Act of Valor - (February 24, 2012): R
Distributor: Relativity Media
Opening Weekend Box Office: #1 with $24,476,632
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $46,140,965
Gross Revenue: $46,140,965
Production Budget: $12 million
Directors: Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh
Time and again, I have commented on how Relativity Media seems to go out of their way to tackle unique and thoroughly unconventional projects, and on paper, paying for a military-themed blockbuster with an unknown cast certainly had to generate some skepticism. Fortunately, that uncertainty was pushed aside when it was revealed that the “unknowns’” were going to be active-duty Navy SEALs and Special Warfare Combatant Crewman…the kind of men that need absolutely no acting to come-off as complete badasses. It looked like every member of the male demographic who had ever picked up a military-themed shooter video game would sprint to theaters, and marketing strategy certainly took advantage of that fact, airing the trailer on the official website of Battlefield 3 and during ESPN’s coverage of the Carrier Classic basketball game. Of course, there were the undeniable skeptics out there, who saw Act of Valor as nothing more than a pro-military, war-mongering showcase that couldn’t possibly offer any emotional depth without using real actors. I for one chose to ignore the possibility of a political agenda and to just sit-back and enjoy an elite grouping of heroes using cutting-edge military weaponry to bring justice to some terrorists.
Act of Valor opens with a mysterious terrorist setting off a bomb at a school for the children of dignitaries in The Philippines, killing many children and the American ambassador. Concurrently, C.I. A. agent Morales (Roselyn Sánchez) is kidnapped from her safe house in South America during an intelligence operation focusing on the identification of drug smugglers. An elite group of Navy SEALs is deployed to rescue Morales and uncover the information that got her attacked in the first place. It is revealed that Morales uncovered a plot where the previously unnamed terrorist, Christo (Alex Veadov), will be smuggled into the United States alongside a group of radicals, planning to detonate virtually undetectable suicide bombs in a coordinated attack against several major cities. Upon learning that Christo will attempt to make his entrance on the Mexico-California border, the team of SEALs coordinates to prevent an attack that will crush the economy and kill countless innocents, making September 11th look like a rehearsal by comparison. Equipped with cutting-edge weaponry and an unflagging sense of brotherhood and patriotism, this group of American heroes resolves to save their country, to protect each other, and to return safely to their families.
Make no mistake; Act of Valor is first and foremost an action film for the male demographic, offering the type of brutal action, sleek weaponry and tactics, and unrelenting bullet storms and explosions that are sure to send testosterone into overdrive. Watching a group of SEAL’s execute a coordinated nighttime skydive, silently take out guards from a distance with the help of a crack-shot sniper, or lower battle-ready assault ships into a swamp using Blackhawk helicopters, all with the intent of kicking the crap out of terrorists, is just…cool. The cinematography is brilliant and helps the film look like a live-action video game; the down-the-barrel point-of-view adds to the tension and excitement of the narrative, helping the cinematic experience feel far more real than other military film dramas…don’t be surprised if you flinch during a grenade explosion. In terms of characters and story, the real stars of Act of Valor are the villains, with the fanatic terrorists providing a very-real threat that hits a little too close to home; pray it isn’t that easy to get that close to unleashing doomsday. Add-in the energetic soundtrack, and this action film keeps energy levels consistently high, a fact that does help to distract from some of the weaker elements.
Unfortunately, with such a strong focus on military action, Act of Valor sacrifices character development and relies a little too heavily on its creative cinematography. The aforementioned SEALs are obviously not actors, so in-depth emotive presentation is a tall order, but for the most part, that is okay; speaking with the distinctive military dialect and confidence, you have no problem identifying these men as REAL military, making the experience all the more legitimate. Still, there is simply not enough character development to help you distinguish the members of the SEAL team, making it difficult to not only connect with the men onscreen, but also fully distinguish who exactly encounters what narrative element. My single biggest gripe is that, at times, the film feels a little too much like a video game, with some of the camera angles and shooting styles being painfully overused…even the most creative ideas can get tiresome after a while. Other than that, perhaps the film does lay-on the pro-military agenda a little thick, and I would have appreciated a little more focus on the emotional impact of war, but such an oversight is easily forgivable.
As I mentioned in the “Short and Sweet” review, the popularity of the Call of Duty video game series seemed to guarantee a strong audience for Act of Valor, and opening weekend numbers seemed to reinforce that fact. Hauling in just under $25 million, the military action film handily defeated other openers like Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds and the two blatant under-performers Wanderlust and Gone. At the very least, Relativity Media has to be thrilled that the unconventional military adventure has already nearly quadrupled its modest production budget of $12 million. Critical reaction has been decidedly low, but I maintain that such a ranking is decidedly unfair, as filmmakers could have delivered far worse given the decision to forgo professional actors. Plain and simple, if you are in any way a fan of video games, a military enthusiast, or are simply in a patriotic mood, you need to see Act of Valor.
Overall Recommendation: High
