Kokoda Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Mates Became Heroes. The Track Became Legend.
A bitter battle is fought between Australian and Japanese soldiers along the Kokoda trail in New Guinea during World War II.
| Jack Finsterer | Jack Scholt |
| Travis McMahon | Darko |
| Simon Stone | Max Scholt |
| Luke Ford | Burke |
| Tom Budge | Johnno |
| Steve Le Marquand | Sam |
| Angus Sampson | Dan |
| Christopher Baker | Blue |
| Ewen Leslie | Wilstead |
| Ben Barrack | The Lieutenant |
| Shane Bourne | The Doctor |
| William McInnes | The Colonel |
| Darren Taylor | Soldier - Forward Position |
| Lucas Stibbard | Wounded Man |
| Jeffey Gunn | Smiling PNG Stretcher Bearer |
| Alister Grierson |
6.20 out of 10 (576 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Like Gallipoli this story needs to be told, but..........
posted on 04 Aug 2009The Kokoda Track is firmly entrenched in the history of World War 2 from an Australian perspective and I personally was hoping that I would leave the cinema as affected as I was by the Peter Weir film Gallipoli made 25 years earlier. Sadly, I wasn't. The battle scenes in the jungle were certainly well staged and the conditions portrayed that the 'chocolate' soldiers experienced were no doubt very close to the dreadful nature of the terrain and the ruthlessness of the enemy was evident in a rather confronting way. But unfortunately where the film fell down for me was the lack of character development of the soldiers, particularly in the early part of the film where I think an opportunity was lost to establish the 'greeness' of these inexperienced soldiers and how they came to be in the situation they found themselves. There is no doubting the importance of this chapter in World War 2 and the ultimate halting of the Japanese advance towards Port Moresby was a crucial time in the Pacific campaign. A cast of relatively unknown actors were adequate but I was not as emotionally involved with the characters as I would have liked to be. Maybe this subject needs to be re-visited in a few years with hopefully a more satisfactory result.
Kokoda on a human scale
posted on 15 Jul 2009While this film is not without it's flaws, it is definitely worth seeing. I found the dialogue hard to distinguish at times, and the plot line takes a little sorting out but the visuals work to stunning effect. It is a film that evokes a visceral (not to say gut-wrenching) response; one that brings the viewer much closer to understanding the nerve-jangling, terrifying experience of war, and the fortitude required to endure it.Grierson's starting point are the words of the Isurava Memorial. It was the 'courage, mateship, endurance and sacrifice' of the boys and men of the 39th, 2/14th and 2/16th battalions, that bound these ordinary individuals together into a force stronger than the combined effects of their circumstances and the Japanese army.The film is graphic in its depiction of the demands that that environment makes upon you physically. Though while watching it you might not feel the strength sapping jungle humidity or smell the stench of battle and its aftermath, you're left in no doubt about the challenges placed on human bodies by dysentery and malaria. This is no glorification of war, but its grim and gritty reality. Seeing the film will help you appreciate the efforts of those who were there.
know your facts
posted on 13 Jun 2009ojfosterbrown, the only hyperbole here is yours. The statements you take such a dislike to accurately reflect history. The 39th were poorly trained and ill-equipped and Australians did think the Japanese were about to invade.Ralph Honnor and his immediate superiors were screwed by Australian High Command (Blamey) and the "boys" of the 39th were later directly insulted to their faces by Blamey.Ifra, if you think Private Ryan is an ideal to strive for, then you'd better develop a taste for that Chardonnay.Pacific400, I'm no right-winger, but the fact is Japan has consistently refused to acknowledge its heinous crimes in WW2, why shouldn't audiences be shown what went on? Do you object to films showing Nazi crimes? Did you object to the NKVD machine-gunning Soviet grunts in Enemy at the Gates? Yes, let's not forget the great job the US did, they certainly never have, and they have no problem taking credit for others' work (U571), but how many of them know this story? How many of us know this story? Technical quibbles correct. Old .303s were standard, as were new Brens, militia definitely didn't have Thompsons and may not have had Owens, the thing only went into production in 1941 and the militia may not have had first pick of the weapons...As for those saying the movie is missing the Big Picture, this isn't A Bridge Too Far, it shows the Kokoda campaign exactly as experienced by the 39th Bn, a series of small engagements where some cracked and some were heroes and the enemy were "faceless", "mysterious", utterly unknown by Australians, capable of astonishing cruelty and eventually forced into cannibalism.As to those saying we don't make WW2 movies (or TV), try The Last Bullet, The Heroes, The Cowra Breakout, Attack Force Z (with Mel and Sam), Blood Oath, The Rats of Tobruk, Piece of Cake, Kokoda Front Line (academy award-winning documentary filmed where this film is set in the period immediately after - cameraman Damien Parrer died in combat on his return to New Guinea) and Death of a Soldier (even Paradise Road and Map of the Human Heart). What we don't do is make VN or Korean War movies.This movie had its flaws, all movies do, but instead of castigating a first-time director for his lack of budget, castigate the studios for never having told this story before.A war movie that finally showed what it's really like, "green" reservists climbing jungle-covered mountains while suffering from dysentery, malaria, not knowing where the enemy is and being in desperate need of a crap.
