Regardless of what your politics may be relative to warfare, few can deny the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who serve in the U.S. Military, so an undeniably high amount of interest was generated when the first trailers for Act of Valor hit. Military films are by no means something new, but what made Act of Valor so unique was the fact that it would focus on actual active-duty U.S. Navy SEALs and showcase cutting edge combat technology that really hasn’t been seen outside the video game realm. And speaking of video games, when you consider the fact that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 grossed $400 million in the first 24 hours of release; Relativity Media certainly didn’t have to worry about an audience existing for their newest release. Using actual military personnel in place of actors, though creative, was certainly a double-edged sword; compelling and gripping performances might be a little hard to come by, but what was missing in terms of acting ability would certainly be compensated by an unrelenting realism. Early critical reviews were not kind, but in all honesty, I couldn’t have cared less, because I was still excited to see what amounted to a tribute for the American heroes who protect this country in the most badass way possible.
Offering an in-depth and realistic look at the inner-workings of a tightly-knit group of Navy SEALs, Act of Valor keeps audiences riveted with compelling action and a stream-lined narrative that presents a very real and harrowing threat. The realistic tone and look of the film is largely driven by the creative cinematography, which regularly makes use of over-the-shoulder and down-barrel shots, which accompany slow-motion sequences and chaotic camerawork to make you feel that you are right down in the mud alongside the SEAL team. With this type of cinematography, Act of Valor could definitely be retitled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, The Movie, and at times this similarity feels a little overplayed, but it is still more than enough to make any fan of military video games feel giddy. The fact that each of the highlighted SEALs is not an actor is apparent, but where that might be a source of contention for others, to me it helps the film feel like one of the most intense documentaries ever made. It may not be perfect, but Act of Valor is a patriotic and respectful testament to the armed services that serves both to entertain and inform, and that fact makes this action film well-worth seeing.
Overall Recommendation: High
