Released all the way back in 1979 and brought to us by Francis Ford Coppola. To this day, Apocalypse Now is regarded as one of if not THE greatest war movies ever made. This is set during the days of The Vietnam War and I feel that the movie holds up incredibly well and is honestly timeless.
How to Download Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now was released on August 15, 1979. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform such as Amazon Prime Video. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
I remember my dad being so desperate to watch this with me in the early 90s and truth be told, I did not appreciate the movie at all the first time I saw it. I was too young to truly “get” the story and message that the movie was trying to tell. My dad could not believe that I did not think that this was one of the greatest movies I had ever seen. However, I have seen it a few times since then and it is the kind of movie that I have enjoyed more each time I have seen it.
Marlon Brando’s Unforgettable Performance
What can I possibly say about Apocalypse Now that has not already been said? This is truly an amazing movie with some of the greatest and most real and raw acting performances ever seen. Marlon Brando is just so captivating, intimidating, and scary, when I think of Marlon Brando it is his performance here as the bat poop-crazy Colonel Walter Kurtz that comes to mind. It is one of those immense acting performances that I feel is worthy of every accolade it has gotten for the past 40-plus years.
The Intriguing Plot
Colonel Walter Kurtz is a decorated US war hero, but he has gone rogue and crazy. Kurtz has set up shop in Cambodia and he has an army of followers. Kurtz is feared by everyone, not just the Vietcong, but the US as well. The US is very anxious about what Kurtz could potentially do as well as what he knows so they feel he has to be dealt with.
This is where Martin Sheen’s U.S. Army Captain Benjamin L. Willard comes into play. He is given a top-secret mission that will see him and a small group head up the river where he is tasked with assassinating Kurtz. He needs to keep this mission a secret, but with no one else knowing about this mission, it causes problems with his group and their journey up the river.
Which Version to Watch?
Now, we need to talk about which version of Apocalypse Now you should watch as it is honestly a freaking mess. People are entitled to their own opinion, but the regular Apocalypse Now Theatrical Cut is the way to go in my opinion. This “regular” version of the movie has a great pace to it and I have always felt that the Final Cut and Apocalypse Now Redux add in a bunch of stuff, but it just makes the movie drag. I can see why some may like this fleshing out more, but for me, it actually takes away from the movie.
Recommended Edition
There are so many releases of this in different parts of the world that it makes adding this to your collection such a chore as it would be so easy to get the wrong one that is missing content! I highly recommend getting the 6-disc set as that has everything you need and with a glorious 4K restoration too. Plus you get the amazing Hearts of Darkness documentary which is one of the greatest movie-making documentaries of all time.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the Theatrical Cut, I honestly believe that it is a 10/10 perfect movie. There is nothing about that movie I do not like and that is what I am basing my score on here. I am sure that many people love the two extended cuts, but they are just too much and they slow things down.
