CHE is a triumphant biopic of idealistic proportion. Excellent production and a captivating story loosely based on the man, the legend himself. We may never know how accurate it is historically speaking but both Part I and Part II of CHE prove not only Director Steven Soderbergh's sharp skills in the art of film-making but also Benicio Del Toro's ability to make us believe he is Che Guevara. It deals with… whether or not the concepts of war and humanity can live side by side, whether bloodshed can be justified with an act of kindness and what it is that makes a man patriotic. But if I were to compare, I'd say Part I is just slightly above Part II in quality.

Part I or formerly known as The Argentine has a long runtime but your curiosity will keep you seated. It's a smart move to have each of the both part of this epic start out with geographical maps of first Cuba, and then South America. It's a known fact that most American audiences are geographically challenged, so this method alone helps. After all, it helps to know which city is where as the story progresses. If Steven Soderbergh had made The Motorcycle Diaries, this could've been like a trilogy saga.

We're introduced with a dining scene where doctor Ernesto "Che" Guevara first met Fidel Castro. It is obvious from their conversation that the story wants to remind us of how charismatic Fidel Castro is, of how he can influence a doctor into believing that waging a revolutionary war would make a more drastic change rather than simply healing a man in some clinic in the middle of nowhere. We don't know what but something in Che's experience must've caused him to turn from being a doctor into a soldier, something that motivated him to take up Fidel's offer and make that choice.

And just like the movie Traffic, Soderbergh has different color for each scene, I think he chose black and white to depict Che's visit to the U.N. so it would go well with the archival footage used in the movie and would add to the sense of authenticity of it all. By the way, I like how the timeline and the pacing are constructed. Che's interview and then we see flashbacks of the revolutionary struggle. Goes back and forth but it doesn't ruin the intensity,.. each is well-positioned, if you will.

For the record, those of us who know better, can tell that some of the actors are of different nationalities, from the accent and the looks but I think all of them do a good job of trying to be as convincing as possible. Speaking of which, Benicio Del Toro as Che is perfect, no better actor could pull it off. Is it going to earn him another golden statuette?… I doubt it.

Those who always think Che was awesome will be happy and those who always think he was nothing but a murderer and assassin will be disappointed because the movie CHE, especially part I really glorifies the man. It makes him seem like a Messiah with weapons. He would kill the Cuban army but at the same time protect the peasants, he would heal the sick, teach the poor how to read and write, give chance for the cowards to leave the group, and execute those on the inside who have abused their power on the weak. The story makes him look like such a saint, I'm surprised it doesn't have him walk on water. The story also has a good amount of comic-relief played by some of the characters within his little army. Some scenes would give the impression like they're just a bunch of guys chillin', havin' some laughs like normal people. In the interview, Che mentions that the ingredient to revolutionary is love,.. Though Fidel's strategy requires groups to be separated into different assignments, we don't know if the others follows Che's code of honor but the focus on Che's people shows a more positive light. The tactics in the final battle in CHE Part I is nothing short of entertaining. Che's self-sacrifice and heroism has paid off. But his origin and his true passion would finally cost him his life.