Line #23 Film/TunnelRats


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tunnel_rats.jpg]]
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3	''Tunnel Rats'' (sometimes called ''1968 Tunnel Rats'') is a German-Canadian UsefulNotes/VietnamWar movie directed by Creator/UweBoll starring Creator/MichaelPare, Creator/WilsonBethel, and Nate Parker.
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5	Tunnel Rats follows Lieutenant Hollowborn (Paré) and his men, a group of American soldiers deep in enemy territory. They are sent to go through a Viet Cong tunnel, only to find it well-defended.. Soon, the Americans are scattered, both above and below, the ground, while their base cap comes under attack and they try desperately to make it out alive.
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7	The script of the film encouraged the actors to Ad-lib their lines, and most of the dialogue is improvised.
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9	Oddly enough, there exists a video game tie-in a year later, usually the reverse in the case of Uwe Boll (who makes movies based on games, and not vice versa). Said game was mostly InNameOnly starring a whole new character, a GI named Brook absent in the film.
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11	!!Tropes:
12	* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Defied by Heaney, who says the key to surviving is realizing that it’s all gray.
13	* CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: Inverted with Lt. Hollowborn and Sgt. Heaney. Hollowborn is the gruff demanding one and Heney is more soft-spoken and comforting.
14	* CardSharp: Lidford wins money form the others betting on card tricks.
15	* CommonalityConnection: Verano comes for the same part of the comity as Heaney’s in-laws.
16	* CommunicationsOfficer: Harris is the groups radioman, but the one time he tries to call for help the radio is broken.
17	* CurbStompBattle: When Harris protests the execution Hollowbron has him fightingt a boxing match to settle it and easily beats him.
18	* DeadpanSnarker: Green who is introduced showing in new men and quipping not to feed Garratty because he bites.
19	* DoomedHurtGuy:
20	** Johnson finds [[spoiler: Garraty]] stabbed in the stomach and gets him back to the surface but he dies soon afterwards]].
21	** [[spoiler:Lidford]] is badly wounded before retreating into the tunnels and is encountered and stabbed to death by Vo Min shortly afterwards.
22	* DownTheDrain: Porterson spends a while swimming through an area in the tunnels (either a source of water or a toilet for the VC’) and finds himself facing several he has to fight, including their commander, after emerging.
23	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:All of the Americans are clearly killed by the end except for Harris, Porterson and Miller, with the American airstrike Hollowborn called in trapping Harris and a sympathetic VC character inside the tunnels they probably won’t be able to escape before air runs out, and also destroying the base camp, which will likely delay or mess up any rescuers finding Porterson and Miller, assuming they weren’t caught in the blast]].
24	* DoNotGoGentle: A dying [[spoiler:Hollowborn]] calls in an air strike and pull the pin to a grenade he’s carrying.
25	* DrugsAreBad: Hollowborn makes it clear that he has no patience for dope smokers in a war zone.
26	* DwindlingParty: Members of the group go are killed frequently and quickly and the survivors get scattered.
27	* FatalFamilyPhoto: Dying VC soldier [[spoiler:Tran]] has a picture of a girl in his hand. Miller and Verano also talk a lot about their families. [[spoiler:Miller survives, Verano doesn’t]].
28	* HollywoodAtheist: Graybridge scoffs at Harris's bible and notion of God saving the faithful but keeps muttering “I believe, I believe” while fleeing from the VC.
29	* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:Johnson]] is impaled though the ‘’neck’’ with a bamboo stake, taking several seconds to kill him.
30	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Graybridge wants to run a burger joint for the upcoming franchises once he gets home, but his fellows are skeptical about his claims that they represent the future.
31	* HomeSweetHome: Green wants to live in a houseboat in Wisconsin once he gets home.
32	* ImprobableInfantSurvival: Vo Mai sends the childrenn in the VC group out the tunnel while confronting Harris [[spoiler:allowing them to avoid the bombing]].
33	* JustFollowingOrders: Heaney argues against killing the VC prisoner but when Hollowborn remains firm, executes the man himself, reluctantly.
34	* MadeOfIron: [[spoiler:Holloworb]] takes several injuries and keeps fighting for a while.
35	* ManlyTears: Heaney breaks down crying after killing the VC prisoner.
36	* MeaningfulName: The bases nickname is Little Big Horn.
37	* MommasBoy: Miller doesn’t mind talking about what a good cook his mother is.
38	* MotorMouth: Porterson feels that Miller talks too much.
39	* NewMeat: Miller is a nervous, but eager to please young man who has only just arrived at the beginning of the film. The other soldiers are skeptical about his chances of survival. Porterson and Verona also seem new to the war and unfamiliar with tunnels.
40	* MyGirlBackHome: Graybridge and his girl write to each other.
41	* NoManLeftBehind [[spoiler:Verano]] is gunned down while trying to drag a dying [[spoiler:Heaney]] to safety despite Green’s warnings.
42	* NotAfraidToDie: The VC troops.
43	* PornStache: Sgt. Heaney has a thin mustache.
44	* ReligiousBruiser: Hollowborn justifies killing an enemy and a SaltTheEarth viewpoint with a quote from the bible. Interestingly, his rival Harris also has a bible which Lidford knows a sermon from.
45	* RunOrDie: After the first few deaths the soldiers are presented with this. Miller and Graybridge flee overland, with many VC in pursuit, while the others go down into the tunnels.
46	* SanitySlippage: Green goes crazy while lost alone in the tunnels and starts stabbing a dead body.
47	* SceneryPorn: The jungle and plains of Vietnam are captured in great detail.
48	* SoundtrackDissonance: The film opens with shots of the scary angle as a somewhat upbeat rock song plays.
49	* StargazingScene: Not actually shown, but described by Verano as something he'd do with his sister all the time.
50	* SympatheticPOV: Viet Cong tunnel rats Chien Nguyen, Hy Tran and Vo Mai are portrayed as caring for each other and just trying to force out invaders.
51	* TemptingFate: The film opens with a man declaring a tunnel is clear right before a VC in a tunnel beneath that one stabs him through the floor.
52	* TookALevelInBadass: Miller, the new guy proves to be decent at watching the others back and fighting when cornered.
53	* TrappedBehindEnemyLines: A lot of the film follows Porterson, Green and Harris forced to flee down the Viet Cong tunnels and trying to find a way out.
54	* TunnelKing: TruthInTelevision. The Viet Cong have made some deep, complete, trap laden tunnels. The American soldiers are the ones sent to explore them and flush the VC out.
55	* UncertainDoom: [[spoiler:Harris and Vo Mai, who are buried in the tunnel at the end of the movie, and trying to dig their way out, but don’t seem optimistic about their chances]].
56	* VillainsDyingGrace: [[spoiler:Tran]] who Porterson has mortally wounded and stared over sadly points him to the way out.
57	* VomitIndiscretionShot: VO Min gets seen throwing up after killing [[spoiler:Johnson]].
58	* WarIsHell: The brutality and senseless of the conflict get shown pretty well.
59	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Harris mentions that he dislikes tunnels, as he had an uncle who died in one.

Context Film / TunnelRats