oconnelldaniel Anyone who has studied the history of the Mexican-U.S. conflict will have no doubts come across the story of the St. Patrick's Battalion. It could have been made into an excellent movie, maybe even an Oscar contender, but instead it ends up like a bad B-Movie. Terrible acting, awful accents and worse of all are the action scenes, they made me cringe with embarrassment. My favorite part was when the credits came up at the end so I could check the director's name so I could avoid his future movies at all cost. It's a real shame though, if Scorcese or Spielberg had got their hands on the history of the St. Paddy's battalion they could have put together a fine cast and an excellent script. Let's hope like many movies, they decide to make a remake and let's hope someone can tell this fantastic historical event the way it should be told.

rehogue Anyone who doubts the power of religion to sway a man's loyalties has never studied history. Likewise, anyone who doubts the power of a man's need to feel respect and a sense of "belonging" has simply never felt the lack. The Irish of the time came to our shores fleeing famine and disease, poor in the wallet but rich in pride and heritage. They asked for nothing but a chance, and took what was offered in good faith. The politics of the time made them much as the Mexicans are viewed today. Unwanted aliens who should be sent back from whence they came. Taking the offer of the US Army at face value, they were ridiculed and scorned and abused constantly. When battle was joined they found themselves fighting a people not so different from themselves. A people who shared ties of Catholicism, as well as spirit. They got nothing but hatred and ridicule from those who supposedly would welcome them, and could not be proud of fighting Mexicans, who shared so much in common with them. All they asked was a place to belong. Once they found it, they fought for it with all they had. It just happened, they found it in the ones they were supposed to be fighting.

Edmar Mota (edmar_mota) First of all it was good to see a movie about this obscure portion of the history. Even in Mexico is little known the San Patricio's aid in the Mexican-American war. I've read some of the other user's reviews and I'm tired of listening that in the Mexican-American War the U.S. had better weapon and that Santa Anna was president. That's false. First read history books (both sides). Santa Anna was exiled at that time. He returns because the liberal party had won the control of the capital after a series of disastrous political and military conservative officer's governments just after the same Santa Anna want to start a monarchy-style government in late 1843, that was overthrown by the liberals that was overthrown by the conservatives in a series of uprisings from 1845 to 1846. He promises to the U.S. that he put and end to the war. He lies (partially because he was so BAD that actually helped the U.S. to win the war) and led the defense of the country. The Mexican military was exhausted by the series of uprisings from 1840-1846 and the government was in a "technical" bankruptcy, and the generals who led them were poor prepared and had an EGO from here to the center of the galaxy. That's why the artillery was bad served, and bad positioned. For example in one of the last battles of the war at the outskirts of Mexico city (Churubusco Battle) the defenders had to surrender because they had no ammunition. That's partially true. The defenders really had tons of ammunition but for another type of gun, that supposedly was destined for another army (the man in charge of the supplies never explain that fault, some historians argue that he thought that the army at Churubusco was a regular army, in reality was an army of volunteers with more older weapons). So the soldiers start to throw the bullets to the attackers with their hands!.

lord woodburry The retelling of US history is overladen with romanticism and policy objectives. This yarn reminds us even in this times of nearly absolute concurrence that not all agree.The Mexican War was opposed in many quarters in the North. Abraham Lincoln said in another context that potentially we were destabilizing ever regime south of the Rio Grande River.Faced with US invasion some very patriotic senoritas made a rather very direct appeal to co-religionists in US ranks. The result was the St Patrick's Battalion which fought under the Irish Flag for Mexico. In Mexico their song is still sung. It's a good tale of war and adventure with a little too much blood and fire for the effete. Not recommended for US - ers.