Okay, I'm not a big fan of TV movies, but I thought that Timothy Daly's performance in this effort was magnetic and the script was above par. Watching as Koresh rants, raves and twists the bible's message to his captive audience really gives you an idea how he may have lead people to follow him to their doom. If there is a weakness with the film, it is that it portrays the various government agencies as well meaning but two-dimensional wholesome boobs. I find it laughable that other reviewers think this film is fascist - both sides are portrayed rather favorably with the exception of Koresh. If the film has any message, it is that if you're a member of a heavily armed and whacked out cult with a megalomaniac pedophile for a leader, it is no surprise to anybody if you bring "armageddon" down on yourself. The Branch Davidians discovered the hard way and frankly if they were stupid enough shoot back at the feds then they got what they deserved.I also found the film ends rather abruptly after the feds gathered their dead from the initial raid. Perhaps the production thought that was the best place to cut the movie and rush it out to TV as soon as possible. Even if that is their reasoning, the ending is disjointed and misses some of the drama that could have been captured from the ensuing siege.

This is a first-rate accounting of the tragic deaths and destruction brought about by the actions and beliefs of a home-grown terrorist named David Koresh and his band of paranoid religious fanatics. Koresh may be (as is evidenced by several of the reviews on this page) worshiped by the lunatic fringe of right-wing government-hating zealots, but he was nothing more than a domestic version of Osama bin Laden and any number of power-crazed killers who cloak themselves in religion as an excuse to unleash their hatred and violence on the world, and this film does a good job of showing Koresh to be exactly that. Tim Daly is terrific as Koresh; I don't know if he was nominated for an Emmy for this, but if he wasn't he should have been, it's that good of a job. Director Dick Lowry stages the final assault in a straightforward manner, giving viewers a chilling and sobering idea of the volume of murderous gunfire that the federal agents were up against. The final result was, besides the murders of several law enforcement agents and the deaths of Koresh and his fellow terrorists, the terrible tragedy of the women and children of Koresh's band who, because of his fanaticism. hatred and insanity, he decreed had to die with him when he blew up the compound. The film has been criticized for taking some liberties with the facts, as most biographies do, and that may be true to a degree, since it was rushed into production so quickly, and it probably wouldn't have hurt if the filmmakers had taken a bit more time in preparation. But all things considered, this is an impressive accomplishment for a project that was put together in such a short time. You should definitely check it out.

There is no denying that Tim Daly's performance is stunning. But, it would seem that he was the only person working on this cartoonish debacle who did any research.Now, what we have here is a question of motive. Why did they make this film without any access to the facts? (After all, the film was in post production before the siege was over) Were they making art? No. Were they documenting the truth? No. They didn't know what the truth was at that time. Were they trying the save the ATF from budget cutting and possible disbandment? I'll put my vote on yes.This is a dangerous piece of propaganda, which holds murderers up as heroes, and displays people who are defending themselves as psychos.Oh, and where was the scene where the FBI agents opened fire on the women and children who were hiding in the kitchen area to protect themselves from the CS gas? In fact, where was the CS gas?

Watch the outstanding documentary, Waco: The Rules of Engagement, and then watch this insulting inane dreck. If you are like me, you will want to slap the perpetrators of this ignorant, hateful, pro-"law enforcement" propaganda. People who deny the Holocaust will love Ambush in Waco.