Spike Lee’s biggest accomplishment was assembling a cast of seasoned Hollywood veterans to bring to life his saga of four African-American survivors of the Vietnam War (and son) who reunite in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), ostensibly to track down the remains of their squadron leader, Stormin’ Norman (Chadwick Boseman). But thar’s gold in them there jungles: their platoon was ordered to locate a CIA plane that went down with a box of gold bars — payroll for the local mercenaries who sided with America in its fight against the VC. The treasure was buried in the jungle, awaiting the day our quartet would return to dig it up and put the money towards reparations. The history lessons imparted are essential; Lee’s pedantic storytelling is anything but. And champion of filmmakers combining documentary realism with narrative storytelling that I am, I should be happier here. If only Lee and co-screenwriter Kevin Willmott had put as much care into structuring their joint as they did rolling and torching blunt missives. There was a bold and original story to tell in BlacKkKlansman, but wedging a plausible narrative between sermonizing and outlining their course curriculum is too much for them here. At 154 minutes, the pallid last half of the Da 5 Bloods could have used a transfusion. (2020) — Scott Marks
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