This is a documentary about the 1980 Iran hostage crisis. I expected this to be more a detailed examination of the preparations and then the execution of the hostage rescue. I know the rescue was short-circuited by the accident. So I expected a lot of preparations to fill this up. Instead, there is next to no preparations. I don't mean the documentary doesn't have much on the preparations. I mean the operation doesn't seem to have much preparations. There is one snippet of a participant complaining about President Carter delaying the operation. My feeling is that he should be happy about the delay so that they could do as many run-throughs as possible. I expected a replica of the embassy. I expected a full replica of the neighborhood. I expected some planning for the refueling area. I am confused about the lack of practice before the big game. This documentary is a regurgitation of everything around the event. A lot of this is well known. I wasn't around back then so some of the minutia is new to me. I didn't know a mother went to visit one of the hostages. The recreation of the rescue is done with comic style drawings. It's probably the most compelling part of the movie and worthwhile to be remade into an action thriller. Of course, Hollywood likes a happy ending which isn't this. This is probably never getting the full theatrical treatment.
Review of Desert One
