Mission into chaos

Rating: 8/10 (12 October 2012)

Graphic, full throttle account of the fatal mission into Somalia in 1993 where two US Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by improvised Somali rebel forces. What starts out as a seemingly straight-forward (though not without risks) mission to abduct two high ranking rebel soldiers under the expert guidance of Sam Shepard, soon turns to rubble forcing a number of elite special forces soldiers to risk their lives to retrieve the survivors and casualties as the local population turns against them in droves.
Eclectic cast is a bit of an ensemble without a clear headliner, each top-line cast member essentially starring in his own vignette from a different perspective of the battle. Ewen McGregor drops his trademark Scottish brogue as a sheepish, inexperienced marine who's suddenly thrust into a recovery mission more deadly than he anticipated, while Eric Bana also parks his familiar Aussie accent to play a gung-ho urban warrior who lives and breathes firefights. I don't think Bana conveys the swingers to pull that character off, but fortunately the supporting cast of William Fichtner and Tom Sizemore have more than enough testosterone to leave no doubt they're hard-boiled.
It's a cut above the more recent offerings, doesn't do pathos and while there's a modest amount of jingoism reflected in the dialogue, it's not over-bearing. Some of the stunts are impressive and the raw and realistic manner in which the Somali rebels are played, is a pretty terrifying enemy to contemplate, despite their apparent lack of resources and professionalism (in this respect there's shades of the embassy battle scene from "Rules of Engagement", though more relentless). Hard-hitting, highly entertaining modern war movie.