Why so much hype?

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The Plot.Seven weeks after Pearl Harbor, volunteers form the new 2nd Marine Raider Battalion whose purpose is to raid Japanese-held islands. The men selected come from different walks of life but have toughness in common. Under command of Colonel 'Thorwald', they're trained in all imaginable forms of combat. Then, after a perilous submarine journey, they face a daunting first mission: to annihilate the much larger Japanese garrison on Makin Island, in a lengthy battle sequence.I didn't think I was gonna like this movie. And yes, it is dated.But it's very engaging and hard to stop watching. It's directed at a brisk pace. Some people call this racist. It's not. They call the enemy Japs. That the entire racism in this movie.

Seeing this for the first time - as I am - in 2011 the most interesting thing about it is the cast, arguably unremarkable at the time but verging on the fascinating in retrospect, for example Louis Jean Heydt would appear with great effect in the Bogie/Bacall version of The Big Sleep within a couple of years, Noah Beery Jnr would claim a place in the John Ford rep company, Sam Levene would star on Bradway as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Mitchum would become a super star etc. Clearly intended as a morale booster I'm sure it succeeded admirably but there's nothing actually new or innovative and in the canon of movies filmed actually during the second world war and dealing directly with that global conflict it would probably have a tough time getting into the top ten, despite which it's certainly watchable.

The picture is correctly based on Carlson's first-hand account about records of battalion of Marine Raiders. Six weeks after from Japanese attack to Pearl Harbor , Pacific Ocean is full of islands and atolls occupied by Japanese army. Carlson's Raiders are specially trained group of Marine jungle fighters determined to take island of Makin in the Gilberts. For the liberation of Pacific islands is formed an elite brigade composed by daunted soldiers specially prepared. The staff(colonel Randolph Scott, lieutenant J. Carroll Naish) choose the best men, as a two-fisted ex-boxer(Robert Mitchum), a tough countryman(Rod Cameron) , a ex-reverend, a Chinese- American, two grumpy brothers(Noah Beery). For the instruction are justly accepted 900 and lasted six weeks. They're instructed on judo, swimming, knife use, leaping fences, utilization of fixed bayonets and various forms of fighting , including hand-to-hand combat.Their patriotic shouting is Gung Ho, a Chinese words signifying Gung=endeavour, Ho=united. After battle of Sea of coral and Midway and while the Americans are landing in Salomon and Guadalcanal ,the group is assigned a perilous mission. The bunch undergoes a dangerous underwater journey destination Pacific Ocean to annihilate a Japonese garrison on Makin . At the island his most risked assignment results to be the radio station attack, using even a road-roller.Colonel Carlson(aka Thorwald) gets winning, thanks a silly set-up about a roof painting and all resistance ended.This is a vintage warfare, propaganda film , a jingoist and flag-wager tribute to courage at WWII. Packs the ordinary crew of Marines battling the ¨Yellow Menace¨ on a main base of the Pacific, one of the most difficult and unknown campaigns of the Pacific Theater. Vigorous and action-filled final scenes with memorable shootouts, violent fights that climb all over the screen. Includes a voice in off describing the facts and striking real war footage about stock-shots regarding the sinking ships from Pearl Harbor . Spectacular musical score by Frank Skinner and dated cinematography by Milton Krasker. Special photography effects by usual John P.Fulton.The motion picture is professionally directed by Ray Enright. Indiana-born Enright directed Randolph Scott seven times between 1942-46 and vies with Budd Boetticher for the position of the best Scott helmsman. He's an expert on Westerns such as he proved in Montana, The spoilers,Will Bill Hickock, Bad men of Missouri, among others. Rating : Acceptable and passable warlike film.

The movie 'Gung Ho!': The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders was made in 1943 with a view to go up the moral of American people at the duration of second world war. It shows with the better way that the cinema can constitute body of propaganda. The value of this film is only collection and no artistic. In a film of propaganda it is useless to judge direction and actors. Watch that movie if you are interested to learn how propaganda functions in the movies or if you are a big fun of Robert Mitchum who has a small role in the film. If you want to see a film for the second world war, they exist much better and objective. I rated it 4/10.