My Two Cents

Rating: 8/10 (30 July 2014)

Anyone who knows me (a silly thing to say on an anonymous message board) would probably be surprised that I'm about to write a review defending this movie.
It seems that the majority of these reviews cannot give an objective perspective on the quality of the movie itself, but instead focus on using the review to lecture on their personal views of the war in Afghanistan, to comment on the sensibility of the soldiers making decisions most of us will never have to face, or to question the authenticity of Luttrell's story itself.
For the record, I am about as left wing as it gets and don't agree with many US military decisions. I am also, generally, a fan of indie and art movies. I think that film, as art, should teach us something about life and leave us with questions to ponder.
With all of that said, to the previous reviews, I would say JUST SHUT UP AND ENJOY THE MOVIE FOR WHAT IT IS. Is the movie jingoistic propaganda? Yes, of course it is. The "good guys" are almost super human. They rarely miss a shot and make heroic decisions in the face of staggering odds. The "bad guys" couldn't hit the broad side of a barn and act as if they've never been in any combat before. Did the soldiers endanger themselves with their decision-making? Probably, but you are not capable of judging that until you are in that situation. Does the story seem exaggerated? Yes, some things seem implausible and glorified.
I am admitting all of this and still saying, just enjoy the movie. As much as I have my opinions of the subject matter and as much as I am generally a fan of more intellectual material, I can still sit back and enjoy an action film now and then, which is exactly what this is. This is no SAVING PRIVATE RYAN or PLATOON. Is it as far to the fanatical as RAMBO or RED DAWN? No, but it's probably somewhere in between. To me, this is the modern equivalent of a John Wayne movie. The good guys always wear white and will always triumph in the end. War was never something to critique in those movies, it was a backdrop that created heroes, which is what this movie does. Once the action drops, it's non- stop and I never found myself looking at the clock once. I rooted for our characters, though I knew their ultimate fate.
So go ahead and over-analyze the movie, but if you're capable of getting out of your own head for a couple hours and just enjoying a movie, there's a lot to enjoy here.