The first thing that struck me was that most of the American soldiers portrayed in this documentary apparently were small town guys, with little education and not as articulate as one would hope. They joined the military not out of patriotism, but for imagined adventure. It was the army or community college. I can sympathize with them and at the same time I can understand why the Iraqi people don't like them. They are crass, bullying and overbearing.But they also are willing to take tremendous risks and are sincere in their efforts to bring stability to a country thousands of miles from their own. The entire Iraqi war seems to be a tragic, confusing mess and where it goes from here, no one really knows. The American soldiers, many just kids fresh out of high school, really want to put in their time and go home. But we know, even if they survive, they will never be the same again.

Just to see a documentary on the battle for Iraq is refreshing. The nightly news coverage, with that 30 second loop of whatever-happens-to-be-going-on while some anchorman or reporter drones on endlessly about what some talking heads in the Pentagon, state department, opposition group or the White House, are to this movie what MTV is to a serious news magazine. The drama is 1000 times more real than any reality TV and therefore it's entertaining. Soldiers being soldiers, without a script or other parameters are insightful, I suspect, for the average viewer, particularly the American viewer, who most likely doesn't have an inkling what the military, much less war, is like. The soldiers are candid, mostly young, intelligent, interesting and articulate, which should be no surprise as they are a cross section of America.The crew do a good job of bringing out the points of view as things happen, whether it be a raid, a public protest, or a casualty which gives us a solid look and feel to what these artillerymen experience.Still the documentary is rather flat. Although the crew counts down the days until the unit departs Iraq, there is no flow to the film. Things happen and soldiers and Iraqis provide commentary. There are no themes or dividers (which was probably intentional) so the film has no sense of time and is amorphous.The drama rarely builds and when something does happen the most dramatic aspect seems to be the narrators voice (I tend to think he doesn't talk like this normally). There's a solemn moment when one of the unit's officers dies. While the way and time the narrator finds out is itself sad, we can't really empathize because the individual is hardly mentioned prior to his death. Maybe it was out of consideration of his family and friends, but although we learn the narrator and he were close, this information only comes to us after the fact. The poetry and rapping provide the majority of the music and, regardless of the talent of the soldiers who do it, it becomes a little stale and somewhat out of place. Granted, we've become accustomed to associating 60's music with Vietnam, but there has to be something a little more representative of Iraq's "sound". If you are looking for more than what's offered on the news as to what occupation duty in Iraq is like, this will do the trick. If you are looking for a fascinating and well structured documentary, look elsewhere.

Wow. A documentary not made by Michael Moor that still sucks. In this case the movie sucks because the direction is horrible, actually there is almost no direction. I like the content, but this is more of a home video then a documentary.Gunner Palace is about a unit of soldiers living in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces during the war in Iraq. The movie shows day to day life while soldiers explain what is going on, sometimes in rap song, and sometimes in humor, and the dangers they face.The interesting aspect of this movie is how it shows the soldiers feeling neglected now that the press is reporting the day to day activities like it did during the combat during the "war." Many of them feel that the public doesn't understand that they are still fighting and dieing every day. I also enjoyed how the film mixes the good and the bad the soldiers' experience. One block the kids are coming up to the soldiers to walk with them but the next block over, kids are throwing rocks at them. I do like how the movie shows what good things that are taking place over there, like visiting orphanage's and helping people in the street. I didn't like the continuous mocking of the President and Secretary Rumsfeld all though it's to be expected because this movie did have a anti-war feeling to it. Yet the content was still good.What was horrible was the total lack or direction in the movie and the editing of the movie. I was constantly turning up the volume on my TV to hear what the man behind the camera was saying, yet had to turn it down when the Rap music came on. I then had to turn it up when he was interviewing the soldiers but turn it down when the fighting began. Poor sound editing. I also really couldn't follow what was going on. At one point, about a hour into the movie, the cameraman says he is going home, and we do indeed see pictures of him at his house. When then hear how one of the soldiers he visited was killed, and the next scene, without explanation we are back in Iraq. Did he go back after he heard the death of his friend, or did he just provide more pictures of stuff he took? Later on it becomes semi-clear that he goes back, but he never really says it. It could be his cameraman for all we know.There is a wonderful interview with a kid over in Iraq who talks about his hometown, of Colorado Springs, and how when he left to join the Army, there was construction at the I-25 and Woodmen intersection. He then tells how since then, he lived in Germany for a year, got called to invade Iraq, and toppled a country, helped build it back up, and after all of that, he goes to the internet to look at the Colorado Springs newspaper to see a headline that said Woodmen Intersection making some progress. For those of use, like me, who lived in Colorado Springs during that time, could really appreciate that comment. I laughed out loud at that comment.This could have been a wonderful movie, but because of the lack of direction the movie falls into confusion on more than one occasion. Interesting material, but poor story telling by the director.**This review and others can be read at www.bbmc.dockratent.com**

Remarkable movie.It really makes you think and want to talk about your own perspectives on the war.Coming from Seattle, it was particularly moving to hear the director talk about the death of Ben Colgan. He was a local boy and well loved.This is the most honest representation of Iraq I've seen yet. It must be good since so many other directors are using a similar format in upcoming documentaries. To learn more about the making of the movie, check out the Apple computers website, and Gunner Palace website. I would encourage you to read Michael's diary about the making of the movie, his emails home to his wife and daughter, and the emails from the troops and their families. They are moving. Great movie, makes you think.