Rescue Dawn (2006)

(On TV, September 2015) As far as difficult adventures go, Rescue Dawn tackles the plight of a Vietnam-era American pilot brought down in unfriendly country.  Quickly captured, he plot evasion and escapes through the jungle before being rescued.  Director Werner Herzog adapts his own documentary film inspired by a true story about the real-life odyssey of Dieter Dengler, and while the result never rises above the ordinary, Rescue Dawn is a well-made adventure film that gives a credible look into the plight of American POWs during the Vietnam War.  Christian Bale headlines as Dengler, once again showing off a feat of physical transformation during the course of the film.  Plot-wise, the film has an accumulation of man-versus-man-versus-nature events keeping things interesting from one moment to the next.  It may be a bit too long, with some dodgy aerial special effects and a few plot shortcuts along the way.  Still, Rescue Dawn remains interesting as a survival story, remarkable for Bale’s performance and impressive for the jungle scenery that wraps up the film.