Great Australian Film
posted on 11 Jun 2009This truly Australian film focusing on the emotions and experiences of the soldiers who fought on the Kokoda Trail was really well made.I knew little about the Kokoda Trail and although the film didn't go into depth about the military tactics, the experiences of the soldiers were well-captured and must have been quite a moving flash-back for those who survived.Generally Australian films are incredibly low-budget, therefore the film relies on the actors and the director to make an effective film. Regardless of budget, the film was incredibly well-made and had quite an impact upon me.When the credits began to roll and the lights came back on, I couldn't help but notice a veteran behind me in tears.Great film.
Proud to be a Chocko
posted on 01 Jun 2009I saw this movie yesterday but under different circumstances than most people. Only hours before I was doing my bit on a military exercise as part of my Army Reserve commitments. As such I am very much proud to be a fellow "Chocko" after seeing this film.I have read and seen comments from others that there is little lead in to this movie and the ending was a little abrupt. However I feel that this is more than appropriate because it carried over to me that this was just one small part of a much larger campaign. It just tries to show a grim & graphic snap shot of an incredible piece of our history.The fact this film was made for a strict & tight budget and along a looming release date that several corners had been cut in order to make the story work. But this does not detract from the message that needs to be said about these men & what they went through. It is clear that the cast & crew were passionate about doing their very best.In conclusion, I agree that this movie should have been granted a "M" rating. This should make it accessible for many people, especially schools. It is violent and at times gruesome but never over the top and not simply for the sake of being so. It is a realistic portrayal that is not meant to be a feel good film, just leaves you in awe of the acheivements they made.More Australian films like this should be made.
The new Gallipoli? Don't even compare this mess to that masterpiece.
posted on 20 Apr 2009For all its wonderful images, for all of its good intentions, this just comes off as yet another disgustingly one-sided, over-glorified, self-promoting propaganda.The message is simple, "All Japanese fighting on the Kokoda Track were sadistic, malicious f*** sticks who enjoyed gutting every last Aussie troop, cutting their throats before beheading them." Not only does Kokoda pick up on "Gallipoli"'s only flaw (that the enemy are faceless, nameless, and apparently inhumane), but manages to prove quite the opposite to Weir's masterpiece. Instead of giving us a perfect film with one flaw, we have a horrible mess with one redeeming feature.Let's start off with this: we're, without any comfortable adapting to the characters, introduced to these apparently quite laid back, two-dimensional people who we never... EVER get to sympathize with. We're kept at such a distance that even when we could so easily relate to the characters, they find a way to keep us away. That alone is a sickening feature, as it drives us from the very plot, helps the horrible pacing to leave us with a lasting impression, and makes it so much easier to see the contrast between an overtly sentimental ending and an otherwise lackluster body of a film.In other words, it drags us through a painful journey (not just for us, but apparently for them) and just as it should end, we're thrown into another eye-roller of a skirmish that ends faster than it began. So, for the as yet STILL uninformed: when it should end, it starts up again, only to end when we expect more. S***! It's just a confusing and agonizing pace!Which brings me to the ultimatum: this is meant to educate us on the events of the Kokoda track. It doesn't come close. Not only does it detail a very small, insignificant part of the campaign (sprinkling a little "mateship" on top in an attempt to make it relevant), but it succeeds in doing the one thing a film as important as this should be does, it makes us NOT care.Honestly, my eyes were constantly glued to my watch the entire time. The audience around me, all proudly Australian, bickering as they came in about how great the film is going to be, groaned, moaned, and whined in disappointment as every one of the painful ninety-five minutes droned on (for a short running time, it felt like Apocalypse Now: difference being that Apocalypse Now was a good film and deserved the three hours it got) and on to the point where suicide could wholeheartedly be an alternative should it be mandatory for this film to be watched.Though, considering how much the TV has been advertising this trash, I'd say it is mandatory, in a subliminal sense of the word.Watch if you like pretty images. Though you'd do better watching The Constant Gardener or Gallipoli anyway, since they have superior cinematography and ACTUAL plots.Overall: *
Excellent stuff.... could be continued into a 3 part series...
