This film is actually really very good in places. It is set on an army base where units of the National Guard have been called up and are due to be deployed to an Iraqi war zone. Their erstwhile Lieutenant has used his daddy's political clout to get him a cushy transfer so he can stay Stateside with his fiancée. Meanwhile the unit's paramedic (Reyes)– whose young son has terminal cancer – has been told his permission to stay home has been revoked.
What transpires is the efforts of the guys to do what they think is right in the face of military bureaucratic, indifference. We also have the story of the replacement Lieutenant and some of the back stories of the soldiers involved.
Now I loved the premise and the first third of this film works extremely well. Then we start to get plot holes or contrivances and that is when it starts losing credibility.
May be plot spoiler from here on in!! When Lt. Sefton runs off to the pay phone as his phone has been confiscated. In the previous scene Sgt Reyes was found by being called on his and phone while hiding in the truck and now he seems to have forgotten it is in his pocket. The security around this military base is a few guys with armbands on; No CCTV at all! I mean really, the protocols for prisoner control were never followed. Some of the fight scenes have all the 'blood' put on right at the end and some am dram fisty cuffs at that.
These all occur towards the end and all empathy I had built up started to evaporate, so it went from being really good to OK and then please don't insult my intelligence – I have to say the acting and camera work are mostly good to excellent hence my overall rating.
What transpires is the efforts of the guys to do what they think is right in the face of military bureaucratic, indifference. We also have the story of the replacement Lieutenant and some of the back stories of the soldiers involved.
Now I loved the premise and the first third of this film works extremely well. Then we start to get plot holes or contrivances and that is when it starts losing credibility.
May be plot spoiler from here on in!! When Lt. Sefton runs off to the pay phone as his phone has been confiscated. In the previous scene Sgt Reyes was found by being called on his and phone while hiding in the truck and now he seems to have forgotten it is in his pocket. The security around this military base is a few guys with armbands on; No CCTV at all! I mean really, the protocols for prisoner control were never followed. Some of the fight scenes have all the 'blood' put on right at the end and some am dram fisty cuffs at that.
These all occur towards the end and all empathy I had built up started to evaporate, so it went from being really good to OK and then please don't insult my intelligence – I have to say the acting and camera work are mostly good to excellent hence my overall rating.