Urban-Warfare Expert Rates 11 Urban-Warfare Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider

Retired US Army officer and urban-warfare researcher John Spencer rates 11 urban-warfare scenes in movies and TV shows for realism.

Spencer breaks down the accuracy of ambushes and battles in open areas in "Black Hawk Down" (2001), with Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Sizemore; "Fast Five" (2011), with Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Paul Walker; "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi" (2016), starring John Krasinski; and "Mosul" (2019).

He looks at fighting in buildings and close-quarters combat in "Extraction" (2020), starring Chris Hemsworth; "American Sniper" (2014), starring Bradley Cooper; and "The Raid: Redemption" (2011), starring Iko Uwais.

Spencer addresses the effects of urban warfare on civilians and cities in "Captain America: Civil War" (2016), with Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., and Scarlett Johansson. He also looks at urban operations during World War II in "Fury" (2014), with Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf; and "Enemy at the Gates"(2001), with Jude Law and Ed Harris.

Spencer is a US Army combat veteran and has been on two combat deployments to Iraq. He is the chair of urban-warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point and the author of "Understanding Urban Warfare," "Connected Soldiers," and "The Mini-Manual for the Urban Defender." Spencer is also the host of the podcast "Urban Warfare Project."

You can follow John Spencer here:

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Urban-Warfare Expert Rates 11 Urban-Warfare Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider

[AngeloBarovierSD]

I know he didn’t like the technical accuracy of MOSUL but I encourage people to watch it. It’s an intense film, based on real-life events, and for once the protagonists aren’t Westerners in a foreign land.

It’s a raw film, with people of grey moral character, but its aesthetic and performances are well worth the watch.

[michaelskipper]

It feels funny hearing a modern MOUT instructor talking about tactics we learned when we first began in Afghanistan and Iraq and had to deal with more urban combat.

[robo]

About mouse holing: my grandfather talked about his experiences in urban warfare during WWII and said you never used the door but made your own. The standard procedure they used was to put a satchel charge against a wall and blow a hole in it. Then two soldiers would throw grenades. After the grenades went of one with a tommy gun would spray all 30 rounds into the room. While reloading two would unload their M1's. Then the tommy gunner would step in and look for staircases and spray them at the same time into the ceiling above, which is the floor of the second level. He said that the Germans would often stand just above the hole that they made and wait to hear when they moved in then spray down through the floor with their sub machine guns. After the tommy gunner finished his clip and moved out to reload the rest of the squad would be moving in to secure the building.
Of course in all this they didn't usually have to worry about civilians.

[PeteRouse]

Would love to see this guy break down the ambush scene from “Clear and Present Danger” - especially seeing as though they allegedly use it as training for ambush scenarios in the CIA. The other one would be the street shootout from “Heat” and the use of police tactics and cover there, as well as Val Kilmer’s flawless reload technique.

[dorrin]

Do NOT stand in the middle of the street!!!

It's generally a bad idea no matter the circumstances.

[Aaron-nmob]

This guy is excellent. He finds the things that are off but gives credit to the things done well.

[allykat]

I'm glad he said a little about how the population was misrepresented in Black Hawk Down. I had a friend who lived in that area, he said it was a wealthy neighbourhood... didn't look like that at all.

[boomer]

The Raid actually got a scene where the enemy snipers DELIBERATELY shot a crippling attack to the police outside the building so that their scream can draw their allies into their line of sight.

[jw]

Big props for recognizing The Raid Redemption. Excellent movie.

[HouseOfAndrew]

Mosul is a personal favorite movie. Excellently shot and a very compelling story. Also nice to have main characters that weren't from the US or Europe

[HrZD]

I'd honestly want to see one of these venerable operators react to the urban shootout towards the end of 2006's "Children of Men", such a realistic portrayal of city combat imo. Plus I'm a sucker for how the troops were kitted out in the film.

[contemporaryhumours]

These all are great. Nothing to add just giving points to whom ever do deserve. John Spencer does excellent job here and Insider does the editing and all so big thumbs up!

[Fox-One]

2:49 this urban battle was set in sidi moussa sale morocco. The men who play somalian insurgent were for the most students from african contries and some other illigal immigrent who life in rabat-sale, they enjoy the experience.
The location where the movie was set still today remembrement by the nickname of mogadicio.😅

[luuuuk]

this guy was awsome! he kept my attention all the way trough

[raccoonking]

Loved to use mouse holing in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Yeah, they're aliens, but pinning an enemy squad in an alley with one team, while a second team blast a hole from the side and eliminates their cover, was really effective and fun.

Same goes for sniper and overwatch. Finding a good spot so they can cover the advance is almost mandatory. Once you get jet packs, the sniper becomes the grim reaper for exposed enemies.

[hannfam]

Love these! So informative👏. This guy is really interesting, bring him back.

[MMyRifle]

I think the Battle of Carentan from Band of Brothers should've made the list, it was very well done.

[justinshirley]

@19:55 I watched the interview with Delta Force Operator Kyle Morgan talking about the mule kick and he said that’s the “master key”. He used that kick to clear the hotel rooms and it worked 100%

[Belgand]

A shame that this didn't include Full Metal Jacket. Especially when he comments at the end on a sniper using casualties to draw people out. It also shows the coordination between armor and infantry during urban combat. Overall there's a bit too much focus on the past two decades and Iraq/Afghanistan.

[hkpro]

Great Video ! Big fan of Spencer and his urban warfare podcast