24th

Act of Valor: The Hooyah Must See Film of the Season.

February 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the opportunity to attend the premiere of Act of Valor at the beginning of the month.  In all, I found it an exciting and entertaining piece of cinema.

If you’re looking for a good way to spend a couple of hours this winter weekend, go check out this action packed film.

My detailed review can be found at Proceedings Online:

http://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2012-03/movie-review-act-valor-must-see

 

 

Also, you should read a better written and more relevant review by friend, teacher and SEAL Bob Schoultz:

http://bobscorner.wordpress.com/

 

For more detail on the film, check out the following reviews:

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/act-of-valor-how-the-movie-was-made/

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/act-of-valor-why-the-movie-was-made/

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/act-of-valor-how-the-novelization-was-done/

http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/act-of-valor-movie-american-sniper-book-spotlight-navy-seals-50th-anniversary/

 

Hooyah.


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Posted by Alexander Martin in Navy
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  • Derrick

    I don’t know anything about Navy SEALs, but I personally am not sure it would be safe for someone to apply to be a Navy SEAL because they were inspired by a movie. Plus the work SEALs do is so incredibly dangerous, I’d rather invest the money in developing unmanned aerial vehicles or whatever to do the majority of this type of work. I don’t like putting soldiers in danger unless absolutely necessary.

  • http://snafu_blogspot@yahoo.com solomon

    so another military website decides to promote this film.

    let me add a couple of points.

    1. they did this outside established procedures. when this went from being a recruiting effort to a hollywood film then alot about it would have changed. Navy Special Warfare did not inform the Pentagon and continued to gobble up military hardware personnel etc for this film. in essence they ran a black op to get it and worse they set a precedent that will be used as a trump card anytime hollywood wants to film the military. this time it was positive what happens when it isn’t?

    2. force protection issues. does no one remember the troubles of Capt Rogers???? this man was faced with death threats, a bomb exploded underneath his wife’s van and they believe that they experienced the first terrorist attack on US soil by a foreign power. how easy will it be to drive to coronado, camp outside the SEAL training compound…follow some of the staff home and do harm to him and his family? is a force protection plan established? these guys were on the red carpet and it will be easy to identify them. i hope a force protection plan is in place.

    3. rumor has it that the other pieces of the special ops community are less than pleased by this. one team one fight? not by the looks of this movie.

    4. quiet professionals? not anymore. remember the retired special ops general that confronted the current SOCOM chief? he stated that SEALs need to get out of the media. the media laughed and the current chief made up a pitiful excuse.

    long story short, this shouldn’t be celebrated. this should be seen for what it is. a sad day for the Navy’s Special Warfare Community.

    for a community that sets itself apart. that is suppose to operate behind the scenes. that is suppose to be the elite. this is surprisingly chest thumping. but its par for the course now. i have never seen so many books being written, so many product endorsements, so many cashing in on having been a SEAL that its approaching overload.

    consider this an intervention.

    and i am so ready for return fire!

  • Jesse Brown

    You’re way late to the party Solomon. Dick Marcinko called this out years ago and in fact was the first to popularize SEALs and what they do. There is absolutely nothing in this movie or in any book about SEALs that compromises OPSEC or their ability to do their mission. All the bad guys know about ‘em already so you know, give it a rest.

    -Jesse

  • Byron

    Personally, I’m glad to see the SEALs get a little credit. The Marines have God knows how many movies and books about, same for the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and even one for Special Forces…who can forget, “The Green Berets” with John Wayne himself as the star?.

    The SEALs deserve to blow their horn. And we’re fools for thinking the bad guys don’t know they live near Coronado and Little Creek.

  • Diogenes of NJ

    “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.”

    The SEALs have done good. Let it not be as it was with Caesar. We know that the SEALs have enough character to do good when no one is looking. What the world needs is more examples of good to look upon.

    The Nobel Peace Prize just isn’t doing it for me anymore.

    The OPSEC card can be over played. Solomon doth protest too much, methinks.

