Watch Heartbreak Ridge

Heartbreak Ridge is a 1986 American war film directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film as Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway. The story is about a seasoned US Marine sergeant who is assigned to train a group of undisciplined Marines for the invasion of Grenada in 1983. With the help of his friend and former comrade, Sergeant Major Choozoo (played by Arlen Dean Snyder), Highway transforms the unruly group into a formidable fighting force.

The movie begins with Highway, an old-school Marine who has been fighting in wars since Korea, being reassigned to a new unit after his latest altercation with an officer. He is sent to the Reconnaissance platoon, a group of Marines that has been deemed as undisciplined and uncooperative. However, Highway sees something in them that no one else does: the potential to become a top-class fighting unit.

The platoon is composed of a motley crew of misfits, including a lazy truck driver named Swede Johanson played by Peter Koch, and a hotheaded boxer named Stitch Jones played by Mario Van Peebles. The entire platoon is made up of characters that initially seem undeserving of Marine Corps training, but they are ultimately forged into talented and accomplished Marines.

On top of the challenges posed by the members of his platoon, Highway must also deal with a strained relationship with his ex-wife, portrayed by Marsha Mason, who is also his new boss at the base. Highway finds himself in difficult, complicated situations when he tries to reconnect with his ex-wife while simultaneously focusing on training his new platoon.

As the training progresses, Highway uses his tough and unyielding training techniques to whip his men into shape, teaching them the values of discipline, respect, and teamwork. The film demonstrates how Highway has to overcome obstacles of racism, sexism, and prejudice. Meanwhile, as the platoon's morale and skills improve, they become ready for their task: to deploy on a combat mission to Grenada, a small Caribbean island controlled by a Marxist government.

In the final act of the movie, the now well-trained platoon is deployed to Grenada, using their skills and training to overcome an array of obstacles, including ambushes, snipers, and mines. They ultimately succeed in capturing the island's airfield, which serves as a key strategic point in the US military’s mission to overthrow the Grenadian government.

Overall, Heartbreak Ridge is a fascinating and thrilling action movie, with a captivating performance by Clint Eastwood as the grizzled Marine sergeant. The film's portrayal of the challenges of training soldiers and the importance of leadership and teamwork is both realistic and inspiring. The movie provides a great commentary on military discipline and the importance of trust among soldiers. This movie is a must-see for fans of war films or anyone interested in the workings of the US military.

Heartbreak Ridge is a 1986 action movie with a runtime of 2 hours and 10 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 53.