Act of Valor

***
Dir. Mike McCoy, Scott Waugh
The nature of war films has changed dramatically over the last twenty years with pictures such as Saving Private Ryan and Courage Under Fire.

In Act of Valor, directors Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh go the extra mile to honor our armed forces by using active U.S. Navy Seals as the stars of the movie. The film tells the story of a special forces unit that fight to prevent a large-scale terrorist plot, after rescuing a federal agent from a band of foreign mercenaries. Screenwriter Kurt Johnstad's script tells a great story of honor, justice, and freedom which we as American citizens too often take for granted.

As far as pacing, it does lack a certain essence most viewers would expect. McCoy and Waugh structure it more like an independent film, an aspect I was quite fond of. While I've seen other war pictures that are more character driven, there were many aspects in this one which I found to be quite compelling.

The way the action scenes are shot make it look almost like a reenactment of U.S. missions. I would compare it with films like The Hurt Locker, which I felt did a great job of capturing the reality and essence of war, something that many million dollar budget Hollywood movies have failed to do.

While the acting is pretty sorry, given that these are military men, not theatre majors, it's a unique film nonetheless. Watching it will help viewers acquire a deeper respect for the men and women serving in our armed forces (and hopefully get all the hippies out there to shut up and show some respect for their country!). God bless America!