By definition, Stop-Loss is an order issued by the United States that would extend one's time in action after their time serving is done during times of war. This movie is a powerful, tragic look on the trauma soldiers face after leaving the action. We see how these lives are far from normal and how war not only personally affects them, but the lives around them. This film may be seen to have a political agenda, but then again the Iraqi war was all just for political nonsense in the first place.Kimberly Peirce's film is about a U.S Army Staff Sergeant named Brandon who becomes traumatized along with this two friends back home after he accidentally killed innocent people overseas. While thinking he is home for good, he realizes that he is going to be sent back despite his resistance.This film is well-acted and is full of rising stars. Ryan Phillippe does a good job as Brandon and he makes us sympathize for him and practically every soldier on he job. Channing Tatum is pretty good even though I felt he seemed a little wooden and moody. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my favorite actor in this movie and I wish I saw more of him in the movie.Overall, this is a powerful take on what war will do to you and how it will change you. This is a film about today's generation of wars and how powerful they have become. Like it or not, the United States was in a war for no reason and despite all the bravery, these young men were dying for no reason. That is what the message of the film is. It's an underrated, but vastly powerful film. I rate this film 9/10.

The main problem I have with this film and many others at that, is the lack of research and/or military advisor's. It is almost as if the writers, producers, etc guessed the entire time during the making of it. Hollywood as a whole rarely, if ever, gets military uniforms right or close to it so I can't complain about that. Also in the film, we have chaotic firefights that include insane amounts of RPG's blowing things up at point blank range and the first .50 caliber machine gun ever that can't shoot through anything...at all. "Stop-Loss" also continues the Hollywood tradition of reloading a weapon once or twice, if ever. Stop-Loss in real life was/is much more common in active duty soldiers than it is National Guard. So I'm also left kind of confused as to why they used the NG plot. The storyline is pretty boring, there is an overage of cheesy military slang that nobody has used since the late 80's/early 90's. All military flaws aside, I personally flat out don't like this movie as a whole. It's right down there at the bottom of the barrel with "Home of the Brave" with 50 Cent and Samuel L. Jackson, and "Hurt Locker", (where apparently there's no rules for an EOD guy and he's a Ranger?). I believe that the personnel involved in the writing, producing, directing of this film, Stop-Loss had the best intentions to shed light on the epidemic that is Stop-Loss. However, this film is a travesty to anyone who, like myself, has experienced the Stop-Loss policy during OIF and OEF. Kimberly Pierce, Mark Richards, Greg Goodman, and Scott Rudin should "Stop" making stupid cheesy movies before they take another box office "Loss".

Recap: After two tours in Iraq Staff Sergeant Brandon King is finally coming home and is leaving the army. With he has his friends that he served with, men that became as close as brothers, equally eager to quit fighting, equally happy to finally be close to dear ones. But the boys may be home, but they certainly haven't left the war behind. It is with them constantly, and each of them struggles with in their own way. They abuse drugs and alcohol and get into fights. It tear every relationship apart. Their wives and girlfriends can't handle them, the brotherhood between them comes under extreme pressure. So when King finds out that the army is about to Stop-Loss him, which means it won't let him quit and forcefully send him back to Iraq, Brandon feels betrayed. The army and government that he fought for, risked his life for, broke their deal. And he can't handle anymore death, more friends dying. He goes AWOL in a race for Washington, to speak with a senator, but he soon finds out that as fugitive, the list of friends quickly grows thin.Comments: A strong movie about courage and duty, and doing the honorable thing. About how a government that has sent thousands of soldiers to fight a war on foreign soil, can turn their back on the same men once they returned home. How deals are broken, trust betrayed and the despair these men that is forced to rejoin can feel.It is a strong movie about how it feels to return home with these horrible memories (at best) and not being able to handle them, the strain it puts on these individuals and their relationships.Well, I have not been in any war, neither am I American, so the real issues might not be mine to debate, even if I do have a clear opinion about it. However, so does it seem this movie has. And it is very good at relaying it.Ryan Philippe, Channing Tatum and Abbie Cornish gives very strong performances along with the rest of a strong cast. Their acting is reason enough to watch this movie, a real impressive effort.It might be so that some of the events is not entirely realistic, however to dismiss the movie or the emotions that are portrayed in them because of that is foolish. It portrays a part of a war that both individuals and governments that send their soldiers to war need to handle. Therefore I think this movie gives an important statement in that debate.In the end, just focusing on the movie, it was a really good movie. Well acted with a real good story that kept my interest without problem. A drama with some real emotion and close to the thriller genre. Well worth watching! 7+/10

s Stop-Loss a war movie—showing in grim detail the nature of the Iraqi war—, a buddy movie—Brandon King (Ryan Phillippe) and his four buds who have managed to survive multiple tours of duty are returning to their Brazos, Texas, homes: "Mission Accomplished," so let's party and get on with our blessed lives—, or a cause movie—government say "Whoops, just kidding, it's crucifixion... the President put us under 'stop-loss' and you have to go back, like, until we say leave."?Like Bonneville, the movie I reviewed last week, Stop-Loss would be classified a small movie with a relatively new writer/director team. It also has some very accomplished younger actors who play the Army soldiers returning from Hell to a heroes' welcome... ...For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.Brian Wright Copyright 2009