84 Charlie MoPic, one of the world's most underrated movies.

Okay, if I was to mention a "lost footage" or "shaky-cam" movie to you what's your first thought? Do you think of Cloverfield's work in New York City? Or do you think of 1999's Blair Witch Project set in the woods of Maryland? Well, what if I were to tell you that there was a movie done with shaky-cam work done back in 1989 that was not only better, but also more compelling than both of these put together? Well, if you don't think that it's possible, then you've never seen the movie "84 Charlie Mopic" or 84C MoPic released back in 1989. That's right, a movie that is 10 years older than Blair Witch, is also 10 times better. Well, to me it is. And why is it that much better? Well, for a couple of reasons.

At the beginning of the film we meet the soldiers.
Easy -- The "Short Timer" that is only a few days away from being sent back home.
Pretty Boy -- The unit's medic, and good luck charm.
Hammer -- The eager killer type.
Cracker -- The down-home soldier that's just getting the job done the best he can.
OD -- The hard-nosed Sergeant.
LT -- The fresh, eager Lieutenant.
MoPic -- The Cameraman assigned to film the unit on their mission.

While this part is sort of boring, and looks rather amateurish, that actually works to the film's credit. This is NOT a typical Hollywood movie filled with pretty actors just dressing up as soldiers. In a way, each of the unknown actors provide just enough realism to their characters that you feel like it might actually have started off BEING a documentary. Even better, each of the actors play around with each other as through they really are soldiers put in front of a camera for the first time. They have no problem breaking the "4th wall" and looking into the camera directly, making their introductions even more enjoyable because it feels like this might be one of those "Say a word to the folks back home" type of film. There are even "wipes" and "roll breaks" to indicate when that particular roll of film has run out.

What you end up with (in the opening) feels like you are being shown a documentary that will be later edited into 2 different types of "shorts" for future use. Part "Introduction to the troops" and part "Introduction to the Field", the movie feels like it's going to be used for a future "training" film. The soldiers appear to be somewhat relaxed, even to the point of making fun of each other, as soldiers do. They inform you of who they are in their "interview" sections, but also find several lessons to "pass on" to other soldiers like how to spot booby-traps, and which "tips" makes life easier in the field.

Yet, after going into "The Bush" and spotting a large unit of Victor Charlie, or Viet-Cong, the movie looses that feeling altogether. The unit decides to call in an Artillery and Air strike, and retreat to their pickup zone without confronting the enemy themselves. This is where the movie really becomes more compelling. From this point on, you start to feel like you are put into a "survival" movie, that can end at any second. People are "hit" off camera and on camera, without the overly priced effects of Hollywood. There are no gratuitous blood and gore scenes, none of the tropes of a big-budget movie explosions and deafening gunfire. For the most part, you have become an observer into the struggles of war.

The pros?
Well, it's mostly unknown actors so you don't get drawn into thinking "Oh, well Big Star A is going to survive because he's the main star of the movie." The movie also provides you with an uneasy feeling of being let in on a "secret" because it is shot like a documentary without cutting anything out, even the bad sides of people. You get to see something that is rarely seen in these movies, the camera man being put in front of the camera, and being just like the people he's been filming the whole time. Another thing is the ending itself, which both comes out of nowhere, and absolutely makes sense.


The Cons?
Set during the Vietnam war, the movie isn't going to appeal to a lot of people burned out on the whole "War Movie" genre. There are no big huge battle scenes, because this is a classic low-budget movie that focused mainly on characters, not special effects. This will make people somewhat jaded in not having those huge fights breaking out. And possibly, the biggest drawback to this movie IS the fact that it's not filled with "Big Star A" type actors. There are no "names" to draw you into the movie, unless you call the guy that has been on "Law and Order" as a drawing point. But the biggest drawback, is that the characters themselves fall into stereotypical "Vietnam era" characters. BUT, and I must stress this point, they EACH break out of that stereotype and present memorable characters except for maybe "Easy".


Overall?
This is one of those few low-budget movies, that actually gets to the heart and core of what makes a movie good. Characters that you actually feel something for, telling a compelling story of survival, in a hostile environment that ends on a dramatic point that can be haunting. One of those rare movies that I not only feel like I should recommend, but I actually STRONGLY recommend you try to find. If you can't get hold of it, have no fear. Most of it's on Youtube.com, with maybe a 5min section missing.

So, if you aren't sure how you feel about it, here's a glimpse of the movie to decide on your own.

This is a Full Price movie, that you can get for free.