posted on 29 Mar 2009Excellent stuff though it stops a bit short in telling the whole story...I won't ruin the story... the acting is excellent, cinematography as well, storyline is complete, for what it tells. My only let down is it doesn't go into more of the history... IE:- after where the movie finishes...Movie is a bit gory; though that is the only way to tell a war movie these days. Recommend anyone see this... over the age of 16This is another movie to help you feel proud to be an Australian. Remind us of what we have; Why we remember the fallen, those who returned and those who are no longer with us. (honestly) Lest we forget!Saw on 21st April 2006.
Don't watch history inaccurate to anything you read
posted on 05 Mar 2009From all the bad comments about this movie and add them up I feel the same way. It may look like the Australians are weaklings instead they were brave soldiers. In this film it was very terrible and too graphic. I didn't see enough heroism just more cowardice which is ashame because its nothing from what I read. We don't need the extremity of violence like that we can use our vivid imagination of what they went through. It's like saving private ryan where the nazi is pushing his knife slowly in the soldier. For example Mel Gibson is a over extreme director for his movies not because of the violence but for the level of historical inaccuracy. Letters of Iwo Jima was one of the war films that was close enough to history (although I could be wrong) except Flags of our Fathers and Bridge of the River Kwai. You're better off reading it its an insult to the victims and the fallen if you don't tell it right, and the movie drag on for too long there was nothing interesting about the dialogue and not enough retribution from the aussies to kill Japanese soldiers. Just read history on the internet, mags and in books. Movies always kill the sense of realization. What they did to POWs in Singapore and the Philippines was just dreadful escpically to civilians. It just makes me feel proud to see goodies beat the baddies but movies like this ruin it.
Utter crap
posted on 01 Dec 2008What was the aim here...I started to have a look at it but then I realized that it had no aim...poor acting...no action and no story..i ended up listening to it while i was surfing the web reading about David Beckham's $250 million dollar US soccer Galaxy contract. Do not rent this Don't borrow this NOT WORTH A DOWN LOAD i've seen so many films that I could sense that this was going to be crap from the get go.War films should be accurate and if possible have some artistic merit and actually not feel like Christian melodrama...This film pales in comparison to any that i've seen before.I must say that Iam truly disappointed at this film..
Never Trust Critics
posted on 20 Oct 2008I've had this DVD for two months but was put off watching it because of the reviews I'd read on IMDb.I should have known better. Always trust your gut instinct.This is a great movie; not because it's technically good; not because the acting is great but because it tries and succeeds to tell the story of one of those rare occasions where a handful of men, against all odds, genuinely change the course of history.Just because most people outside Australia know nothing about the Kokoda Track, doesn't diminish what those young Australians of 39th Militia Battalion did in 1942 and doesn't lessen the debt Australia and the allies in general owes them.These men saved our nation regardless of what the "arm chair" generals say in hindsight.I thought the film did an excellent job in showing not only the physical conditions faced by these young diggers but also how perfectly normal people rise to the challenge (and sometimes don't) when faced with abnormal circumstances.I thought the cast did a great job depicting how our grandfathers faced these unimaginable horrors.For those who are looking for a Hollywood epic; watch something else.For those who want a glimpse of what truly makes people achieve greatness for no better reason than they are in the wrong place at the right time, please give it a go.And finally for those who view it simply as Australian propaganda, you are probably right so don't watch it.
Australia's Band of brothers
posted on 10 Oct 2008"War is hell" quoted from Shermanfirst please forgive my English is poor :)As a Chinese ,I was surprised Australian's combat in new guinea,ago I often think Australian's battle effectiveness is poor in WWII(certainly Chinese too),but now the movie let me think Australian is honored !I think this movie is better than thin red line, and the movie equals Australia's Band of brothers,both are true and meaning ,it's great.the last give my regards to the movie and Autralian friendsHISTORY: The Kokoda Track (also known as the Kokoda Trail) is one of the World's great treks. Linking the Southern and Northern coast of Papua New Guinea. The Kokoda, Kokoda Track and Sogeri areas have a World War II history of bitter fighting between Australian and Japanese Armies during the latter half of 1942.The Kokoda Track is a native footpath that traverses the rugged peaks of the Owen Stanley Ranges, and it was here that an in-experienced, ill-equipped, outnumbered Australian force faced the might of the Japanese army. As well as their opposition, both nations faced the problems of conducting a war in the extremely inhospitable Papua New Guinea jungle, an environment that inflicted casualties .The Australians, together with their Papuan "fuzzy angels" allies, after four months of bitter fighting, overcame these obstacles and inflicted on the Japanese army its first land defeat of the Second World War. In the process, they became immortalized and a source of inspiration for future generations of Australians.
