The exciting new action film “Act of Valor” proves two undeniable things about our Navy Seals:
1) They are an amazing group of patriotic bad asses who will stop at nothing to do what they believe to be right in the name of Democracy.
2) They are not the best actors (although they probably would recite Shakespeare better than your average Green Beret).
Much has been made about the making of “Act of Valor” and, in many ways, the story behind the film is more interesting than the film itself. The film’s directors, Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh, were given unprecedented access to the elite Black Ops branch of the Navy because the project started out as a recruitment film. As time passed, the project grew into a full blown Hollywood undertaking but since the entire thing started “behind the curtain” the film is as authentic as you can get.
8 active-duty Seals are the stars here. The trained actors are relegated to the villain roles (and give the film its only real sense of drama). Our macho men lead us through treacherous jungle and hostile villages on various missions and you truly feel as if you are right there with them. This is partly because the filmmakers like to put the camera right into the soldier’s boots, frequently giving us a first person view that will be very familiar and exciting to any fan of uber-violent video games such as “Call of Duty” or “Rainbow Six”. It is that crowd that is going to eat “Act of Valor” up whole.
The exact comings and goings of the plot get lost as the troupe trots around the world blowing up various huts and vehicles to bits. There is a terrorist (of course) who wants to do bad things to Americans. Our boys do not want this to happen so many bullets are put through skulls around the world. As the movie moves along, the motivations are completely lost and the entire reduces itself to a realistic version of a “Rambo” movie. By realistic I mean that these guys keep their shirts on. For some reason Sly Stallone always got half naked will putting down terrorists. There is some redemption at the end when we are reminded that all of the violence is in the name of freedom.
The realism of the film makes for a unique and fascinating viewing experience. It is very easy to feel as though you have just sky dove from an airplane and landed in a Costa Rican field to rescue a captured operative. A sense of respect is easily had for the sacrifice these men make. True heroes unsung.
But the thing that makes “Act of Valor” special is the one aspect that hurts the film the most. The acting is incredibly amateur and distracting. If these boys aren’t carrying guns and hurling grenades it is hard to take them serious. This makes “Act of Valor’s” biggest virtue its greatest flaw.