Zac Efron

Russell Crowe

Kyle Allen

Bill Murray

Jake Picking

Will Ropp

Archie Renaux

Ruby Ashbourne Serkis

Will Hochman

Christopher Reed Brown

Joe Adler

MacGregor Arney

Hal Cumpston

Kristin Carey

Paul Adelstein

Matt Cook

Shirleyann Kaladjian

Kevin Tran

Bob Farrelly

Branden Lindsay

Omari K. Chancellor

Carlos Arroyo

Kelvin Delgado

Thomas Jordan

Phil Anthony Edwards

Thai-Hoa Le

Deanna Russo

James Laver

Paul Sloan

Nguyen Viet Anh

Alex Huynh

Kevin J. Flynn

Sean Gildea

Goya Robles

Bradley M. Hayes

Brian Jarvis

Mike Hatton

Mike Gray

Thomas Ronca

Steve Sweeney

Josefina Grajo Villanueva

Jackie Flynn

James Fahselt

Anabel Graetz

Ngo Hoang Long

Lisa Rothschiller

John Garrett Mahlmeister

Michael Grant Selby

Terry Mullany

Malik Tyshawn Louis

Mata Toure

Finn Gesner

Apple Farrelly

Rory Gesner

Carlie Mantilla-Jordan

Alicia Jordan

Tuck Gesner

Henry Mortensen

Mariann Farrelly

Andrew Small

J.B. Rogers

Simeon Drew Young

Mav Kang

Le Minh Phuc

Chananticha Chaipa

Nguyen Thi Thanh Thao

Duran Russell

Pedro Correa

Jake Mooney

Nguyen Van Vo

Andrew J. Muscato

Thanawat Jhongfakklang

Alexander Winters

Kelsea Edgerly

Dennis W. Hall

Phil Korz

Caroline Plyler

Mark Rome

Ron Smoorenburg

Tim Galvin

Patrick J. Don Vito

Sean Porter

Peter Farrelly

Chuck Potter

Brett Glatman

Pornpinit Thattong

Michael Payne

Jessica Kelleher

Amy Sue Nahhas

Diego Carranza

Karen Duffy

Jake Myers

Rick Montgomery

Lisa Scoppa

Cherdsak Chomngam

Chanokpim Chotikanatjaphan

Deborah Wheatley

Bao Tranchi

Weerawal Kreekaew

Rapeephat Ruamtham

Thitiporn Titayangkaruvong

Jeremy Woolsey

Oliver Ackermann

Stephanie Cannone

Tarra D. Day

Julian Townsend

Julia Brown

Supawee Phatipracha

Pimluck Puangrat

Becky Sullivan

Jay Wilkinson

Jennifer Bentley

Sean Gavigan

Paul Spataro

Jeff Sturdivant

Parinya Pantan

Geordie Sheffer

Esther J. Han

Juliet Breza

SaraRose Kresloff

Stacy Stagnaro

Elvira Gonzalez

Kornkanok 'Aor' Nangam

Margina Dennis

Paul Molnar

Makoree Waekaji

Kelly Zombor

Aaron Mark Kinchen

Sarawut Sakthamcharoen

Kenneth Wilkinson

Michele Spooner

Chananthon Sutthiya

Katawut Tarawan

Lisa Renee Jordan

Sequinette Jaynesfield

Donyale McRae

Jessica Kennedy

Kristen Kiyan

Andrew DeCristofaro

Dorene Oakley

Martha Gretsch

Dave Palmer

Joe Russo

Joanna Molloy

David Ellison

John Donohue

Pete Jones

Don Granger

Dana Goldberg

Brian Hayes Currie

Paul Sanchez

Josh Simmonds

Drama

Comedy

The Greatest Beer Run Ever

Skydance Media

United States of America

CinemaSerf

This tells the true story of Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) who decided that he was fed up hearing the continuing reports of bad news from the Vietnam war, and so decided to travel to the war zone - as a civilian - and take the serving friends from his neighbourhood some beer! Using a combination of guile and brass neck, he is soon in situ, where he encounters the cynical journalist Arthur Coates (Russell Crowe) before embarking on his trek to deliver his beer. If it were not fact, it would really beggar belief this - the hand that serendipity plays in ensuring not just his safety, but the manner in which he blags his way around this tortured land, is sometimes just a little too difficult to believe. Efron is never going to be a good versatile actor, but to give him his due he delivers well enough here with a decent script and once we enter the final phase that involves more of a contribution from Crowe, the film picks up giving us some indication of just how perilous life was for those facing the Viet Cong's stealthy advance. It's not without it's humour and it illustrates amusingly just how afraid everyone was of falling foul of the CIA - a confusion which he was able to take advantage of on a regular basis! It's a tale of camaraderie in it's truest form, and though not really a cinema film, is at the better end of the Apple productions we have seen so far. It is half an hour too long - it takes way too long to get going, but once we are in Asia, it's a watchable enough drama.

Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots

**By: Louisa Moore / www.ScreenZealots.com**

What bugs me the most about “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” is director Peter Farrelly’s indecisiveness. He can’t seem to pick a tone and stick with it. The first part is filled with lighthearted moments that make it seem like the film is a tailor-made crowd-pleasing movie. The last half of the film (and the strongest) is firm in its anti-war messaging. Farrelly tries to be too many things to too many people, and the result is a film that feels at odds with itself.

Set in 1967, the film tells the true story of Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron), a man who wants to do something special to show his support for his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam. He gets the outrageous idea to hand-deliver cans of beer to them on the front lines so they can have a little taste of home, and to show them that somebody back in New York still cares. When the locals start to encourage (and count on) Chickie to complete his mission, the man sets off for the jungles of Vietnam with a rucksack full of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

It’s a terrific story that should make a great film. The problem is that there isn’t much to the movie other than the premise. Some of the situations Chickie finds himself in are ridiculous, and there’s no complexity to the story at all. It’s as straightforward as they come, in what I can only presume was a conscious effort by Farrelly to keep it easily accessible for mainstream audiences.

The film briefly touches on the political and social impacts of the Vietnam War, including the division between Chickie’s family and friends. The film gets better once he heads back to Saigon and the story settles into its strong anti-war stance. It’s heavy-handed in its “war is hell” messaging, and it’s where the film gets away from its actors.

Efron is fine as the film’s leading man, but the role requires a depth that seems to be a bit too much of a stretch for him at this point in his career. He’s talented, but is asked to do more than he’s comfortably capable. Bill Murray is a high point of the film, although he only makes a very brief appearance as the neighborhood barkeep. The best work comes from Russell Crowe as a photojournalist.

There are some memorable scenes in “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” but they will be soon forgotten under the weight of the film’s boilerplate script. Just because the movie is based on an interesting true story doesn’t automatically make it a winner.

Chandler Danier

Unfortunately not funny. Good war footage and engaging fish-out-of-water scenes. Crowe stuff is great. Kind of like Forrest Gump.