Classy war film about a significant WW2 battle
posted on 31 Aug 2008Just saw this today. An engrossing & polished film about a lost patrol during the Kokoda campaign. The action sequences were well constructed and beyond my expectations for a film of this limited budget. What impressed me was the attempt to make the conflict as realistic as possible.I've read about the 39th battalion and seen a documentary about the campaign, and it appeared to me that the film makers were sticking close to the actual history. What many people don't realise is that this campaign was of similar importance to such battles as Stalingrad and the D-Day invasion, although on a much smaller scale. As for the 39th, apparently only about 30 men remained from approximately 800 by the time the campaign was over.I agree with previous comments concerning the dialogue in so far as I sometimes had difficulty in understanding the conversations. I imagine this would be even more of a problem for non-Aussies. However, whilst it would have been great to see more of the large battles that took place, I don't think this really detracted from the film. We got a feeling for the overall conflict from the sounds of war and from the conversations amongst the patrol. Some others had criticised the ending, but I thought it was one of the highlights, particularly since this is where we get to see the most action.I think the director, actors & crew have done a fantastic job! 8/10
Kokoda is a cliché
posted on 29 Aug 2008Kokoda was inspired by events on the Kokoda track during WW2 when Australian militia slowed and ultimately stopped a push by 10,000 Japanese soldiers to move overland and capture Port Moresby. What they really mean is that the movie is set in this time period but is fiction and everything that happens is just a jumble of standard scenes from other war films. The first hour is just one cliché after another. Some of the scenes are simply there to be able to draw us into a feeling that this conflict was horrific beyond compare, when there appears to be little evidence of this. Both sides fought hard to control the track and no mercy was shown by either side. Both sides suffered from logistic shortages and the terrain was a great leveler in this conflict. As the Japanese got closer to Port Moresby their supply line grew and this ultimately led to their downfall. On the other hand as the Australians retreated closer to Port Moresby their supply line decreased. Some of the scenes appear to be straight out of the handbook on standard scenes to include in any war film. The film was misguided and highlighted the youth of the production team. At a time when Australia could have done with a great film about one of Australia's best moments the film Kokoda is a shallow disappointment.
average movie,
posted on 23 Aug 2008this movie is average and unless your from Australia and have a connection with this movie/area then it really is only worth a watch if you have nothing better to do ! there are not many actors that are known and the movie starts straight into the action without laying out the story and really i would not recommend this movie, as to me i could have watched something better to pass the time ! on the other hand if real striking gun scenes and in the heat of battle scenes are your thing and to see what Australian soldiers went through at this time then maybe you might actually enjoy it, an average movie not highly recommended .
Where was the rest of the film.
posted on 05 Aug 2008This was like watching the trailer of a up and coming movie, except that there was no movie coming up. The film is so unsatisfying and obviously unfinished as to be almost laughable. The subject of this film is over a very short time frame and frankly, nothing much actually happens in the 90 odd minutes of screen time. I was hoping for the definitive Australian film about our soldiers in WWII and how they fought against incredible odds in awful conditions.This is most certainly not it. Having said that, the acting was great and locations authentic. This could easily have been a great movie given a lot more money and time, instead it isn't even mediocre and I cannot recommend it at all.
iconic point of Australian history
posted on 01 Aug 2008In the mountainous terrain of New Guinea, is the Kokoda trail. A small band of improperly trained and ill equipped soldiers have to keep the advancing Japanese troops, threatening to over take Australia. The Japanese outnumber them one hundred to one; though this isn't their only threat; disease and injured soldiers are dropping like flies, holding out till the back up forces arrive.Kokoda is a vividly created film on Australia's last stand against the Japanese army. Not covering all of war in New Guinea, we are only shown a small part, focusing in the fight of this small band of soldiers. Director Alister Grierson draws out the gritty detail of the land; the mud and rain in the claustrophobic rain forest. The are scenes of great intensity that play out like a horror film, mixed with some beautiful cinematography by Jules O'Loughlin.Iconic part of Australian history aside, Kokoda isn't that great of a war film. Though struck with budget restraints, the problem lies within the script. The first acts seems omitted, plunging us right into action, there's not a lot of setup. The Characters aren't fleshed out, we don't know who these people are, making it hard to make an emotional connection; even though your placed right in the horror with them.In a great performance, Jack Finsterer is amazing as Jack, leader of the small band of soldiers. Equally great is Travis McMahon as the hot-headed Darko. The rest of the cast doesn't compare to Jack and Travis, with cameos from Shane Bourne and William McInnes.While Kokoda is not a epic war film, for which it should have been, Kokoda is a wonderful experience, paying homage to our war heroes.
