returns after being wounded and has a little more wisdom at jungle warfare. "Platoon Leader" (1988) was based on the memoir by James R. McDonough and mixes the plot of “The Green Berets” (1968) with style more akin to “Platoon” (1986). But this is noticeably low-budget by comparison and typical of 80’s Dudikoff or Chuck Norris flicks. (Think of the contemporaneous “Braddock: Missing in Action III” by the same director, Aaron Norris, Chuck’s brother). Despite some dubious acting and a story that coulda been more compelling, there are worthwhile elements (like a couple of unique pieces on the soundtrack) and even some moving moments. Dudikoff is effective in the titular role as is Robert F. Lyons as the more-experienced NCO. The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot on a farm in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which is a decent stand-in for Southeast Asia. GRADE: C

Questions about Platoon Leader

What is Platoon Leader about?

West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.

Who stars in Platoon Leader?

Michael Dudikoff, Robert F. Lyons, Michael DeLorenzo, Jesse Dabson, Rick Fitts, Tony Pierce. See the cast cards above for character names.

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