I’m just gonna cut right to it. This movie is a true story of some of the first soldiers to be sent into Afganistan after 9/11. It’s pretty standard warfare stuff. The trailers tried to make a big thing about how they were riding horses to deal with the terrain, but really that’s not too big of a thing.
The way I see it, this movie is kinda the inverse of Dunkirk as far as the filmmaking goes. Dunkirk is expert filmmaking, with top effects, cinematography, sound, etc. Technical perfection. However, it lacks on the story side, particularly with the character development. 12 Strong on the other hand has nothing special on the artistic side. No fancy shots or effects or anything that makes it stand out. However, the character development (and by extension the story) is far stronger. I found myself much more into 12 Strong and therefore enjoying it more than I did Dunkirk. Riddle me that Batman?
Oh fun fact, Rob Riggle (typically known more for comedic work) play one of the officers in this film. IRL, he actually is a veteran and he served under the officer he plays during the time the events of the movie take place. Pretty cool, huh? I actually liked seeing this side of him.
The cast is otherwise prety strong. Chris Hemsworth knows how to command the screen, even if he doesn’t know how to command his dodgy American accent. And I love that his real life wife played his screen wife. Michael Pena brought the usual spunk he typically does, as did Michael Shannon and his signature intensity.
Ultimately, this isn’t a movie you’re gonna be talking about in ten years or even ten days. Still, it’s well put together and a nice tribute to the soldiers it honors.
12 Strong – \m/ \m/ \m/