On T List of Movie Reviews
(For optimum viewing, adjust the zoom level of your browser to 125%.)
Taps (1981)
Rate:
4
Viewed:
2/12
2/12:
Stupid, misguided, infantile, and brainwashed are the words that immediately come to my mind while watching Taps.
One side of the coin is the interesting perspective of what a cult must look like. The other is it's a bad film with cheesy
acting. I won't be surprised if Tom Cruise has disowned it ever since because he looks like a jackass. As
always, Sean Penn must cry. That's why I can't take him seriously.
It's safe to say the title of the film should be RIP: Timothy Hutton's Acting Career. He fell off the map since then.
Anyway, his character is brainwashed, making it impossible for me to like or sympathize with him.
Meanwhile, looking up the history of military schools turned out to be educational. There used to be hundreds of them decades
ago, but now, only a handful are left. The reasons why are that they're outdated, abusive, financially unprofitable, reflective of
changing attitudes (think of the protests during the Vietnam War period), and exorbitant in terms of tuition. More importantly,
there are better school options.
The research made me realize how silly the issue was in Taps. Hence, I can't believe I watched two hours
of boys defending the school for nonsensical reasons. Imagine how Moreland would've felt if Bache slapped his face
before yelling, "You idiot boy!" An arsenal of weapons that's housed at a military school for kids? Uh uh, I don't think so.
All in all, Taps is as cheesy as it gets.