Review of 12 Strong (2018) by Devaughn B — 09 Feb 2018

Color me surprised! It's no longer January but wow, this January definitely delivered on some great films! It took me a while to get out and see this one, but man I'm glad I did. The action in this film, especially late in the second act, is outstanding. Some of the finer action sequences in a war film I've seen. The music by Lorne Balfe really adds to these sequences, and helps keep you on the edge of your seat. Amazing cast; Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes, all give such great performances here. Every character has something important to do and no one is relegated to being comedic relief.

Each scene carries great weight, but what I appreciate most is that the politics of the time (taking place in Afghanistan immediately after the September 11 attacks) really move the story forward. CIA paramilitary officers and U.S. Special Forces joining The Afghan Northern Alliance, and disagreeing on many field tactics. The moments that really hit home with the dialogue lie in the characters truly believing the their mission's success would completely crush Taliban forces and end the War in Afghanistan in just a few weeks' time. We all know how this turned out, but of course there's no way in 2001 any of these soldiers could have known what would lie ahead. This is another excellent war film from Jerry Bruckheimer and I highly recommend checking it out!