That link is to the trailer that aired on the Superbowl this January for a film unlike anything seen before. What an experience! The on-screen missions, while some of the exact details were made up, are based on real ones; the weapons and tactics are all real. Watching was not enough, and I wanted to go and recreate some of the scenarios myself. No more will I look at a truck without wondering if there is an armed SEAL team waiting in the back, and I now know that there is nothing that cannot be dropped from the sky. Every time the tide turned in the favor of America, I felt a swell of Pride; pride that though I am not a man of the uniform, I am American like them. When an enemy fell to the rifles of the team, I felt a surge of triumph that there was one less threat to our people's safety.
Yet mixed with that triumph was regret that a life was lost. The technology and weaponry displayed in the film was lethal, and so swift that it truly brought home to me the reality that we could die any second from a suicide bomber or a house raid. A man standing outside a compound died before he knew what hit him, and the vests worn by the jihadists kill everything in their path. And our lives could end just as suddenly and swiftly. That reality is what I took away, along with a newfound respect for what it is that all of our active duty service members go through. I may still wish to join them, but I will be far more mindful of the decision as well as it's effects on a future wife and children. The final scene almost moved me to tears, and it was not through sappy emotion, but power and connection.
But you didn't come here for my ruminations on a movie, but for facts about it. So here are the actual specifics of the film. Obviously, in a movie about SEALs and terrorists, there will be violence, and it is for that and language that the film is given its R rating. That said, the violence is more realistic, and thus there is less of it. In another violent movie such as Expendables or the MI films, said violence is more stylized and graphic (exaggerated for the sake of attempted realism). That is not to say that it is not graphic; indeed, it is one of the most graphic I have seen, but in a good way. The language is wholly realistic, and in situations like the ones portrayed, I would have a hard time keeping hold of my tongue. The movie is meant to be realistic in every way possible, and does so very well. Because the film is played by soldiers, there was less emotional conveyance by the men than if the roles had been played by career actors, but that would have defeated the purpose of the movie, so do not expect any award-winning performances. Cinematography was excellent if somewhat frenetic, but again, that is the purpose of the film. The frequent use of the helmet-cam familiar to Call of Duty players can be a bit jarring at first, but adds to the realism. The storyline was admittedly generic: terrorists are stopped in one plan, but it is found that there is a serious threat to the US, and SEAL team 7 is sent to stop the attacks. Simple enough to follow, complex enough to watch the plot develop. That said, the story did seem to drag at portions, and the almost nonstop action got somewhat old after a while, though a new portion would retake my attention at frequent intervals.
Though imperfect, this film was, in my opinion, a success. Accurate, poignant, and jarring, I would recommend Act of Valor to anyone with a firm composition and a strong stomach.
We dedicate this film... to all those going downrange in the future. Damn few.