Realistic and moving
posted on 30 Jul 2008There is a certain amount of trepidation in approaching a war film in the current climate of anti-war sentiment. Can you make it objective and avoid the over-sentimental patriotism of so many American entries in this genre?The makers of Kokoda seem to have thought long and hard about this. The moment in history depicted in this film is the invasion by the Japanese into New Guinea in World War 2. A situation that directly threatened Australia as most of the Allied forces were consumed with fighting their own battles many thousands of miles away.For Australia it was a matter of going to this hostile environment to repel the enemy advance or watch them invade the homeland. Many volunteer troups were enlisted (known as "chocco's") to supplement the regular army. They were under-trained and poorly equipped for this battlefront.We are shown that men may be drawn to war for the right reasons but when confronted with the prospect of death then the basic human instincts of survival take over. Would you just look after yourself or help your comrades?First time director Alister Grierson and co-writer John Lonie wisely decided to take a small incident to humanise the situation rather than try for an historical docu-drama. The result is a tense, superbly acted and directed 90 minutes that never loses its grip.Stunning cinematography highlights the beauty of the rainforest canopy against the human horrors unfolding below. This would be a great film in any year. The fact that is has been put together by a first time director on a low budget with a mainly unknown cast (all performances are riveting) makes this a major achievement.
Not bad, but very brutal
posted on 02 Jun 2008This film was beautifully filmed and generally performances were very good. However, it was very hard to enjoy as the violence was too brutal and graphic. At one point I nearly walked out feeling unwell. It's surprising it didn't get an Australian MA15+ (USA R)classification.There were some script contrivances and the weakest parts were by the most recognizable actors – William McInnes and Shane Bourne. Their dialogs were not much better than Neighbours or The Bold and the Beautiful. The weak ending was very disappointing, given the weight of the rest of the film.
"Neighbours" this is not...
posted on 20 Mar 2008It's funny that the ending of this film has been criticised here as unrealistic and melodramatic. One commenter even said it was of "Neighbours" (soap opera) quality.In fact the final scene is an exact reconstruction of a parade of members of the 39th battalion before their commander, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner at the village of Menari. Every word spoken by William McInnes (playing Honner) in this scene is taken from the official record of the proceedings on that day.So much for "Neighbours".The film is good without being great. The budget supplies the reason. What it does convey is the hostile terrain over which the Australian soldiers had to lug all their supplies, including heavy artillery pieces... and then they had to fight the Japanese, who heavily outnumbered them, when they reached the top of the ranges.These were part-time soldiers, reservists with inferior training and green troops for the most part. Their job was to hold the line until the professional veterans (back from North Africa) arrived to take over. It was a war fought in platoon and section strength, with few pitched battles. Ever since the survivors of the two reserve battalions have been called "The Ragged Bloody Heroes", and deservedly so.Recently these has been some revisionism among politically biased historians, claiming that Kokoda was a waste of time and effort; that the Japanese had no intention of invading Australia. While they may not have been as serious about Kokoda as they were regarding the developing disaster at Gualalcanal, one thing is certain: if the Japanese had not been held back on the Kokoda Track, taking Port Moresby would have been a prize too easily won to refuse. Taking Moresby, and perhaps then Australia could have changed not only the war in the South West Pacific area, but perhaps the whole course of WW2.The men of the 39th battalion had no opportunity to speculate from afar, and safety, on the political potential of Kokoda as relevant to 2006 politics. They had to fight and die where they stood. That is why their story is worth telling, a story of small groups of men fighting shadows in a jungle nightmare scenario, without the option of surrender.
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"Kokoda" - Better than expected, But still quite flawed!
posted on 20 Aug 2009While The Mud, The Sickness and the Unsettling Horrors, Of fighting a war in the Papuan Rainforest, Against the seemingly unstopable (Albeit Mis-Represented!) Japanese foe are well captured..The soldiers "Chocos" personalities however?, Are not! The viewer is just not given a lot of background information on these men...Where they came from?, Why they were fighting?..Etc!.., Leaving the viewer not really caring, As to who survives the ordeal.On top of that, The movie is affected by a slightly heavyhanded bit of Australian Nationalism, Not that's an overly bad thing?, It's just that it's feels 'shoehorned' in, For the occasion of the movie release..ANZAC Day!