A Thriller with a Vital Moral Dimension

Rating: 8/10 (24 January 2011)

Spielberg did an excellent job using stock news footage from the tragedy and overlaying actors into recreated scenes. Though these events are actually shown piecemeal throughout the film, the actual story is about what transpired afterwards. The Israeli government hired a hit squad to track down and eliminate 11 individuals that participated in the planning of the terrorist action at the Olympics.
This is based on an actual operation that the Mossaud carried out but obviously is Spielberg's fictionalized version of how it was done.
Eric Bana is a German/Jewish Israeli Mossaud operative who is chosen to lead the group of 5 mercenaries as they hunt down the perpetrators throughout Europe. It is interesting how this Australian actor is able to change his accent at will to fit the roles that he is playing.
Bana is torn to do the mission because his wife is expecting the birth of their first child and the secret mission means that he must risk his life and possibly not see his wife till the mission is complete which could take years.
As the movie goes along Bana's personality starts to change from a gung-ho good government employee to someone who questions what he is doing and is constantly looking under his bed and phone for hidden bombs.
The movie moves along at a fast pace and you keep thinking you are seeing real events as they happen.