Act of Valor
Moviegoers expecting a fully-formed storyline with compelling character drama may ultimately be underwhelmed by the very moments that other members in the audience will find most compelling.
In an age whenCall of Dutygames can generate over $ 1 billion in cut-rate sale in less than one month , it ’s safe to say that military combat feigning represents big stage business . However , while plenty of video game and Hollywood films have attempted to put across the horrors of the field of battle , very few fiction projects have ever conk quite so far asAct of Valor , the film by co - directors , Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh .
With a relatively pocket-sized budget , the filmmaking squad enlisted a batch of active - duty Navy SEALs to create one of the most gritty and grounded military surgical operation picture show ever believe . Not only are the result men inAct of Valoractual serviceman , the directors also engage a number of unconventional production technique - including hot ammunition and explosives . However , is the existent film - aside from all the naturalistic combat sequences and compelling production choices - an gratifying and eminent - octane experience ?
Unfortunately , whileAct of Valorsucceeds as a love letter to servicemen , military household , and anyone who has ever sacrificed for the goodness of their country , the film itself , from a cinematic standpoint , is a disordered mishmash of gripping behind - the - view details and compelling combat sequences , partner off with awkward performances and a generic ( as well as jumbled ) terrorist plot line . There ’s absolutely no doubt that moviegoers who have been touched by military service in one way or another will in all likelihood connect with the characters and post portrayed in the plastic film ; however , for film fans and cinephiles looking for a gritty military ops moving picture , there are a number of defect that will undermine theAct of Valor ’s impact .
The story follows a team of Navy SEALs on a rescue mission - one that quick evolves into a multifaceted , globe - trotting operation to stop Islamic extremists from penetrate U.S. borders and enact a string of devastating terrorist attempt in a number of America ’s most populated cities . It ’s a sparse but serviceable patch that ’s design to put onward one grip set - slice after another ( infiltration , reconnaissance , interrogation , etc . ) but hardly develops the flick ’s fiber . The overarching ultra scourge is n’t explored in any more profundity than basic " dependable versus evil " cliches and looker are never privy to the terrorist leader ’s larger motivating , i.e. anything more nuanced than " America is malign " rhetoric .
That said , while the factual storyline is mostly underwhelming and operate into a comparatively predictable plot progression , it does ( as mentioned ) make room for some truly silken scrap scenario that take advantage of the active - obligation sealing wax ' education and field experience . There ’s an dominance to the armed combat sequence ( via engrossing frontline action ) that few military motion picture have been able to catch in recent retention ( with the exception of a few labor such as Ridley Scott’sBlack Hawk Down ) . As an example , form 1 of the seal of approval ' drawn-out mission sees the squad infiltrating an enemy compound - and features a number of unique flourish that ground the experience and tender some authentically tense as well as releasing mid - fight moments .
If only the eccentric moments were as effective as the splanchnic combat scenario . The plot spend a mickle of clock time centered around two Navy seal of approval squad mates and best friends - showcasing the " true life " experiences servicemen support as well as their " act of valorousness " on the battlefield . However , in their movement to bring in authenticity to the minutes by using actual SEALs , McCoy and Waugh ultimately subvert the success of the realistic and gritty scrap sequences with stilted dialog and stiff carrying into action from their lead player . It ’s obviously a touchy subject - since these are existent people who have ( and continue to ) risk their life sentence for their land ; however , more experienced actors could have finally provided a practiced foundation for the motion picture ’s onscreen worked up core .
As a result , a phone number of the movie ’s would - be case revelations do across as somewhat forced and flat - out cheesy - though , again , viewers who have an external investing in the characters ( via their own experiences ) will likely feel these exchanges to be some of the more knock-down moment in the film , even if they are n’t cede in an Oscar - worthy soliloquy . In term of making an all - around accessible and charm fictionfilmexperience , it ’s hard to understand why the directors did n’t employ the good of both world : expend the SEALs to grind the action sequences and bring in a few professional actor to make the lead character moments really sing .
Ultimately , the movie ’s greatest plus , the real life history Navy SEALs ( and their insight ) , produce a foreign admixture of successes and failures that at times enhance the experience and on other occasions do n’t read very well from reality to take . Much like the acting , there are moments where the filmmaker overindulged in reality and undermined submersion - offering a few flat - out all too " convenient " moment that probably have pass off on the field of battle ( one involve a close - range RPG , especially ) , but amount across as emotionally manipulative when view as part of a manufactured film project . Similarly , while the film ’s thin video game - esque storyline plays out like a mission logbook , and showcases the various aspect of military ops , it never bothers to develop the fiber beyond anything but basic stereotypes - meaning that even though the story is on the surface realistic , there ’s very little for certain portions of the audience to link with in the moment or chew over once the acknowledgment roll .
It ’s well-fixed to recommendAct of Valorto military enthusiast and servicemen , who will no doubt see themselves in the characters on screen , and action at law fans will also find plenty to like in the movie ’s various combat sequence . However , moviegoers expecting a fully - formed storyline with compelling character play may ultimately be underwhelmed by the very moment that other members in the audience will find most compelling . As a result , the overall response toAct of Valoris likely to set off one of the most divisive movie conversations of 2012 .
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Act of Valoris rated R for strong violence , including some torture , and for language . Now play in theatre .
