Between pandemic lockdowns and blizzards, discovering old favorite war movies streaming on Netflix is really helping me battle cabin fever these days.
Arriving on Netflix in Early February
At the start of every month when Netflix posts its new ‘arriving’ list, I’m reminded of that great scene in the 1979 Carl Reiner comedy, The Jerk when Steve Martin’s character triumphantly yells, “The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!”
So what does Netflix have arriving for us war movie fans this month? Two great classics will kick off February:
February 1, 2021 — The Patriot (2000)
Director Roland Emmerich’s Revolutionary War drama The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson and the late Heath Ledger in one of his earliest screen roles is action-packed and inspirational.
I first saw The Patriot in Paris on July 4, 2000 and I remember the French audience cheering and clapping with joy, even though they were watching it in English with subtitles. I may have aged a bit since then but the film hasn’t lost a bit of its power.
In fact, now just might be the perfect time in our nation’s history to watch it again as a reminder of what our founding fathers fought for and why we love our country.
Read why I think The Patriot is a must-see war movie here.
Watch the trailer for The Patriot here:
February 8, 2021 — War Dogs (2016)
War Dogs, the darkly comic 2016 saga of two would-be Florida arms dealers, played by Jonah Hill and Miles Teller, is one of my all-time favorite war movies. Correction: make that one of my all-time favorite movies, period.
As I said in my original review, War Dogs has plot enough for seven movies, plus an unforgettable cameo from Bradley Cooper and a delightful appearance by a very young Anna de Armas.
Director Todd Phillips — fresh off the Hangover trilogy when he made War Dogs — gives the movie a buzzy, antic charm that’s even more remarkable when you realize that the whole … darn … story actually happened.
Watch the trailer for War Dogs here:
Drop a line in the comments and let me know whether you agree that The Patriot and War Dogs are as timely as ever.
I’ll keep you posted on new Netflix offerings as February continues.