Has there ever been a more difficult time to make an inspiring American war film? Sure, the Vietnam era had embarrassingly patriotic John Wayne movies crashing onto screens between protest marches, but at least someone like Robert Altman could make a film like M*A*S*H* to compensate. These days, there’s really none of that. Making an anti-Iraq or anti-Afghanistan war film in America will just make you a whipping boy for Fox News morons if you can even get the film made without the involvement of the US military. All of which brings us to Lone Survivor, a white-knuckle action film that also tries to double as an inspiring love letter to the modern soldier. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with a movie like that. But in practice with Battleship military porn director Peter Berg in charge, there’s something about the project that just makes you feel icky and used when you walk out of the theater. It’s an interesting movie to review for a game-focused publication because the problems with the film are also the problems with the gaming juggernaut Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare series.
You go into a movie thinking the main character is the good guy and then BAM–you had it all wrong.
MAI Review (2024): Phuong Anh Dao and Tran Thanh sparkle the brighest in this overdramatic movie.
One of 2023's biggest and dumbest creature features is making waves right now on streaming around the world.
