I laughed my ass off when I saw the trailer for this, it showed Mark Wahlberg aka Marky Mark in combat with a few buddies (definitely not 'lone' at any point), there was a string of action sequences accompanied by the expected gung-ho hero-warrior lines and some heart-felt musical score to accompany the epic event it was projecting to be, right before the end where four men are sent jumping off a cliff together in slow motion, explosion behind with the lyrics of David Bowie's song 'Heroes' covered by Peter Gabriel and repeated three times to a fade out 'heroes heroes heroes…'
In the quick cut sequences we get to see Marky Mark looking unconvincing and cheesy as usual but perfectly complimented with an equally unconvincing cast of cute and hunky heart throbs that we're all supposed to believe are hardened Navy Seals who are no strangers to fierce combat. This was a movie I was eager to watch with a few beers smuggled into the cinema, so I could proceed to LOL for real, in between frequent trips to the toilet, even though it claimed to be 'based on a true story'. The whole thing was set to look like some formula TV movie at best.
Fortunately I found myself in a position to watch this movie in a mood that didn't require any alcohol, since I seemed to be in a curious mood at the time. Certainly it starts off in a familiar tone with a bunch of pretty boys acting a little tough, with hints of dialogue that might not be so real to life. But shortly after the initial build up and character establishment, we enter the stage of operations and soon-to-follow action, and I have to say it's all looking very good at this point, everything feels genuine and the cast seems to be a perfect fit (blessed with the occasional voice and acting appearance of director Peter Berg). The pace is perfect and shortly we're cast into an action sequence that I felt was the most tense I've ever watched! I thought maybe it had something to do with the two coffees and giant Red Bull I had prior, but that theory fell flat since I watched it a second time to be sure. The gun shot sounds were crisp and extremely realistic with a deep thumping sound from large calibre weapons, that you'd notice if you're a Battlefield 4 expert. The entire sequence could have gone horribly wrong if left to a lesser directors guidance, as I noticed a stylish and subtle use of slow motion in a tight shot of a Navy Seal sent tumbling down the mountain as he collided with rocks on the way. All the actors brought this desperate struggle of outnumbered men to life, accompanied by brilliant makeup effects, the delirious tone of injured men who had sustained bullet wounds trying to maintain composure really rang true more than ever here, and Mark Wahlberg does delirium best, reminding me of Three Kings after he was rescued from capture in Iraq. But most outstanding was Ben Foster, who really had the demeanour of a trained combat-hardened Navy Seal.
This movie is a tragic tale of young men sacrificing and dying in a world of war and instability, but yet a reminder that human nature is not all about conflict, and that kindness can come from the most unexpected places (no, it doesn't become a Rom-Com). So if you're a pacifist who has a bizarre fascination with guns, war and the military like me, this should entertain. I felt since this was based on a true story, it unintentionally delivered a positive political message, which of course makes it entertaining and enlightening viewing even for the non-action fan or girlfriend.
Aside from a few instances where the acting may have skipped a beat on authenticity (only because the actors aren't actually trained killers), and I feel it could have benefited from an even longer run time than the 121 minute duration it was, as it felt as though the end was being wrapped up a little too tight, (According to Marcus Lutrell, the mountain firefight alone was endured over three hours!) I'd say this was a solid flick that will definitely find a place in my pick of favourite modern war movies, along side Green Zone & Blackhawk Down. I'm even considering reading the book, and I've only read about 5 books in my entire life!.
8.5/10 Sweeeet.
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