Back to Bataan
Back to Bataan
In 1942, after the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese, U.S. Army Col. Joseph Madden stays behind to organize the local resistance against the Japanese invaders.
Mister Arn reviewedJune 1, 2025
“Back to Bataan” is a classic wartime propaganda piece, aiming squarely at patriotism. John Wayne plays an Army officer aiding Filipino guerrillas against Japanese occupation, in a story that draws sharp lines, heroic Americans and Filipinos on one side, flatly villainous Japanese on the other. The action is passable but rarely surprising, and the film leans hard into its flag-waving sentiment. It’s old-Hollywood heroics at full volume, rousing if you're in the mood, but lacking nuance or realism.