What do you do when you see a movie that is inherently terrible, but also ends on the sort of note that perfectly reflects your personal beliefs on camaraderie, loyalty, trust and service? Well, if you're me, you write a 'review' from two different perspectives. One as a moviegoer, and one as a member of the United States Armed Forces.
On to the review(s)!
First off, I would like to state that neither point of view found Act of Valor to be a good movie. This movie's claim to fame is the fact that all the U.S. soldiers were portrayed by actual U.S. soldiers. This adds to the realism of the fight sequences, because we're watching guys reenact shit they actually do for a living. The filmmakers also figured that it would add depths to their interactions that you just don't see from big name actors. It's obvious that they know each other and they like each other.
However, there's a reason Hollywood usually hires big name actors to be in their war movies. You can't have 90+ minutes of gunplay and ten minutes of interaction. You need to establish plot, and to do that you need dialogue between your actors. Here's where Act of Valor takes a nosedive. The guys on screen know what they're doing when they're holding a gun or capturing a hostage, but it's incredibly painful to see them regurgitate the script. It looks like they were given enough coaching to get through the scenes but absolutely no effort was given into making their acting convincing.
On top of that, the voiceover fell flat. I can say I got used to it as the movie went on, but thanks to Stockholm Syndrome, people can get used to damn near anything. Unfortunately, there was little to no emotion behind the voice until the final scenes, when he finally seemed able to channel some real emotion.
As far as the film goes, it's 100% America, Fuck Yeah! A CIA agent uncovers a link between a smuggler and a Muslim terrorist, she's abducted, and the Navy SEALs have been tasked to rescue her. Then they're later asked to stop the terrorist threat. There are no shades of grey in Act of Valor. Everyone who isn't American is evil or corrupt. Everyone who is American is willing to die for their country. In fact, parts of this movie border on KKK levels of racism and prejudice.
Once the action starts, the movie becomes interesting, if not awesome. Seeing the SEALs combine tried-and-true forms of communication with new technologies was fascinating. Act of Valor succeeds during its battle scenes, mostly because there's no way to screw that up when you're using some of the most well-trained warriors on the planet.
Of course, the final battle is deliriously over-the-top and it turns everyone into a hero, but that's to be expected. While nobody will be clamoring for a sequel, it feels like the film's backers accomplished exactly what they set out to do: Remind everyone of the noble sacrifices of American soldiers without letting silly things like politics, opinions or common sense get in the way.
As a member of these same armed forces who has an active duty sibling as well as relatives who served their time in the military, I still thought Act of Valor was overblown and mind-numbingly dull, filled with terrible acting and an under complicated, silly plot. However, the ending was abso-freaking-lutely amazing. I'm not ruining anything by telling you that there's a funeral in this movie, because that's broadcast from the very start. What's amazing is just how perfect all these non-actors are in their roles at the end. This is where you finally see their true emotions and experiences come to the fore, and this is when the voiceover finally works.
As someone who spent four months in the Honor Guard, I can speak for how difficult it is to do military funerals, and the one active duty funeral that I did was almost as bad as the one in which the woman receiving the flag was too busy crying about how she couldn't wait to join her dead husband to respond. Yeah, it's tough. But it also left me with a sense of satisfaction and purpose that I have seldom experienced before or after.
The funeral scene nailed everything perfectly. It, more so than any part of the rest of the film, demonstrated what's so fundamentally special about the military. There is a closeness in life and death that you simply don't see anywhere else. Shit, I'm in the safest, easiest job I could possibly find, in the 'spoiled' branch of the military, and there's still a sense of duty and purpose that most of us have, even us crazy liberals. We look out for each other. Even if I don't care for someone I work with, I've got their back, and I'll help them out when they need it. You just don't see that anywhere else.
The kid next to me was easily a decade younger, and he was blubbering like a little girl with a skinned knee. Myself, I had to bite my lip to keep from crying. You could hear sniffles and sobs from throughout the theater, and almost every single crier was male, military hair cut, under 40.
As a propaganda piece that's meant to sway public opinion, Act of Valor is too simplistic and too poorly put together to do much more than reinforce already-held beliefs. As a salute to our troops and an acknowledgement that life is definitely not fair, it succeeds beyond anyone's wildest hopes.
I urge anyone who is serving or who has served, or anyone who has lost a loved one to military conflict to watch the last part of Act of Valor. Ignore the hoorah's and the self-congratulatory pats on the back. The rest of the movie, unfortunately, does nobody any favors.
At least there's still Black Hawk Down.
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