Some things I liked some I did not.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Had BACK TO BATAAN and BACK TO BATAAN not been made, then I assume that American GUERILLA IN THE PHILIPPINES would probably be a better remembered film. That's because it's an excellent movie in just about every way, but the earlier John Wayne and Robert Taylor films about the Philippines during WWII were very outstanding films and tend to overshadow this Tyrone Power flick.While the plot is not identical to these other two films, there are many similarities. All three document the heroic efforts of the Philippino partisans as well as that of Americans stuck in this land during the war. About the only noticeable difference was that the Power film was in color and I really think for this subject matter, black and white actually worked better--looking more like what you'd expect a WWII film to look like. Plus, the other two films are just a little more exciting and involving--but this isn't to say this Power film is bad--it just isn't quite as involving.Still, among the many, many WWII films, this one is a bit better than average and well worth a peek. And, yes, I also noticed the line that said a Navy Ensign is equivalent to an Army Major! I'm surprised that Power, with his WWII experience, would have said such a stupid line. An ensign is most closely equivalent to an Army Lieutennant--a much lower rank.

The great Tyrone Power does it again! Not only does he wow the audience with his fabulous looks, he also makes you feel like you're really there, with his great acting ability. It is natural, not put on. The real chemistry with Michelle Perelle is very evident. (It's easy to see why Ty had thousands swarm to see him where ever he went.) You not only get a history lesson about the war in the Philippines, you also get to see it through the eyes of those who risked their lives and suffered through it! This includes Ty Power who sacrificed big bucks in offered movie contracts to go fight for our freedom instead. What a great American! It has dynamic movement, not a dull moment in it anywhere. The scenery is great, too! I must say I like having Tyrone Power doing the areas of narration, also. A real must to see with the whole family.

If anyone thinks they've seen this film before, An American Guerrilla in the Philippines bears no small resemblance to the John Wayne film Back to Bataan. But what a difference in terms of production.Back to Bataan was done on the RKO back-lot with their official jungle set used for films going back to King Kong and The Most Dangerous Game. An American Guerrilla in the Philippines was shot entirely on location in the Phillipines and the cinematography is beautiful.I'm not sure that Tyrone Power's military service brought him to the Philippines, but he did serve in the Marines in the Pacific Theater in several campaigns against many islands. It certainly lent a lot of credibility to his performance.Unlike John Wayne who is ordered into the hills to begin organizing resistance, Power is a navy ensign who's just trying to escape the Philippines after Bataan has fallen and to avoid the brutal Japanese prison camps. Along the way Power decides along with Tom Ewell and others in his motley group to join the resistance.And unlike John Wayne, Power gets an opportunity for a little romance with a plantation widow, Michelline Presle. Power does a good job here. The film is not a dark and moody Fritz Lang type product, but Lang does all right with a project that he obviously took for a pay check. I will say this though the ending is a bit too much to swallow as Douglas MacArthur does indeed return, and in the nick of time as well.

An entertaining film, filmed in the Philippines where the story is set and with some excellent local colour. And Micheline Presle, in one of her few non-French films, reminds me of a former girl-friend! At 37, Tyrone Power looks a little old. (Quinlan's notes that "when he returned from war service, his face had hardened into earnestness and gravity".) But he fills the starring role well.I feared early on that the film might descend into the cliché of "attractive woman among hardbitten men in trouble" when Power invites Presle to accompany his motley crew on their primitive craft, but luckily she declines (and she looks too classy to have had the experience of such craft that she claims).Some producers might have been tempted to make more of the American "phonies" (led by the ever impressive Jack Elam) Power observes collecting money from the villagers - a showdown between the good and bad Yanks, perhaps, but they're allowed to slink off. And I wondered if the woman with her head hidden as she denounced collaborators to the Japanese might later be identified and dealt with. Lesser films might have made more of these incidents in the interests of drama The end of the film was a bit unconvincing, with the Japanese soldiers withdrawing just as the survivors of Power's band look to be beaten; they had enough time to finish the job before getting away.