I watched this movie yesterday on the 4th of July. First off I served in the US Army during Desert Storm and watched the film through a soldier's eye.
The production values were not on a par with "Blackhawk Down" and the realism was of "Saving Private Ryan" quality, but it was on a par with "24." The movie surprised me with some of what it portrayed. The Iraqi Police showing up to help the soldiers when they were surrounded was not something I expected to see and the movie put it forth well. There were some glaring mistakes in the infantry tactics shown in the movie, but I let it slide because it is just that, a movie.
The knife fight at the end reminded me of a Texas kid who was in the paper a year ago. The guy ran out of ammo and charged and insurgent position with his knife. Killed two of them though he was shot twice. So fierce was his attack that the other insurgents ran. Accompanying the story was a photo of the kid being treated for his wounds by medics. He had a big smile on his face and was proudly showing his bloody knife to the photographer, so it does happen.
The MP unit in the movie showed the dedication to their service of those National Guard soldiers, not liking how things have worked out for them and not liking that a year in combat is not what they signed up for. But they still do their job to the high standards expected of them.
Both the Ohio National Guard MP Unit and the Squad the movie was about show up to secure the crash site of a downed Blackhawk helicopter. Both units were shotgunned and undermanned but showed up anyway because that is what soldiers do.
If you want high production values and stark realism and are one of those people that loves to pick a movie apart, this is not the movie for you.
If you want to watch a movie that portrays the US soldiers in a positive light and pays homage to their courage and sacrifice, you will enjoy this one.
The production values were not on a par with "Blackhawk Down" and the realism was of "Saving Private Ryan" quality, but it was on a par with "24." The movie surprised me with some of what it portrayed. The Iraqi Police showing up to help the soldiers when they were surrounded was not something I expected to see and the movie put it forth well. There were some glaring mistakes in the infantry tactics shown in the movie, but I let it slide because it is just that, a movie.
The knife fight at the end reminded me of a Texas kid who was in the paper a year ago. The guy ran out of ammo and charged and insurgent position with his knife. Killed two of them though he was shot twice. So fierce was his attack that the other insurgents ran. Accompanying the story was a photo of the kid being treated for his wounds by medics. He had a big smile on his face and was proudly showing his bloody knife to the photographer, so it does happen.
The MP unit in the movie showed the dedication to their service of those National Guard soldiers, not liking how things have worked out for them and not liking that a year in combat is not what they signed up for. But they still do their job to the high standards expected of them.
Both the Ohio National Guard MP Unit and the Squad the movie was about show up to secure the crash site of a downed Blackhawk helicopter. Both units were shotgunned and undermanned but showed up anyway because that is what soldiers do.
If you want high production values and stark realism and are one of those people that loves to pick a movie apart, this is not the movie for you.
If you want to watch a movie that portrays the US soldiers in a positive light and pays homage to their courage and sacrifice, you will enjoy this one.