A Mighty Fine War Movie

Rating: 9/10 (18 April 2014)

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)
Rating: 3.9/5 stars
An emotionally inspiring and gripping film about courage, honor, patriotism, and brotherhood. "Lone Survivor" tells the tale of four soldiers fighting for survival behind enemy lines after a reconnaissance operation gets compromised by an unforeseen circumstance. How these bravehearts battle for their lives and how they push themselves beyond conceivable limits for the men they fight with form the rest of the proceedings. The intrepidness, tenacity, and willingness for sacrifice displayed by these brave souls leave us literally spellbound and humbled. I ended up saying to myself, 'I'm a very small human being and not all that important in the face of these great men. Whatever grand notions of courage I had about myself were quickly made to feel minuscule.'
Since this is based on a true story (from a book by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson on a real-life mission of Marcus Luttrell and his fellow Navy Seal team comprising of Michael Murphy, Matt Axelson, and Danny Dietz), you shouldn't expect many unexpected twists. Anyways, the heartfelt nature of the content and the positive impact it has on us as viewers, is enough to keep us thoroughly engaged and even entertained. Plus, the veracious sources of the movie provide ample scope for some heart-pounding action and edge-of-the-seat thrills. Credit must be given to the Director, Peter Berg, who aptly adapts this heroic tale of unflinching camaraderie and irrepressible bravado. Berg's assured hand evokes a keen sense of pride and respect for our four protagonists. Along the way, he also escalates his standing as a Director of note be delivering a film that's leagues ahead of his erstwhile passable fare.
An inspiring war film with so many action scenes demands strong support from the technical departments like editing, cinematography, special effects, and sound, and "Lone Survivor" astutely delivers on all these accounts. Performances wise, all the actors delivers true portrayals of their roles, which blend seamlessly with the script on offer. Mark Wahlberg puts in another act that does equal justice to his star value and acting credentials alike. He's ably supported by Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, and Emile Hirsch.
"Lone Survivor" is a gripping, inspirational, and heart-crunching film on bravery, honor, determination, loyalty, and camaraderie. It's certain to go down as one of the best war films of all time.