***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***
In 2007, the self-titled "Bandito Brothers," Scott Waugh and Mike McCoy filmed a video for the US Navy's Surface Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen that had actual US Navy SEALs in it. Both decided to make a film about SEALs but their SEAL advisors were so dismissive of the actors the directors hired to play SEALs that a unique idea was born: the use of actual active duty SEALs to portray themselves in an action film.
What results is unprecedented cooperation between the Department of Defense and a motion picture--going even further than Black Hawk Down's mammoth support. Indeed, there probably has not been a movie like this since the Army Air Corps films of World War Two.
Lieutenant Rorke and Chief Dave lead a platoon of SEAL Team 7, based at Coronado. Rorke is going to be a father while Dave already has five kids. They are long time veterans of the Teams and close friends. Of course, Rorke and Dave are real SEALs. I've read on a blog that both are coming to the end of their real-life service and thus were not worried about exposing their identities in a film.
Meanwhile, a CIA agent (Roselyn Sanchez) is abducted in Costa Rica. She was tracking a Russian mafia arms dealer, Christo (Alex Veadov), who is selling weapons to narcotraffickers. Rorke's platoon is sent into action. This is the first action set piece and it's extremely impressive as the SEALs HALO into Costa Rica with the help of two Navy SWCCs and two Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-47s. Like all of the action displayed in the movie, the SEALs themselves choreographed the action--the Bandito Brothers just filmed what the SEALs drew up. There's nothing fake about how these operations are portrayed. How the Army deploys the two SWCCs is outstanding in and of itself. Well done to the Banditos for this part of the film.
The SEAL Platoon then discovers that Christo is supplying suicide vests to a Chechen Islamic terrorist named Shabal. Shabal intends to deploy sixteen Filipino Islamist terrorists through Mexico to major American cities to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy.
The remainder of the movie shows the SEALs, along with members of SEAL Team 4, scurrying around the world to stop Christo and Shabal--from Somalia to the Pacific to Mexican islands and then finally Mexicali.
This film has gotten panned by a lot of critics and this is not a surprise. Most movie critics are left wing and don't appreciate many (any?) military movies. Is is true that the plot is not that complex and the dialog from Rorke and Dave is stilted at best. But these men aren't trained actors. That said, Senior Chief Billy, another real SEAL, obviously has some acting skill and has way too much fun during his interrogation scene with a detainee.
But unlike Roger Ebert, I wasn't looking for Olivier-like delivery of lines. What Rorke, Dave and their men do best is LOOK like real SEALs because they ARE real SEALs. They hold their weapons, move, and stack during Close Quarters Battle exactly as real life operators would. Black Hawk Down made an effort to teach its actors this but you still cannot truly replicate reality without real life operators.
The end firefight sequence is as good if not better than the ones in Black Hawk Down. Throughout the movie, we see camera shots from the perspective of a SEAL holding out his carbine. This is very effective as it gives you an idea of what CQB is like
This was the only military movie I can think of where I had not one major criticism about inaccurate uniforms, weapons, or equipment. A minor gripe was the SEALs using visual light laser pointers rather than IR ones, but this was probably done for the sake of the audience.
This was also only the second movie I can ever remember being at that when it ended, the entire theater was silent. The first time was Arlington Road which ended with a major twist. This time, it was because a list of all the SEALs killed since 9/11 was scrolled. There was no casual talking or laughter. It was as silent as a library.
The casual public won't care too much about this film. Limousine liberals won't like it. And I find it amusing that some are complaining that Call of Duty is better. Give me a break and get off your couch in your Mom's basement.
If you have any interest in the *real* military you must see the film because few films have ever had this much realism. Certainly, I will not be able to look at any other future military movies displaying firefights without holding it to the standard set in this movie.
Plotwise, the movie is a *** star at best. Had it been a standard action movie star vehicle, it would have been okay but not standout. But due to the realism, it has to go ****.
