Between “Act of Valor” and my equally hypercritical review of George Lucas’s hokey Tuskegee Airmen tribute, “Red Tails,” people might be getting the idea that I have strong feelings against the military.
Let’s get this out of the way now: I have nothing but respect for our armed forces. They are a collection of men and women braver and stronger than I will ever be, and what they do for our country is immeasurable.
What I don’t respect are bad movies, and unfortunately, that is exactly what “Act of Valor” is.
The film follows a band of Navy SEALs as they attempt to rescue a kidnapped CIA agent, played by Roselyn Sanchez, in the Philippines. As their mission progresses, the elite team discovers that the kidnapping is a part of a far bigger and deadlier scheme orchestrated by a terrorist named Abu Shabal (Jason Cottle). It’s up to the brave heroes to chase Shabal across the globe and stop him before millions of innocent American lives are lost.
The commercials for “Act of Valor” note that the film’s story is inspired by true events, but its real inspiration appears to be the popular “Call of Duty” video game series. Even the title sounds reminiscent of the bestselling franchise.
Most of the action scenes are shot from a first-person perspective behind a soldier’s gun, and before each mission, the audience is transported to the location via a quick zoom into a point on a digitalized map screen.
The only thing missing is the word “loading” at the bottom of the screen, and many of the action scenes could be confused for a “Modern Warfare 2” screenshot.
While the promise of video game-esque thrills and relentless action seems at least entertaining, “Act of Valor” isn’t made well enough to come through. First-time directors and former stuntmen Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh chop and edit the action sequences to a nearly incomprehensible level. Most of the time, the viewer can only tell if someone has been shot by the grim sound of a squishy headshot.
Adding to the confusion is the movie’s lighting, or lack thereof. One parachuting scene, in particular, could have been exciting, but since it’s filmed in the black of night, it’s hard to tell if we’re watching a formation of Navy SEALS or a flock of seagulls. It’s not a good sign when the audience wants the film to move on due to reasons of eyestrain.
“Act of Valor’s” other main gimmick is the use of actual Navy SEALs in the starring roles. The SEALs, who go unbilled, obviously are not on board for their acting skills, which are wooden at best.
However, even Meryl Streep would struggle to bring these cliché and clumsy characters to life. The characters are lazily introduced with on-screen text boxes, and the script switches between dull war movie clichés and wordy exposition that leaves the audience more confused than enlightened.
Not that the audience is all that invested in the characters, who after their introductions have a total of about three non-mission related lines. The only two characters given any semblance of personality are made up of clichés that were tedious back when John Wayne was making movies. For instance, a lieutenant keeps endlessly talking about his expecting wife in a manner that screams ‘I will inevitably die for dramatic effect.’
What the presence of the SEALs could have brought to “Act of Valor” was an air of reality to the project. The audience, however, only gets fleeting glimpses of the reality and intricate detail of the SEALs’ work. The use of a second ‘catcher’ position on a sniping mission or a tan flap of fabric on a camera in order to hide the lens’s glare are nifty details.
These tiny elements are the most interesting parts of “Act of Valor,” but when a glorified lens cap is the best aspect of a movie, I don’t think it merits a recommendation.
Much like the Tuskegee Airmen from “Red Tails,” the Navy SEALs deserve a better tribute than an extended “Call of Duty” cutscene.