Act of Valor

A really interesting war film that brought some new and yet untested elements to the genre (first-person perspective). I didn’t have much faith in the film, but it surprised me in a positive way. The story doesn’t offer a very well-thought-out plot but rather a well-worn stereotype, which I somewhat expected, so I don’t hold it against the film. However, the action was executed excellently, and I truly have no complaints there. I liked that the battles took place in quite diverse environments, whether in the jungle, desert, or even some gunfire on the water. I certainly didn’t expect such a showcase of the technology available to the U.S. military, which definitely added a few extra points to the film. The best parts were probably the armored boats with the minigun, which became so “excited” in one part of the film that it turned a poor car into splinters. The standout moment was the main characters fleeing the base, where the enemies wouldn’t let them rest and pursued them in cars, leading to a subsequent shootout that ended with a dramatic arrival of a boat. I was breathless from that. If a few issues were ironed out, it could have truly been a great film in every sense. Even so, it was fantastic, and I give it 83%. (03/03/2017)

At first, I gave Act of Valor four stars, but after a couple of days, I realized I couldn’t really remember what the point of the story was. The action scenes? Sure, they were solid, shot in a way that’s pretty different from the usual action flicks—something gamers might especially appreciate, since the camera often follows the soldiers in a first-person view. And to its credit, the camera work was surprisingly steady, which isn’t always the case in these kinds of films. But beyond the original action sequences and the fact that it’s based on real military operations, the movie doesn’t offer much else. Just because it’s well-shot doesn’t mean it’s a great film, and Act of Valor is a perfect example of that. (09/04/2012)

Half documentary, half film, with a proper dose of pathos (which can be understood as naval propaganda) and considerably uneven action. If you trie to be fully realistic, helicopters shouldn’t be in the sunset several times during the film. Watch it rather out of curiosity, because besides the otherwise well-shot action (although nothing groundbreaking), the film essentially has nothing to offer. On the contrary, the absence of a quality cast makes it impossible to not laugh at the stupidity of the dialogues, or rather their delivery by the main (non)actors. (29/07/2012)