January
9th, 2014— ‘Lone Survivor’ is the film adaption of the book of the same title,
which depicts the failed covert mission, “Operation Red Wings.” During the operation, four members of Seal
Team 10 are ambushed while trying to eliminate a Taliban leader in
Afghanistan.
Given
the film’s incredible source material, I was slightly disappointed with the
final product. This was due to
writer/director Peter Berg’s involvement.
2013 was an interesting year for Berg, who received nominations for best
adaptive screenplay (‘Lone Survivor’) and two Razzies (‘Battleship.')
The
first thirty-minutes are slow, even boring, and provide little
characterization. Also, it’s confusing, thanks to three disconnected opening scenes.
Although the performances are fine, most of the characters look too much
alike (shaggy beards and sunglasses).
Berg also focuses on the SEALs’ deaths rather than developing the
characters. The Taliban is depicted with
no redeeming qualities, while the Navy SEALs are heroic, patriotic, and
self-sacrificing. This simplistic ‘good vs.
evil’ world view robs the film of any depth.
After a
rough first act, ‘Lone Survivor’ finally gets its footing, and even though the
audience already knows the final outcome, the film was able to deliver tense
scenes. It is hard to believe that so
much went wrong during this mission, and these non-fiction elements help the
audience to become invested with the characters.
‘Lone
Survivor’ is one of those movies that has a ‘must-see-part.’ However to get there, you must slog through
the first act. Act two is one extended
action scene, and is the highlight of the film.
By this point, the excitement should be enough to hold your interest to
the end.
The
film’s score was completely flat, almost non-existent. Keep in mind that a strong musical score can
lift an average movie from dull to amazing.
The visuals are well done, and I appreciate the use of squibs rather
than the CGI effects.
As a
modern war film, ‘Lone Survivor’ will be compared to ‘Black Hawk Down’ and ‘The Hurt Locker.’ In that regard, this movie feels less
substantial, muddled with odd production and writing decisions. For a movie technically released in 2013 for
award concretization, is ‘Lone Survivor’ worth your time? If the true story element interests you, then
yes, you will probably enjoy the film. But
if you’re expecting fleshed-out characters or creative action set pieces, then
no; you’ll probably hate every minute. The
added elements of fiction add little or even hurt ‘Lone Survivor,’ while the non-fiction
events are its strength and emotional core.
