‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ Is An Emotional Hangover [Non-Spoiler Review]

A lot of us have gone on some crazy beer runs. From fake IDs to asking your best friend’s older brother for beer most of us have stories to tell. Well, there is one story that tops all of our beer run stories and that is the story of The Greatest Beer Run Ever. Starring Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, and Bill Murray; The Greatest Beer Run Ever tells the true story of John “Chickie” Donohue, who in 1967 left New York to look for his friends in Vietnam and deliver them some beers. Well, thanks to Apple TV+ I got an early look at this movie to review. Now this review is going to be a little different, as I’m going to give it as a combat veteran and not as a pop culture writer.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever

In 1967, John “Chickie” Donohue leaves New York to track down his army buddies in Vietnam and share a few beers with them but instead is confronted with the horrors of the war.

When you look at that synopsis you quickly realize this story is not going to be all about a beer run. Well technically it is but as someone who has been in combat, this story is about a lot more than that. This movie takes you back to a controversial time during the Vietnam War. This was a time that the war was protested very heavily and some felt that the troops were getting no support from home. That’s when John “Chickie” Donohue decided he was going to sneak into Vietnam and do the ‘Greatest Beer Run Ever’ by taking his friends some beer. Now I won’t go into much more about what happened because for one I hate spoilers and also with this being a true story it is easy to look up.

My Thoughts On ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’

Some may think with stars like Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, and Bill Murray you would be getting a good laugh throughout the whole movie. I mean why wouldn’t you, it’s a story is about a beer run. While there were some funny moments throughout the movie you quickly saw that The Greatest Beer Run was about a lot more. Especially if you are a combat veteran or have served in the military.

This movie shows us different sides of Americans during the Vietnam War. From those that supported the war to those that didn’t, the director, Peter Farrelly did a good job at making you look at all the different views even if you agree with some of them or not. But this was not the only thing that hit me hard.

This film also told stories about friendship, support, and losses. With all these stories going on it was like an emotional grenade being thrown at us. Chickie learned quickly that war is hell and that is what took the emotional toll on me. From the firefights to the loss of some of Chickie’s friends and other soldiers, this film can trigger some veterans that are struggling with PTSD. So this is a warning to my brothers and sisters that have been through hell’s backyard this film will bring back memories.

Overall the movie was OK. It was not one of the best out there but I feel like many will like it (unlike some of the critics’ reviews I have already read). There were times for me it was hard to watch and that is not meant in a bad way. It was because of how close some of this film hit home. It shows us you might not agree with what others think but you can still learn to respect them and maybe even understand things a little better. Chickie learned this the hard way. While what he did took some major “you know whats”, he is lucky to be alive today. This movie made me laugh, made me angry, and made me cry over its 2 hours and 6 minutes and that’s what a good movie should do. Also, this film had one other important message, sometimes it is better to think before you do.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever will release this Friday, September 30 on Apple TV+.

We Want To Hear From You

Are you ready for The Greatest Beer Run Ever? Is this a must-watch for you? Also, are your thoughts about John “Chickie” Donohue wanting to do this beer run? That Hashtag Show wants to hear from you.

You can tell us your thoughts by leaving a comment below or hitting me up at starwarsnerd574. You can also join me on the That Hashtag Show Facebook page to chat about all things movie related. Also, make sure to stay up to date on all the Pop Culture news by following us at ThatHashtagShow.com. More importantly, be safe, I can’t wait to see you all at some conventions in 2022.

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