The Six Triple Eight

It did seem a bit like a hallmark movie (which I can't stand), but I did enjoy it, and I added 1 more point because I learned something.

I understand the technical complaints some veterans had, and I don't undertand why they didn't seem to get advice for that aspect of the film. But it seemed to me that many of the negative comments were because the reviewers thought that the film had some kind of agenda, or a slant, and that it was "too busy pushing political ideology". The truth hurts for some people. It is abhorrent how blacks were treated by whites, and it's sad there are people who are triggered by that fact. That's the bottom line with criticism like that.

First I want to state very clearly, although this movie already has a small (about 35 or 40) number of positive reviews, a full 18% of the votes here on IMDb are "1". What does that say? Bigotry is still pervasive, and I doubt that many who voted it "1" even took the time to watch the movie.

(Edit: JAN 11th - Now with 210 reviews and about 16K votes, only 10% are "1" and the most common votes cluster around "7" and "8" which is a much better representation of the movie itself.)

Yes, it is by a black writer-director. Yes, the focus is on a battalion of black women in WW2. But it is derived from real people and real events and is a good and meaningful movie. I cannot imagine an educated and empathetic viewer finding great fault with this movie.

It is the 1940s and the war in Europe is far from being decided. One problem is the mail, soldiers are not getting letters from their families. And, families are not getting letters from their sons and daughters deployed overseas. Battalion number 6888 of black women are sent to get the mail back on track, those who sent them were sure they would fail. They had six months to unravel the mail mess contained in several full warehouses in the UK. They were given quarters that were dirty and in disrepair. In spite of things being stacked against them, they were able to do the job and in half that time allotted.

This movie isn't about how realistically or not the fighting is portrayed; it is about battalion 6888 and what they did. The end credits show some original footage of the women in the 1940s plus some snippets of a few of those women still living in modern times.

My wife and I watched it at home, streaming, after our usual Saturday night steak and wine dinner. We both give it a hearty "thumbs up."

Tyler Perry is widely known for his knack for crafting stories that move audiences, but in "The Six Triple Eight," that emotionally charged approach ends up smothering a story that deserved a more refined treatment. The film tackles a powerful and largely untold historical event-the journey of the all-Black female 6888 battalion during World War II-but it stumbles while trying to balance epic grandeur with an over-the-top melodrama that weakens the story's impact. The intention to honor these women is clear, but the final result feels inconsistent, as if Perry is trying to tell too much at once without giving the story room to breathe and truly resonate.

The screenplay, written by Perry himself, tries to cover too many narrative fronts, but the excessive fragmentation hurts the film's cohesion. The introduction is a prime example: jumping from a battle sequence in 1943 to a forbidden romance in 1942, and then to intense military training in 1944, the structure feels more focused on creating isolated dramatic moments than on building an engaging narrative flow. As a result, the film's uneven pacing keeps the audience from organically connecting with the protagonists' journey. Instead of gradually drawing us into the struggles these women faced, we're thrown from one event to another without enough time to absorb the emotional weight of each situation.

Lena Derriecott King (Ebony Obsidian) is the emotional core of the story, but her romantic arc with soldier Hugh Bell (Jay Reeves), and the lingering shadow of her lost love Abram David (Gregg Sulkin), end up feeling overly melodramatic and predictable. Lena's grief and loss are crucial aspects of her journey, but Perry's approach makes everything feel too didactic, with explanatory dialogue and scenes that seem more focused on reinforcing her pain than exploring it in a genuine way. Kerry Washington, as Major Charity Adams, delivers a strong and commanding performance, but the script gives her little room for nuance. Her character is portrayed so rigidly and one-dimensionally that she ends up feeling more like a symbol than a real person, which weakens the impact of her fight against systemic racism within the military.

Visually, "The Six Triple Eight" doesn't impress either. The battle scenes suffer from visual effects that look like they belong in a low-budget production, with artificial explosions and a color palette that fails to capture the gravity of the wartime setting. The overly polished production design strips away the realism the story demands, with sets that look more like theater stages than the lived-in, war-torn environments these women endured. The costumes and makeup follow the same pattern, with an unrealistic perfection that clashes with the gritty, harsh reality these women faced.

However, the film does find its strength in the moments when it focuses on the camaraderie among the women in the battalion. When Perry allows himself to explore the bond and solidarity between the characters, there's an authenticity that's missing from other parts of the film. Small, lighthearted moments-like the scenes where the soldiers dance or share their fears-bring a sense of genuine humanity that elevates the narrative. Shanice Shantay, as Johnnie Mae, adds some much-needed levity, but her character dangerously flirts with stereotypes that, while common in this type of story, could have been avoided to bring a fresher perspective to the film.

Another recurring issue is the film's overly speech-heavy tone. Perry tends to favor big emotional monologues, and while that might work in other contexts, here it makes the film feel heavy-handed and predictable. The dialogue often feels like it's written for instant impact, with characters constantly verbalizing their emotions in an exaggerated way instead of letting the performances speak for themselves. This is especially noticeable in the scenes that tackle racial discrimination. Instead of subtly and powerfully showing the pain and resilience of these women, the film opts to hammer the message home in a way that feels like it's reminding the audience at every turn that racism is cruel and oppressive. This lack of subtlety ends up diminishing the natural emotional impact the story carries.

Despite its flaws, the film delivers an important and necessary message. It's a reminder of the crucial role these women played during the war and the ongoing struggle for recognition that continues across generations. Perry deserves credit for bringing this story to light, but it feels like the execution doesn't quite live up to the significance of the subject matter. A more restrained approach could have allowed the emotions to emerge more naturally and less theatrically.

"The Six Triple Eight" is a film with good intentions, but it gets lost in the need to drive its messages home too forcefully, resulting in a drama that, while touching at times, lacks the depth and authenticity needed to make it truly memorable.

There are more than these two faults in the movie. The two privates that were killed in the truck were killed on the 12th of May 1945. The war was over than in Europe. Furthermore the Lt killed in the plane was killed during assistance to ground troops fighting the Germans on the 19th december 1943. There were no ground troops fighting in the advance area yet. Dday was in the 6th of June 1944. Giving these wonderful women their respect makes details important.

The movie was good. Wonder if there were moren of these wrong details in the movie. Let me know if you found some. Always

Movie ok. Details poor.

Opening scene: an Army unit LEAVES their covered, fortified position to charge an attacking enemy. In an open field...

As you would imagine, mass casualties happen. Then friendly planes start bombing and and crashing in said field??

That's not even remotely how that would have went down. Countless documentaries, were available but ignored. Sour taste right out the gate. Lost the trust of the audience.

This is what happens when people with no emotional connection to a subject matter are given a project they don't respect beyond the what they can gain from being associated with a project.

There are so many historians that would have gladly told the director it was a terrible way to portray that engagement.