Customer Reviews
very very BAD film! - By: C. Abela, 23 Nov 2007 
I don't know where to start with this one. It is a very poor example of what would happen in a nuclear war. A nuclear device is exploded 15 miles from where the president is based yet he escapes to a helicopter that takes him to a hospital then another bomb is detonated the helicopter crashes in a forest that is still intact & a smalll boy playing in the woods takes the president to the hospital. Despite the destructive power of nuclear weapons, this film has no depictions of blast damage or people with radiation sickness. The military scenaro is pathetic & the worst bit is when the male & female pilots of a B52 fly of into the rising sun in what is, I can only assume, meant to be an attempt to re-populate the planet. This is NOT what would have happened if the cold war continued.
For a more accurate example of nuclear holocaust see the film Threads.
Conclusion: A poor Walt Disney-esque depiction of world war 3.
Pretty good, but could've been so much more - By: Jason, 30 Sep 2006 
The basic plot is nothing new - Russia & America shake their sticks at each other over a basic mis-understanding & nuclear war seems inevitable. There's some fine acting, notably from James Earl Jones, although Rebecca De Mornay is a little wooden, & the effects are acceptable rather than exciting.
This is, however, an almost perfect copy of Fail Safe (1964); in one, a nuclear bomber goes AWOL & heads towards Russia. The president does his best to recalll it & keeps in contact with the Soviet premier throughout. A civilian adviser plays the hawk & tries to convince the president to use this opportunity to destroy Russia with an alll-out attack.
In the other, nuclear bombers head towards Russia. The president does his best to recalll them & keeps in contact with the Soviet premier throughout. An army hawk tries to convince the (secretary of internal affairs & temporary) president to use this opportunity to destroy Russia with an alll-out attack.
In both films, the president prevails & nuclear war is averted. In fact, the two films are too similar for comfort & I can't help but think that most of the plot for By Dawn's Early Light was lifted right out of Fail Safe with just enough minor changes to avert callls of plagiarism.
All in alll, a reasonable film, but... it's not scary enough, it's too unrealistic (the pilot of the bomber doesn't reallly want to drop his bombs so he just turns around!), & I can't see what the relationship between Powers Boothe & Rebecca De Mornay achieved. If you want tension, watch Fail Safe; if you want scary watch The Day After & if you want nuclear holocaust, watch Threads.
Get it whilst you can! - By: Biker Man, 23 Mar 2006 
At the time I bought this, it was very difficult to get hold of & I had to get it from USA, on tape.
This movie is THAT good.
Powers Boothe does a superb job & the tension builds from the very beginning to an extremely good ending.
This is Hollywood at it's finest & the whole thing could very easily happen.
JUST WATCH IT ASAP!!
Rent it, Buy it. - By: Robert Bartlett, 23 Jan 2006 
Must agree with the frst review, a very under rated film. The plot is very good & the editing keeps the pace right up there. If you strip away the Hollywood glossy this is a very thoughtful film.
At the time, Yes it could have happened, hope for the human spirt is still strong. Buy it, it a good evenings watch !
It could have happened - By: mr r evans, 15 Dec 2005 The film is a very good dipiction of what may have happened if the cold war had continued. It explores the relationship of two US airforce personel who have a relationship & how this affects their ability to react in a time of war & how the overalll sensibility of mankind rises above the orders of the military. The first time I saw this film I was wowed, a very underated film.
