I’m not a huge War movie buff (although I love Black Hawk Down, Platoon, Apocalypse Now, and others) but I do enjoy an occasional few from time to time. The problem that American war movies present is that they’re always the good guys like they do nothing wrong. Zero Dark Thirty at least showed a lot of the ugliness that goes into what they do to get their jobs done (whatever objectives they have), and I’m sure that the Afghanis are tired of being portrayed as extremist terrorists (although there’s sufficient evidence that justifies the portrayal of their behaviour). To be an American soldier (hell, a soldier, period), it requires a lot of gruelling training that strengthens your mind, body, and soul. Not all the time does the combination of those 3 help make the most logical decisions although that’s what you’re supposed to do. When you act on a gut feeling, in battle, the consequences are always amplified by 10-fold, and in this movie, there’s nothing short of amplification on all ends.

Movies that are based on true stories tend to hit the hardest because emotions plays into a factor when judging how it’s executed (like the movies I previously stated). There are hits and misses, but the truth of the matter is that the events really happened no matter how much Hollywood dramatization occurred during production. It’s not exactly easy to choreograph word for word just what was happening at the particular times, so I get that a lot gets lost in the shuffle. With that being said, 4 soldiers who go on about doing a mission takes a turn for the worst in a “you’ve got to be kidding me/ what are the odds” type of situation. The film doesn’t allow you to really ease into a comfortable state (well in the first 30 minutes perhaps), but there’s nothing but heart racing anticipation and the state of unknown creeping on you for the duration of it.

Mark Wahlberg & Eric Bana are known for their war type movie appearances, so including them in this felt necessary. Mark’s ability to be dramatic while still adding light humour so effortlessly is what made you like his character and root for him to win although he’s in quite the situation that no one on Earth would want to be in. A few real (real as in ‘they get paid for their opinion’) movie critics compared this movie to the likes of Saving Private Ryan, but in essence there was a little of a lot of movies that could be tied into it (I mean, War is War – there’s pretty much always the same outcome) but I look at Black Hawk Down and I can pinpoint certain things that were synonymous. I liked the movie because it wasn’t a Propaganda shoved down your throat type of movie (although the opening credits looks like an army training infomercial), and it was really about the 4 soldiers and how they fought to have each others’ backs through what looked like absolute and certain death. Stories of courage and perseverance through battle is one of the biggest metaphors of life, although it’s actually something that occurs every day. I don’t suppose that there will ever be a day in which global combat will come to a significantly long cease, but here’s to at least hoping something will come of it. I’d definitely check this one out, and be sure to not only enjoy, but to always count your blessings. This is my opinion, this is my review, but for now

That’s My Word & It STiXX