PLOT: fiction account of the 2 bombs dropped on Japan to end World War 2. even Paul Newman cannot save this BOMB~ sorry about the bad pun but that phrase describes it. Newman is General Groves an army General also an engineer who built the Pentagon is assigned the task of DEVELOPING THE ATOM BOMB~ Newman is good as Groves who mainly see the scientists as the problem because they are prima donnas in his mind~ add Oppenheimer the scientist HEAD who coodinates all the scientists (Dwight Schultz) this is a very dislikable character who is busy calling his mistress and keeping his bored wife happy. Groves and Oppenheimer butt heads most of the movie. Laura Dern is a nurse who really is only there to cry. LOL This shows the Los Almos camp set up and the degree of secrecy and scrutiny every one is put under to keep the BIG secret of the bomb development. Given 19 months and the BEST scientific minds the details are made simple. What this lacks is character development. We like Newman but he is not the focus it is Oppenheimer and you cannot like him no matter what. This movie ends ABRUPTLY when the sucessful implosion of the bomb in the desert. IF you do not know history this movie makes you not care about this historic event. Bonnie Bedellia as Oppenheimers whiney wife and Natasha Richardson as the sexy commy girl friend who kills herself when Oppenheimer ends the relationship. the names FAT MAN and Little Boy are the names of the two bombs which were eventually dropped on Japan which soon lead to their unconditional surrender. I GIVE IT 3 OUT OF 5 FOR TOTAL MOVIE~ 2 FOR PLOT AND THE THREE COMES IN only because NEWMAN is fun to watch him manipulate Oppenheimer who in turn~feels HE has the general under his thumb and why a general? because the ARMY HAD THE RESOURCES (MONEY) TO PAY FOR THE TWO BILLION DOLLAR PRICE TAG OF COST and the manpower to keep it a secret. ALSO SEE HIROSHIMA A 5 STAR MOVIE~ MUCH BETTER~Read full review
Movie does a great job describing the challenge the military had trying to keep the Manhattan Project a secret and at the same time getting the scientists to work impossibly fast, in order to end the war.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This film succeeds in capturing the essence of one of the most extraordinary partnerships in WWII. Paul Newman plays the role of General Leslie Groves, the military coordinator of the Manhattan Project, and gives a totally credible rendering of how the general worked with the more liberal Robert Oppenheimer and his colleagues to develop the first nuclear weapons. Overall, historically accurate and compelling as a story, the film avoids drawing any moral conclusions while clearly highlighting those that faced the participants. This movie succeeds in taking one of the major issues of the 2oth century and presenting it clearly and succinctly, leaving the viewer to draw conclusions.
I have a NetFlix account and I'm a casual movie watcher, so I don't often buy movies. However NetFlix was recently forced by the copyright holder to remove this movie from their line-up. I do quite enjoy this movie for its closely historical portrayal of the characters. Albeit somewhat fictional in the events, I believe in its totality it captures the feeling a mood of the people who worked on the Manhattan Project. I titled it with the Titanic in mind simply because both movies do such a good job or capturing the mood during the factual events. (Aside from the love stories and what-not.) While the Titanic move was overshadowed by the love story, the Fat Man and Little Boy move has strong male roles than many can admire and relate to from that time period. I believe this only strengthens the understanding of the historical significance of the Manhattan Project instead of overshadowing.Read full review
Historical drama chronicling the development of the first nuclear weapons in the 1940's Manhattan Project. The emotional stress of the scientists involved in the final breakthrough that made the development of nuclear fission possible. The knowledge that these sorts of weapons were going to adversely change the way that wars would be waged in the future. Paul Newman plays General Leslie Groves, who oversaw the project, with Dwight Schultz as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant scientist in charge.
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