In 2007, the self-titled "Bandito Brothers," Scott Waugh and Mike McCoy filmed a video for the US Navy's Surface Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen that had actual US Navy SEALs in it. Both decided to make a film about SEALs but their SEAL advisors were so dismissive of the actors the directors hired to play SEALs that a unique idea was born: the use of actual active duty SEALs to portray themselves in an action film.
What results is unprecedented cooperation between the Department of Defense and a motion picture--going even further than Black Hawk Down's mammoth support. Indeed, there probably has not been a movie like this since the Army Air Corps films of World War Two.
Lieutenant Rorke and Chief Dave lead a platoon of SEAL Team 7, based at Coronado. Rorke is going to be a father while Dave already has five kids. They are long time veterans of the Teams and close friends. Of course, Rorke and Dave are real SEALs. I've read on a blog that both are coming to the end of their real-life service and thus were not worried about exposing their identities in a film.
Meanwhile, a CIA agent (Roselyn Sanchez) is abducted in Costa Rica. She was tracking a Russian mafia arms dealer, Christo (Alex Veadov), who is selling weapons to narcotraffickers. Rorke's platoon is sent into action. This is the first action set piece and it's extremely impressive as the SEALs HALO into Costa Rica with the help of two Navy SWCCs and two Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-47s. Like all of the action displayed in the movie, the SEALs themselves choreographed the action--the Bandito Brothers just filmed what the SEALs drew up. There's nothing fake about how these operations are portrayed. How the Army deploys the two SWCCs is outstanding in and of itself. Well done to the Banditos for this part of the film.
The SEAL Platoon then discovers that Christo is supplying suicide vests to a Chechen Islamic terrorist named Shabal. Shabal intends to deploy sixteen Filipino Islamist terrorists through Mexico to major American cities to wreak havoc on the U.S. economy.
The remainder of the movie shows the SEALs, along with members of SEAL Team 4, scurrying around the world to stop Christo and Shabal--from Somalia to the Pacific to Mexican islands and then finally Mexicali.
This film has gotten panned by a lot of critics and this is not a surprise. Most movie critics are left wing and don't appreciate many (any?) military movies. Is is true that the plot is not that complex and the dialog from Rorke and Dave is stilted at best. But these men aren't trained actors. That said, Senior Chief Billy, another real SEAL, obviously has some acting skill and has way too much fun during his interrogation scene with a detainee.
But unlike Roger Ebert, I wasn't looking for Olivier-like delivery of lines. What Rorke, Dave and their men do best is LOOK like real SEALs because they ARE real SEALs. They hold their weapons, move, and stack during Close Quarters Battle exactly as real life operators would. Black Hawk Down made an effort to teach its actors this but you still cannot truly replicate reality without real life operators.
The end firefight sequence is as good if not better than the ones in Black Hawk Down. Throughout the movie, we see camera shots from the perspective of a SEAL holding out his carbine. This is very effective as it gives you an idea of what CQB is like
This was the only military movie I can think of where I had not one major criticism about inaccurate uniforms, weapons, or equipment. A minor gripe was the SEALs using visual light laser pointers rather than IR ones, but this was probably done for the sake of the audience.
This was also only the second movie I can ever remember being at that when it ended, the entire theater was silent. The first time was Arlington Road which ended with a major twist. This time, it was because a list of all the SEALs killed since 9/11 was scrolled. There was no casual talking or laughter. It was as silent as a library.
The casual public won't care too much about this film. Limousine liberals won't like it. And I find it amusing that some are complaining that Call of Duty is better. Give me a break and get off your couch in your Mom's basement.
If you have any interest in the *real* military you must see the film because few films have ever had this much realism. Certainly, I will not be able to look at any other future military movies displaying firefights without holding it to the standard set in this movie.
Plotwise, the movie is a *** star at best. Had it been a standard action movie star vehicle, it would have been okay but not standout. But due to the realism, it has to go ****.
Tell Your Friends