¨Military fly free.¨

Love and Honor is yet another lame attempt at trying to make a chick flick appealing to men by adding some action, which in this case happened to be the Vietnam War. The only problem is that the action scenes only take place during the beginning of the film and the rest of the story is a plain formulaic chick flick which happens to star young good looking actors in order to appeal to its audience. Love and Honor isn't anything we haven't seen before in hundreds of other rom-coms and in everyday TV series. This film is Danny Mooney's directorial debut after having worked mostly as an actor in the industry. The script which is hard to believe wasn't adapted from a Nicholas Spark novel, was written by Jim Burnstein and Garrett K. Schiff, but one has to assume that they were deeply inspired by him when coming up with this story. One of the main issues I had with the film (apart from the cheesy scripts and characters) was that it never felt to me that we were in 1969. The production design team never managed to transport us into that world, like other great films have done so (more recently Argo). I can see why some people might enjoy this film, especially girls, considering it is a chick flick and has some likable young actors, but artistically it has little value. There are plenty of other great independent rom- coms that are worth checking out instead of this.

The story takes place in 1969 as we follow a group of American soldiers in Vietnam trying to survive the war. Mickey (Liam Hemsworth) is in charge of the radio equipment, while Joiner (Austin Stowell) has a special talent for recognizing explosive wires hidden throughout the place. He is the main reason why everyone is still alive, but there is a motivation for his attention to detail. Joiner is in love with Jane (Aimee Teegarden) and all he can think of is surviving along with his friends in order to return home safely and marry the girl of his dreams. Right before the soldiers are given a week off duty, Joiner gets a letter from Jane claiming she wants to break up with him. In order to win her back, Joiner decides to sneak back to Michigan during their week off. Mickey, an uncompromising young soldier, decides to help Joiner and make sure he returns without being caught. Thus the two soldiers arrive in Michigan and catch up with Jane, who is calling herself Juniper now and involved in an anti-war movement along with several other teens. Joiner wins her love back when Mickey claims they have deserted the war in protest, and ends up falling for one of Juniper's friends, Candace (Teresa Palmer). The two men experience the surreal counter culture of the Vietnam War back home, and at the same time end up falling in love while the entire world has their eyes on men's first voyage to the moon.

Whenever you don't have a solid script it's hard for the performances to be strong and credible. Liam Hemsworth and Teresa Palmer are very good looking actors and shared some chemistry, but the entire premise was so cheesy that it was hard to believe their story. Love and Honor ends up being yet another romantic melodrama that never explores the true value of the two words in the title. Aimee Teegarden and Austin Stowell served only as the back story for the main one, but they too lacked chemistry. As much as the producers wanted to appeal to a male audience, I think this film will only seduce young girls. It doesn't do much for a male audience and it is just another formulaic cliché film that does nothing to break from the boundaries of the genre.

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Review: I really wasn't a big fan of this movie. I found it quite corny and the acting wasn't anything special. It's predictable from the beginning to the end and the whole, leaving war for my girl thing became slightly tedious. It amazed me how these 2 soldiers go to some strangers house and spend all there time that they have on leave, without thinking about there parents or there other friends. I'm sure they had phones in those days. Anyway, the storyline was weak and the acting is pretty terrible, but for some unknown reason, you end up sticking with the movie, just to see what these teenagers are going to do with there life's. It's not a movie that I would recommend for entertainment but it's a watchable drama. Average!

Round-Up: Liam Hemsworth is definitely not in the same league as his bigger brother, Chris Hemsworth who has done a great job with Thor. Every movie that I have seen him in has been disappointing, which is due to the fact that he just hasn't got any screen charisma. I just hope that he finds his genre soon because all of his movies have seemed to have gone straight to DVD which is not a good start in an actors career. I've seen the girl who is playing the lead, Teresa Palmer, in other movies like I Am Four and Warm Bodies and she just seems to act the same. She looks very much like Kirsten Stewart who also has an emotionless way of acting. Anyway, this movie really needed someone to pick up the draggy storyline.

I recommend this movie to people who are into there drama/romance movies about a man who trying to get his girlfriend back on his leave from Vietnam. 3/10

(Plot) A young soldier gets his heartbroken by the woman he loves, so he goes AWOL with his buddy (Liam Hemsworth) and returns to the United States to try and win her back. They tell a regretful lie, and problems arise for them

I can't help but like this movie. It tried so hard to be a powerful film without being pretentious about it. Was it pretentious? Slightly…but it really does have good intentions. I realize this subject is a touchy issue, so I'll use as much diligence & care as possible. My dad has told me tales & stories about the Vietnam War and what a crock a lot of it was. I tend to agree with him for my own personal reasons. That's what this movie's message is about. We do get sights of war going on, but it gives way to a couple fairly effective love stories. That's where the money & heart in this movie lies. The one between Dalton & (Stowell) Juniper (Teegarden) was a bit cold. It was really tough for me to feel sympathy for it, especially Juniper. Her shallowness angered me on a number of occasions, and I felt Dalton's character was written a bit too blasé with it all, aside from an intense scene at a club with him. His character sorely needed him to delve a little bit deeper in my opinion. Mickey (Hemsworth) & Candace (Palmer) come off much better. It was much more real. Hemsworth was able to balance a perfect combination of charismatic arrogance & likability, without going overboard on being too cocky, and that made him all the more sympathetic. Teresa Palmer is a favorite of mine, and I feel the sky is the limit for her. She absolutely nailed what could have been a thin part with conviction. I didn't like how the finale ended though. It felt a bit jumbled and contrived to be honest with you, before getting back on track with the ending

Final Thoughts: I always reward good efforts, and the effort here is undeniable. They didn't fully succeed with the powerful film they were going for, but for a romance film with war themes, I thought it was quite alright. It'll tug at your heart strings a bit. Worth a watch

5.7/10