Lone Survivor

It is closest in its formal concept to Black Hawk Down, but it doesn't have the same quality action or the same narrative value. Peter Berg made it for blokes, but he only managed to create a mediocre raw survival action flick where marines, shot up like a sieve, fly around rocks and perform all kinds of stunts that you can imagine. He was able to create a good military atmosphere, and has observed and listened, but unfortunately the ending  terrible, similar to Tears of the Sun, to which is this one is very similar in terms of the screenplay. (2014-07-26)

From 40 minutes on, the film is action packed with nonstop brutal war scenes! The tension builds as fast as the clearing of enemy heads. The excellent direction and cinematography ensure a painful trip that will make you squirm like the four main protagonists. Each of them plays their role very convincingly. Mark Wahlberg is sharp as ever, Emile Hirsch is strong and sensitive, Taylor Kitsch decently handles the difficult decisions as the leader, and Ben Foster is terrifyingly cold but compassionate. I must highlight the breathtaking camera shots of the four soldiers falling off the cliff, they were gritty and raw and gave the film a great edge. Peter Berg did a good job with the premise and the execution. After the second screening I enjoyed the film much more, so I raise to 5*. 90%. (2014-01-05)

I suspect an agitational order from the Department of Defense selling one of its "based on a true story" films. I do not deny the power of the plot, nor the willingness to bow before the fallen and salute the bereaved. From the middle onwards, I was just terribly annoyed by Berg's direction, which pushes pathos out of the screen (in slow-mo so long that it borders on parody), gradually losing contact with the protagonists, who become nothing more than bodies falling from rocks, covered in bloody welts. The first contact, without music and with a "predator" camera, is flawless, but I simply don't think the constant subjective close-ups of faces create the right action military drama. In the final act, I felt ashamed for the creators. It’s only functional as an acted intermezzo for "Medal of Honor." (2014-11-01)

Peter Berg knows how to shoot a proper action movie for men who leave their handkerchiefs at home and go watch a real shootout. However, in this movie, he portrayed one real story, which he filmed in an absolutely unlikely way. It is so unrealistic that it is striking even for me. And I’m usually not that hard to please. It’s unbelievable what the guys survived. The height from which they fell, the number of bullets they dodged and the number of bullets in their body with which they managed to hobble away. Incredible. Despite the fact that the whole way up the hill was stretched in a really stupid way. It’s a real pity that it was so stupid, because everything else was working. Including the amazing expressive music from Explosions in the Sky as well as the Navy Seals unit full of tough guys. (2014-05-11)

An absolutely captivating war movie about how a group of four Terminators disguised as SEALs go on a high-altitude trek through Taliban-controlled Afghanistan and how the awfully evil Taliban (hereafter AET) really don’t like it, so they try to persuade the awfully nice Americans (hereafter ANA) to go to the happy hunting ground using their ample arsenal. The film opens with scenes of a peaceful life at the American military base where the Marines are planning weddings, making a shopping list for IKEA, and conferring with their fellow soldiers about interior design. This friendly scene is soon followed by the aforementioned trekking, which, after an action-packed encounter with a herd of goats, turns into the AET's repeated attempts to take out all four Terminators. They survive insane falls, being hit by projectiles from various firearms (mainly AK 47s and RPGs), and, since the AET don't have Linda Hamilton or Michael Biehn in their ranks, they take an awfully long time. Plus, they get betrayed by the residents of a nearby village, so their plan turns to dust. When the helicopters arrived, I wished I were an American so I could proudly stand at attention and shed tears with my hand on my heart. (2016-12-20)