In the wake of Sept. 11, Capt. Mitch Nelson leads a U.S. Special Forces team into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. Once there, the soldiers develop an uneasy partnership with the Northern Alliance to take down the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. Outgunned and outnumbered, Nelson and his forces face overwhelming odds in a fight against a ruthless enemy that takes no prisoners. (1)
Review
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Hello, Movie Buffs!
12 Strong (2018) – starring Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, and based on Doug Stanton's book, “Horse Soldiers” – is the true story of a U.S. Special Forces team who are the first troops sent into Afghanistan to retaliate after 9/11. There they form an alliance with a local general in order to fight the Taliban. One way in which the team must adapt to the terrain involves using Afghani horses to travel and fight. It becomes clear early on that they're outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy who's driven by ideology.
12 Strong is a heart-pounding and gripping film from beginning to end. Everything was explained slow enough so that audiences could better understand and appreciate the story. There are some hardcore battle scenes but it still managed to deliver a great and uplifting story about a group of soldiers who were some of the first that helped paved the way for soldiers today. Soldiers carrying weapons while riding horses makes this film unique but it also shows how daring it was for them: Riding a horse into battle with bullets flying everywhere is a very vulnerable position to be in because at any moment that horse could collapse right out from underneath you. As the film progresses the battles become more intense and the stakes get even higher. The ending battle is nothing short of a true Western style grand finale with our favorite characters charging in on horseback, guns blazing.
One aspect that I enjoyed was the music by Lorne Balfe (Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows; Inception). The music is ominous as well as uplifting, all at the same time. You can never be sure what’s going to happen next. Some scenes are almost too good to be true, while with others are not as predictable as you might think. In short, the music was subtle yet perfect for every scene.
Another aspect that I enjoyed most about this film is the timeline. We have all see war films about the still ongoing war in Afghanistan, and today’s perspective is a bit depressing. Of course, every war is but this film is different because it sets us back to when the Afghanistan war started – and I use that term loosely – shortly after 9/11. As a result, the characters are all charged up and ready to fight with guns blazing and ready to serve justice for those who could not. There is a nice balance between intense battle scenes and small moments of reprieve that continue to deliver great character development.
The performances were great through and through. During the intense battle scenes we see the characters as heroes but during the few moments of peace, we see these heroes for who they really are, human. We see their passion for justice as well as their compassion for humanity. They can never fully turn off their emotions because you can see it in their eyes, how everything is affecting them, and that is what reminds us that their still human. Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok) does not overwhelm the screen, Michael Shannon (Man of Steel) plays a convincing soldier, and Navid Negahban (American Sniper) is transformative as the ally general, Dostum. Hemsworth and Negahban work very well together as their characters challenge each other to be better than they are.
Overall, 12 Strong (2018) is a great film based on the, recently unclassified true story of a team of 12 soldiers who were some of the first on the ground after 9/11. The story is solid with an even balance between intense battle scenes and somewhat calm scenes, with an almost Western style ending to it. There is no doubt that your heart will be pounding throughout the entire film but I recommended seeing this film while it’s still in theaters, otherwise, the experience won’t be nearly the same.
Overall, 12 Strong (2018) is a great film based on the, recently unclassified true story of a team of 12 soldiers who were some of the first on the ground after 9/11. The story is solid with an even balance between intense battle scenes and somewhat calm scenes, with an almost Western style ending to it. There is no doubt that your heart will be pounding throughout the entire film but I recommended seeing this film while it’s still in theaters, otherwise, the experience won’t be nearly the same.
"Nineteen men attacked our country, the twelve of you will be the first ones to fight back... The most important thing a man can take into combat is a reason why."
- Colonel Mulholland
Final Vote
Worth Seeing: 9.5
Worth Buying: 9.5
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