A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

I've noticed that many of the American WW2 movies dealing with the Filipino theatre of war feel very cheap and occasionally amateurish in nature. I don't know what it is about the subject matter that lends it to poor quality material but BACK TO BATAAN is no different. Perhaps it's a B-movie compared to the A-list features dealing with the European theatre of battle. This one is slightly different in that it wasn't actually filmed in the Philippines but rather in California, understandable as the war was still raging when this was shot in 1945.The film is a stock gung-ho war effort featuring the likable John Wayne. He's not at his best here - I preferred him in period fare - although it's quite unusual to see him unshaven. He plays a single US soldier who stays on the island when the rest of the American forces flee in the wake of a massive Japanese invasion force. Wayne's goal is to persuade the Filipino villagers to rise up and begin a guerrilla war. What follows is plenty of stock action and incident and the odd sight of Anthony Quinn playing a Filipino character. It's not bad, quite watchable in fact, but not one of the Duke's best.

Is it churlish to complain about overt flag waving in war movies? Or to decry propaganda prose in the same? Back to Bataan is guilty as charged, yet such is the composition of Edward Dmytryk's film, and its focus on a part of the war we rarely have seen on film, it matters not.We are in 1942, and after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese, U.S. Army Col. Joseph Madden (John Wayne) stays behind to lead the local guerrilla resistance against the Japanese army. With that synopsis it isn't hard to figure out what sort of pic we are going to get, yet to purely consider this as a macho beefcake movie is a little unfair.Sure it's bookended by blistering action, as Duke Wayne (very restrained turn actually) and Anthony Quinn cut a swathe through the RKO sound stages, but there's lots of intelligent human interactions here to mark it as being in the least knowing of the campaign.It often grasps for the sentimental branch, while the racist barbs and portrayal of the Japanese does sting at times. But this is exciting and thoughtful stuff, boosted no end by Dmytryk's sturdy direction and Nicholas Musuraca's monochrome photography (a film noir lovers dream pairing!). Better than routine war movie. 7/10

Very uplifting WWII action film starring John Wayne as Col Joseph Madden, who volunteers to stay behind after the fall of the Philippines in the early months of war. The Japanese are wanting complete control of the islands and surviving population; but Madden is fervent in gathering Filipino resistance in preparation for the return of General MacArthur. This is a high quality flag-waver filmed during WWII. Wayne is impeccable and at his two-fisted best with a very strong supporting cast. Anthony Quinn plays a young Filipino trying to live up to his folk-hero father's reputation. There is also Beulah Bondi, Paul Fix, 'Ducky' Louie, Richard Lo, Philip Ann, Lawrence Tierney and Abner Biberman.

My father, who is now in his late eighties, was one of those Philippine Scouts (of the US Army) who defended the Bataan peninsula as part of the USAFFE (US Armed Forces Far East) from early January to 9 April 1942. He was an Aid-Man in Company C, 12th Medical Bn. (Philippine Scouts), and witnessed combat at the Battle of Abucay Hacienda (around 11-13 January 1942), which is on Bataan, while supporting the 57th Infantry Regt. (PS). Later, as a Runner for the 12th Medical Bn., he came into contact with those US Army nurses at Hospital No.s 1 and 2, who were portrayed by Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, and others in "So Proudly We Hail" (1943). He survived about five days walking sixty-five miles on the "March of Death," being packed with about 100 other PoWs into a rail car designed to hold maybe forty men on the last forty-mile stretch to the prison camp, and then eight months in the Hell of Camp O'Donnell, or "Camp O'Death." My Dad loves this movie because it is so moving in many ways. As a result, we, his Baby Boomer children, are also big fans of this film, and will be for the rest of our lives.