12 Strong Film Review

12 Strong is the first war film of 2018, a retelling of the true event in American history with a sharp cast of actors. But does it pay respect in all the right places? or Fail in giving the story justice? Our Jordan Samuel goes directly to the sands.

12 Strong Film Review

Dir: Nicolai Fuglsig; Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shanno, Michael Peña, Navid Negahban, Trevante Rhodes, Geoff Stults, and Thad Luckinbill. 15 cert. 129 mins.

In the wake of Sept. 11, Capt. Mitch Nelson leads a U.S. Special Forces team into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. Once there, the soldiers develop an uneasy partnership with the Northern Alliance to take down the Taliban and its al-Qaida allies. Outgunned and outnumbered, Nelson and his forces face overwhelming odds in a fight against a ruthless enemy that takes no prisoners.

Warner Bros. Pictures

War films have made a substantial return in the industry, with new technology making it easier for directors to revisit these historic battles, bringing audiences closer to the frontline. Recently both Dunkirk and Hacksaw Ridge delivered grandiose recreations of World War 2, earning nominations from various Film awards. 12 Strong is another attempt from Hollywood to switch gears a modern war story, with director Nicolai Fuglsig making his feature film debut. It tells the story of a secret mission which takes place during America’s war on terror, with a group of soldiers aiming for the Taliban. Pushing awareness of the incredible moment in history, by allowing audiences to understand the bravery of these men.

12 Strong has so much to say but ends up on death ears, with generic characters and lack of personality. Despite having Chris Hemsworth and Michela Pena, director Nicolai Fuglsig relies on making a swansong for Donald Trump’s America. It pays tribute to the American heroes but is a generic look at the real-life war lacking the substance to make it enjoyable. All these attributes push 12 Strong’s two-hour runtime into to a forgettable territory, as the journey doesn’t feel tangible with comic banter and twists. Anybody looking for an epic look at these brave soldiers, need to rethink plans because nothing in this film has any truth to it. Two-dimensional characters and emphasis on almost fantasy situations make it one of the worst war films in recent history.

Warner Bros. Pictures

12 Strong tells a story of secret task force Dagger, who are tasked with striking a blow on the Taliban with Afghan general, that hates his countrymen from the Northen Alliance, but hates the greater enemies more. They all set out to reclaim the Taliban occupied cities of Mazar, all these moments come from an authentic source but ends up not given the right tonal elements. Director Nicolai Fuglsig doesn’t understand how to bring such a rich story onto the big screen, wasting the talents of a grand cast. Hemsworth, Micheal Shannon, Micheal Pena and Trevante Rhodes do their best with such a disappointing script, ranging from different levels.

The conflict between these factions is never honestly explained with the soldiers all given the shaft for a generic battle. Hemsworth is not given much material but delivers decent performance in a very disappointing skeleton. The brotherly bond is nowhere to be seen, between Micheal Pena, Micheal Shannon, and Rhodes, making their inclusion incredibly pointless. Despite a marketing campaign focused heavy imagery of Horses, 12 Strong doesn’t do justice to the concept.

Instead shamelessly tells another generic war story, with none of the characters given any dimensions. Attempting to merge elements of the Seven Sumarai and The Dirty Dozen, but failing miserably in the process. Nicolai Fuglsig doesn’t even provide the action any sense of originality, with boring shots of 12 men riding slowly in the sunset. 12 Strong is a mixed bag, filled with talented actors giving decent performance in a project with no impactful things to say, training the real-life story. Nicolai Fuglsig debut is nothing more than a deeply forgettable war film

The post 12 Strong Film Review appeared first on ComiConverse.

Source: B2C