Somehow this film, even though it is based on a true story that seems fascinating at first glance, does not exude fascination. Chickie (Zac Efron) stumbles through the Vietnam War in search of his old neighbours and friends, learning about the horrors and seriousness of war that he never realised in the US. His big goal in doing so is to bring everyone a beer, the film's goal to be a war film telling a civilian's view of the Vietnam War. At first glance, both plans seem to offer potential for an exciting story and perspective. However, both plans fail miserably. Chickie is able to hand out some beers, but meanwhile realises that he has quite the wrong picture of the US war effort and cannot reach all his friends, the film fails to tell its story. So while it does show the change in attitude of the main character, who had a positive attitude towards the war, through his experiences in war-torn Vietnam, it feels like much that has already been seen, despite a new perspective. This does not make the images of war any less horrific, even though there are far more impressive depictions of the horrors of war in other films, but the view of a civilian does not open up any new perspectives on war in this film either.

The film, the portrayal and the atmosphere couldn't really reach me, and in the end the greatest beer delivery is still a beer delivery. You can certainly make the film like a warm beer, but there are many better alternatives.

This tells the true story of Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) who decided that he was fed up hearing the continuing reports of bad news from the Vietnam war, and so decided to travel to the war zone - as a civilian - and take the serving friends from his neighbourhood some beer! Using a combination of guile and brass neck, he is soon in situ, where he encounters the cynical journalist Arthur Coates (Russell Crowe) before embarking on his trek to deliver his beer. If it were not fact, it would really beggar belief this - the hand that serendipity plays in ensuring not just his safety, but the manner in which he blags his way around this tortured land, is sometimes just a little too difficult to believe. Efron is never going to be a good versatile actor, but to give him his due he delivers well enough here with a decent script and once we enter the final phase that involves more of a contribution from Crowe, the film picks up giving us some indication of just how perilous life was for those facing the Viet Cong's stealthy advance. It's not without it's humour and it illustrates amusingly just how afraid everyone was of falling foul of the CIA - a confusion which he was able to take advantage of on a regular basis! It's a tale of camaraderie in it's truest form, and though not really a cinema film, is at the better end of the Apple productions we have seen so far. It is half an hour too long - it takes way too long to get going, but once we are in Asia, it's a watchable enough drama.