So I very much enjoyed watching this film. i mean of course it is a visual masterpiece. Landscapes, characters, animal life, make the film hard to turn away from. I enjoyed the build up, the fact that the hero was in a wheelchair, which added something to the characters experience. I really liked all the performances. They were worth watching and i wasn't bored at any time.
That being said, i thought some of the references were pushy, like the shock and awe line and little hints about Iraq that didn't feel natural, or maybe I'm just reading too much into, lol. . I'm also not sure how I feel about a movie with a 300 million dollar price tag, but it didn't keep me from liking the film. I think it borrowed from many places, but did it in such a a way as to make them its own. This review is a first impression and I'm sure I will watch the film again, but for now I have to say 8 out of 10 for me.