Act of Valor - Movie, or Video Game?

                    Rev. by Hugh Murray 

    I expected a good movie but was disappointed. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! This is not a film; it is a video game. It begins with a scene in the Philippines with a woman in an ice-cream truck at an international school and a bomb. Then confusion. At times the fighting is at night, and one is unsure who the Seals are. Another time, a truck chase - but who are the Seals? The film is constantly loud, action, over the top. A good film has build up, time to breathe and try to follow the plot. A good film included discussion of the problems faced and how the group might solve them. Then there is the split between the plan and the unexpected elements that make the audience wonder if the good guys will succeed. None of this is provided in the Act of Valor. Also, you need time to identify with the actors. Too often, I found them indistinguishable. Overall, I found it hard to stay awake.
     Worse, there was a kind of cultish aspect to the film.  "My dad, my grand father were all fighters."  "I received this flag from my great, great..."  I do not mean that there is something wrong with many generations defending the best ideals of their country.  But if the unit is based on merit, then even the son of an Amish should be able to join.  Do you have to trace your ancestry to the Mayflower to be a Seal?  There is this exclusive club aspect to the film that probably turns off possible recruits.
     The Seals in this film may be heroic; they may be terrific, brave, patriotic men.  But this film is a bore.
     Contrast this with the great recruiting film, Top Gun. That had everything. By comparison, this is one dimensional, loud, a shooting gallery in which one hardly cares about the outcome. This film has many guns, but it is no Top Gun. As cinema, Act of Valor is an Act of Failure.