Movie Review – Act of Valor (2012)
Every so often it’s a nice change of pace to see a movie where the action scenes just plain kick ass.
Throw in the fact that the people playing the characters are real life warriors, and it makes it even better. Welcome to the world of 2012′s action thriller, Act of Valor.
Act of Valor is a terrorist story straight from today’s headlines and stars active-duty Navy SEALs as the heroes in the movie. While the overall story is fairly tame and the acting leaves much to be desired (these people are commandos, not actors), the action scenes more than make up for those issues.
For me, it’s those action scenes and ultra-slick Navy SEAL combat tactics that make Act of Valor such as awesome movie.
Act of Valor begins with a SEAL team conducting a High Altitude, Low Opening (HALO) parachute jump on a training exercise. While they make a spectacular fall through the atmosphere, we hear a voiceover of a SEAL reading a letter to the son of a friend. The letter’s message talks about a variety of topics including bravery and heroism.
On the other side of the world in the Philippines, an ice cream truck arrives at a private school. Hundreds of children go running to it for a cold treat. The attention also attracts the US ambassador and his son. We then see a Chechen terrorist named Abu Shabal leaving the scene. Just as a guard is about to question him, the ice cream truck explodes in a massive explosion, killing dozens and injuring many more in the blast.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
Down in Costa Rica, a female doctor named Morales is examining local children when Walter Ross visits. It turns out that both Ross and Morales are CIA agents, and they’re discussing a drug smuggler named “Christo.” Not long after their first meeting, Christo’s agents kill Walter Ross and capture Morales, taking her to a secret hideout deep in the jungle.
In the meantime, we see scenes of the Bandito Platoon in SEAL Team Seven spending time with their families before the next deployment. Lieutenant Rorke and his wife are expecting their first child. Naturally, news spreads around the team and it’s a common subject of discussion. The members of Bandito Platoon then deploy to an amphibious assault ship for their base of operations.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
In the secret hideout, Morales is tortured and questioned over the phone by Christo. He orders her to be tortured further until she decides to start answering his questions. While this is taking place, the Bandito Platoon is given a briefing on the events in Costa Rica and ordered to rescue Morales. The CIA believes that there’s a connection between the terrorist Abu Shabal and drug smuggler, Christo.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
The Navy SEALs are inserted via another HALO jump. They successfully land in the jungle and make their way to the compound, taking position just outside of the structure. At dawn the following morning, special warfare boats and troops are flown in and inserted on a river downstream from the compound. They’ll provide the extraction and ride out of the area once Morales is secure.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
The SEALs hear Morales being tortured and attack the compound earlier than planned. The team’s sniper clears the perimeter and then the rest of the commandos storm the building, killing all enemies inside the structure. While they’re extracting Morales, a group of enemies hears the gunfire from down the road and race to the scene. The SEALs commandeer a truck and race for their extraction point on the rive, all while exchanging gunfire with the pursuing bad guys. They finally reach the river and the special warfare boats lay down some impressive covering fire while scooping up the commandos and Morales. Get ready when one of the SEALs warns over the radio, “This will be a hot extract!”
On the other side of the world, Christo and Abu Sabal meet in person and discuss their evil ways. There they finalize the details for Sabal’s suicide bomber attacks inside the United States. In the meantime, the SEALs learn recent intelligence reports about Christo and Sabal. Two SEALs are sent to Somalia to gather additional evidence while the rest of Bandito Platoon stays close to the U.S. SEAL Team Four is sent to hunt for Christo somewhere in the oceans.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
SEAL Team Four locates and attacks a yacht carrying Christo. Christo is captured strikes a deal, volunteering details about Sabal’s upcoming terrorist attack and how they’re planning on entering the country.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
Bandito Platoon acts upon the recent intelligence and attacks an island off the coast of Baja, California. There they kill a bunch of terrorists preparing to be smuggled into the U.S. The commandos discover the special bomb vests designed to be slipped through metal detectors. Lieutenant Rorke has a close call during the gun battle as an RPG strikes his chest but fails to detonate.
Act of Valor (2012) – (c) Relativity Media
Act of War concludes with Bandito Platoon conducting a massive assault on a fortified compound in northern Mexico. With the assistance of Mexican Special Forces, the SEALs and special forces attack not only the terrorists but the heavily armed drug cartel that’s protecting them.
So is Act of Valor any good?
As a whole, Act of Valor is okay as a movie. The terrorist plot is one giant cliché, some of the gun battles get confusing with the alternate angles, and the movie is predictable. The characters are also on the bland side. You really don’t get to know any of them, and in combat sometimes it’s difficult telling one soldier apart from the other.
It was mentioned earlier that the acting kinda stinks, but that’s only because the Navy SEALs are being played by active-duty SEALs. These people aren’t actors; they’re warriors. These are people who volunteered to put their life on the line to conduct some of the most secret and hair raising missions in the military.
Act of Valor sends a strong message of bravery, dedication and teamwork. We see several examples of this throughout the movie. Near the end, one of the SEALs makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the lives of his fellow soldiers.
Act of Valor is also a bit of a propaganda film. Sometimes it feels like the movie would have been better as one of those movie / documentaries on the History or the Military Channel. Word has it the U.S. Navy plans to use it to help recruit future SEALs.
Act of Valor (2012) – movie trailer
It’s the combat and action scenes that save Act of Valor, converting it from just an okay movie into a great one. You’ll see superior shooting skills, sneaky tactics, and lots of awesomeness as the Navy SEALs conduct their missions. The “hot extract” scene during the rescue in the jungle is awesome! As a whole, the action scenes in Act of Valor kick ass. Period.
Navy SEAL [racing to extraction point while being pursued by enemies] – “This will be a hot extract!”
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This article was originally published on June 5, 2012.