Review of Act of Valor (2012) by Ryan P — 12 Jul 2012

Act of Valor is a strange amalgam of different filmmaking styles. At times, it shows its roots as a documentary of US Special Forces, with its portrayal of SEAL operations and hyper-realistic action. At other times, it seems to be a recruitment and propaganda film for the US military, with all its jingoism and bombast. It also aims to be a summer action film, with plenty of the requisite explosions, thrills, and gunfire. Sadly, the film never quite settles for one approach, and it never treads any new ground.

The decision to cast actual Navy SEAL operators is an interesting one, and helps to add weight to the realism, grounding the film's action. You can tell that these guys are used to those activities, with smooth flowing action. Sadly, this casting choice proves to be a double-edged sword, as it becomes readily apparent that SEALs may make good warriors, but not good thespians. They do their best during many of the movie's quieter character moments, but the wooden delivery tends to rob these scenes of much of their emotional impact. The net result being that the audience can't quite connect with these men, so you don't care as deeply about their fates as the film wants you to. Instead, you hope all the talking and family moments end, so we can get back to shooting and blowing up stuff. That may well work for many in the target audience, but failing to truly humanize these warriors means Act of Valor misses a real opportunity to showcase what it means to put others above yourself, the truest measure of a hero.