Lone Survivor is the true story of Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell's experiences with his team in the Hindu Kush during operation Red Wing.

Rating: 7/10 (1 October 2014)

The movie Lone Survivor has a very small amount of main characters but the casting of all the characters was fairly spot on. The main characters in the movie are Marcus Luttrell, played by Mark Wahlberg, Mike Murphy, played by Taylor Kitsch, Matt Axelson, played by Ben Foster, and Danny Dietz, played by Emile Hirsch. While reading the book I was able to create a picture in my head of these characters and the events that took place. These four are the only characters that really mean anything in the movie even though there are far more involved in the book. In the book Luttrell describes Mike Murphy as that guy that was just good at everything. He was good looking, extremely strong and athletic, and of course smart. Taylor Kitsch is not that well known of an actor but he was in the TV series Friday Night Lights where he played an ex high school football player he was known for getting with attractive women. With that said we can assume he's an athletic and good looking guy. Matt Axelson is described in the book as a humble family man, always thinking about his wife and always doing the right thing. I never heard of Ben Foster before I saw Lone Survivor but when I compared him to the real Matt Axelson there is a striking resemblance. They both have similar features and the personality Foster portrays is just like the one Luttrell describes. In the beginning of the movie Axelson is seen emailing his wife cute messages, telling her how much he misses her. That's the type of guy he was. Danny Dietz and Marcus Luttrell weren't as close as Luttrell was to the other two members of the team but he still had a love for him. According to Danny Dietz Family Interview, where questions were sent to his parents and responses were given, Dietz was described as "rambunctious", kind and loving, and of course determined to become a Navy Seal at a young age of 13. Hirsche, the actor who plays Dietz, is a tad bit shorter than the real Seal but for the movie Hirsche got into good shape and was able to pull of the look. With his facial hair grown in he definitely looks like Dietz. Dietz was also described as competitive and active which is shown in the beginning of the movie when he and Murphy race around their base just for the fun of it. The Last character needed to be described is of course Marcus Luttrell, played by the well-known Mark Wahlberg. Mark Wahlberg is known for playing tough guy roles such as in Invincible, The Fighter, and 21 Guns with Denzel Washington. Even in his comedic roles he can be tough like in The Other Guys where he plays a short tempered NYC cop. With all that said his resume fits the criteria to play a bad-ass Navy Seal like Marcus Luttrell. The one downside to the casting that baffled me when I heard about it was that Marcus Luttrell dwarfs Mark Wahlberg. Luttrell was known in his Seal class for being the giant that was surprisingly a great swimmer. Wahlberg is known for his short temper due to his Napoleon complex for being so short. I thought that there could've been other casting roles that might have fit the "Mark" a little better. But after learning that he was one of the main producers of the movie it made sense that he would want to make himself one of the leading roles. Other than being a tad vertically challenged, Wahlberg fit the personality and demeanor of Luttrell pretty well. Other notable actors in the movie include Eric Bana, Dan Bilzerian, and Marcus Luttrell himself. Eric Bana, known for his roles in Black Hawk Down, Hulk, and Troy, played Erik Kristenson, Luttrell's commander and one of the organizers of operation Red Wings. Other than being Australian Bana was a pretty good choice due to his stature and attitude in the movie. He did not really look like Kristenson but he sure did play him well. Dan Bilzerian, known for making millions as an online poker player and becoming an "Instagram Playboy", played Dan Healy. Healy did not play that big of a part in the movie but Dan Bilzerian is an ex-Navy Seal and a lot of media buzz has been surrounding him recently so I thought I'd mention his casting. Lastly, Marcus Luttrell has about as minor as a role can get in a film. He is seen in the background of a few scenes while still on the American military base. He may have a couple lines if any at all but it was still cool to have him play a role in the movie that he lived through.