    What’s done, is done. We would all be a lot safer if there were fewer bad guys in the world and if the remaining ones feared us. So here’s an idea – let’s kill the enemy, let’s show the world that we can kill the enemy and let victory lead to peace.

    - Kyon

  • http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com CDR Salamander

    Jessee Brown speaks with big medicine.

  • NVYGUNZ

    I enjoyed it. Saw it friday night when it came out for regular people. I also enjoyed reading the Bob’s blog (thanks). His review, was obviously–right on! Besides the comments already posted, figured i would share the following… I always enjoy a movie (of any kind) more when at (or towards) the end, people in the theater are crying, cheering and clapping… All of which happened in the last few minutes of the film and a couple times throughout. Made for a more touching viewing. It got very, very quiet during the funeral scene and you could here crying and sniffling throughout the theater. Also, lots of people just sat there afterwards till they gathered their composure. Good stuff! Hopefully they understand and appreciate the sacrifice more now…

  • Paul P

    Of course “Top Gun” is considered to be more of a documentary about Cold War carrier operations, right? :-) I’ve read a bunch of reviews of “Act of Valor” and all I could think was that the reviewers who hammered it so hard really didn’t stop to think that a) this was a movie, b) not everything has to have some kind of politically correct agenda, c) people will want to watch it for the action and the story, c) no one really cares as long as they leave happy.

    There are plenty of “good” movies out there that I’ve watched and turned off because apparently I wasn’t smart enough to get it. Then again, there are plenty of “bad” movies I’ve watched that either held my attention and made me laugh and entertained me. No matter what any navel gazer may say– the purpose of a movie is to entertain and make some $$$ for the producer. Want to make a political statement– make a documentary!

  • Diogenes of NJ

    Paul P

    Which is precisely why Diogenes quotes Shakespeare.

    “The play’s the thing.” It’s better when the bad guys die in the earlier acts. In the end we all do.

    - Kyon

  • leesea

    I saw the movie and thought it was an excellent portrayal of many aspects of NSW ops (all open sourced) and the way of life they and their families have to live. Damn fine movie!

    Solomon should be more transparent since on his website, he constantly promotes ideas which in essence says we need more US Marines and downplays what sailors can bring to warfare.

  • Byron

    Solomon should remember that without sailors the Marines would be in the Army :)

  • ShawnP

    Very good movie to juxtaposition with the current administration’s War on Military benefits.

  • Byron

    “Act of Valor”…my review. First cut: OH MY GOD! These are real men, do real work, in the face of overwhelming odds. They’re not actors; they are real men. Actors try to make you believe they are real people, SEALs are real warriors. First time I saw a movie where they talked softly in danger close instead of whisper…because in reality, whispers can be heard better than talking softly: real stuff. Weapons: There is a vast difference between an M-4 shooting blanks and an M-4 shooting live rounds, that and wow, tracers coming out of an Aero Dillon mini-gun :)

    Plot: standard terror plot, starts with finding one end of an intelligence string and keeps pulling till the horrible truth is found…and then the SEAls get to do SEAL stuff: killing tangos and blowing shit up. Dick Marcinko must have cried when he saw this movie.

    Support personnel: something you never see in any movie about special ops are the people behind the scenes on the shaft of the spear. In this movie you get to see the intel geeks, the aviation side, the small boat units who while not being SEALS are still bad ass. Submarines are in it and you get to see how subs are important to SEALs. Hell, they even have a SEAL delivery system!

    SEALs aren’t bullet proof and they don’t have “unlimited ammo mags”. People get hurt and people die. SEALs clock out and yell for their buddy to cover while he changes mags.

    This is a movie about real SEALs. It’s about the way they fight, it’s about their families and it’s about absolute committment these incredible men have to their mission. Last, but not least, if you are not choked up with tears in your eyes at the end of the movie you simply have no soul. In my theater you could have heard a mouse fart is was so quiet. I recommend this movie to anyone. Go see it in the theater. The little screen simply won’t do it justice.

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