Diagonaldi Very well executed

Btexxamar I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

Ogosmith Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

davros303 My perspective on this film is likely to be unique, in that I've never read the book. The critical reception and most user reviews widely criticize Keith Gordon's re-writing of the book's ending and this was ultimately reflected in its shocking performance at the box office. If you've never read the book, you can effectively ignore all criticism, because The Chocolate War is arguably one of the finest films to explore the dark underbelly of teenage cruelty, manipulation and the childhood induction of the mob mentality and a superb directorial debut for Keith.John Glover's performance as the twisted and politically carnivorous Brother Leon is stunning and easily his best work. With echoes of Lord of the Flies, The Chocolate War explores the outer reaches of cruelty, fear and control exercised by the two antagonistic forces of the student led secret society The Vigils, and the school's acting school head - Brother Leon. Anyone who has ever been bullied or coerced to side with bullies out of the necessity for self-preservation will find a string of painful moments to relate to in this film.The soundtrack is a masterpiece of emotion. The intro to Peter Gabriel's "We Do What We're Told" is used as a recurring musical theme providing an atmospheric backdrop to the web of cruelty and manipulation that unfolds for Jerry the protagonist. But the revelation is the haunting piano of "Shepherd's Song" by Scott Cossu, which holds the space for Jerry's introspection, his loss and the tragedy of his situation.Yes, there are some elements lacking in this film - namely the performance of the hero (Jerry) played by Ilan Mitchell-Smith and some of the dated directorial techniques adopted by Keith Gordon for the flashback sequences and other scenes. However the strength of the story, soundtrack and performances from John Glover and Wallace Langham tower above the film's shortcomings. Keep in mind this was Gordon's feature film directorial debut.I'm not going to comment on the ending, other than to say it works perfectly for the narrative of this film and is in no way disappointing. To the contrary, it still moves me to tears despite more than half a dozen viewings of this film over the years.The Chocolate War is difficult to find but absolutely essential viewing.

talkstock2me-1 At best this movie is a pastiche of clichés. When there's no useful examination of motivations, simply substitute long glances into the near distance and play some maudlin electronic music. By and large the performances make do with this grotesquely awful material - but mostly it's a stinking mess. One example: The scene of a phone call between the "bad" guy and the "hero" features the bad dude listening to music... hmmm.. what type of music does every director play to indicate the character is very very smart - but evil? Of course! Classical music! Sure it's a little jarring competing with the rest of the ethno/electro soundtrack... but gosh darn it - dat villain is pure evil's I tell ya- PURE EVIL! ANd HEY! wouldn't ya know? - he's also somewhat effeminate! Yeh - I bet they'vee never had an effeminate, conniving villain - let's make him that way! zzzzzzzzzzzz.....Only thing missing from this "villian" was the British accent and a constantly stroked white cat. Seriously though - this movie was *BAD* for all the wrong reasons. Just steaming dreck. Stay away from this lump.

gotham23 SPOILER (ending discussed)It's not unusual for screenwriters to tinker with certain story elements when adapting novels for cinema. But in "The Chocolate War", the ending is completely changed, and Cormier's point is totally lost. Pitiful."The Chocolate War" is a story of a young man who dares to stand up against conformity. This is never easy, and with teenagers it can be hell. Jerry Renault is hounded by his classmates (especially "The Vigils", the secret society at school) and pressured by his teachers. But he refuses to back down.Throughout most of the film, Keith Gordon is true to Cormier's vision. But this changes completely at the end. Gordon gives us your standard "feel good, everything's okay" Hollywood ending. Jerry is vindicated, and Archie (leader of The Vigils) gets exactly what he deserves.Well guess what people: life doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes, bad things happen to really good people. Sometimes, bad behavior is rewarded and virtue is punished. That's what happened in Cormier's book, and while it wasn't a wonderful happy ending, it MEANT SOMETHING. It's too bad that Gordon - like most Hollywood hacks - doesn't think his audience can handle that.

faithmbc Pretty good movie. I have this taped off TMC, and the book is great. At the Trinity all-boys Catholic high school, there is a secret society of Seniors called the Vigils that like to hand out special assignments to the other students. The Vigils and the power-hungry Brother Leon are what make Trinity a rotten school. When the annual chocolate sale approaches, everyone participates, except Freshman Jerry Renault. This kind of sparks a conflict everyday when Brother Leon will call the names to see how many boxes each kid has sold, and Jerry always says no. He stands up to Brother Leon, Archie, and the school bully, Emile Janza. I was neither impressed or disappointed by the ending, which was very different from the books. *********out of**********. Rated R for Violence and Language.