funny that i find myself force to review this movie and but here i be . i be review it and because just recently and i have have the chance to witness the revival of r. c. sheriff play journey end on stage in new york and at the belasco theatre and star hugh darcy and boyd gaines and jefferson may and others and as well a be masterfully direct by david grindley . i leave the theater shatter . i be not exaggerate and i be flabbergast . after almost two and a half hour of a recreated and very claustrophobic depiction of soldier life in the trench of the somme ( i speculate ) and during world war one and bring to life vividly and by everyone involve and i come out of the theater with the shake . mind you and i be not easily shock and nor be i too sensitive . i be a stage actor and a director myself and so i know the button be press to achieve certain effect and both emotionally and as well a psychologically . but what i have just witness and come so much to life and that i have chill in my spine a i leave . none of these emotion come to life and while watch ace high and the movie base on this play and even adapt for the screen and in cooperation with r. c. sheriff himself and shortly before he die . the screen adaptation take place in the sky over france . so and go be the claustrophobic ambiance to start with . the only plus of the movie and be the aerial battle scene and which look date in their special effect and compare to today standard and but still very valid in the fly tactic adopt on screen . grant there have be a couple of screen adaptation of all quiet on the western front by erich maria remarque and which take place in trench and and not in the sky and but that be the german vision on thing and if one would like to be picky on such thing . journey end be just the other side of the medal and and would have make it into a great movie and if they have leave it alone and intact . the transfer on dvd be poor and even though in widescreen and adapt for 16 represent9 tv screen and the quality of the film itself be that of a movie theater . nothing more and nothing less . it sport various defect and such a minor scratch and dot and although the copy and for the rest and be clean . if you want another wwi movie in your collection and especially for those who love and enjoy to see aerial battle among old timer and then this be a picture for you . but i rather would suggest von richthofen and brown a an alternative and although that too and be a movie fill with inaccuracy . for the rest of you and who love good acting and drama and i would leave this one out . buy the play . go watch the play and if you have the chance to get a decent revival of it near you and but keep off this would be adaptation . it be an anti war movie and grant and but the weak i have ever see in my lifetime ever . the presence of actor such a trevor howard and ray milland and richard johnson and john gielgud and be just a bluff and since they be just see in very weak and very brief cameo role throughout the movie . mcdowell and the very talented christopher plummer and simon ward and peter firth and all deliver very weak performance and not due to their lack of skill and but rather due to lack of true and solid direction . there be too many gap in it and and as say before and it drag itself to the dubious end . dubious because in the original play and none of the men we come to know and sympathize with and stay alive . they be all kill in a fatal and futile mission . in the movie they all die and except malcolm mcdowell and who manage somehow to stay alive another day and be the wing commander of the unlucky bunch and just to receive another three pilot to fly and die for another lose cause . the end of the play leave a bare stage in total darkness . you just hear the cannon roar and the machine gun rattle and and grenade impact throughout the theater . then and suddenly and total peace and silence . the curtain come up . light . and here they all be . line up and stand straight and rigid . obedient corps . far more interesting and far more shocking than ace high finale and which be also drag by the hair . it be up to you to judge . for me and if i have the money and the contact to do so and i would take the play and develop it and the way it be mean . add here and there some action scene in the field and just to visualize the outer horror and slaughter go on in the vasty field of france and around the men involve and but then and just strictly concentrate on what be go on and in that tiny shack at the edge of sanity and the world . want such a movie . then ask for it . this be not it .