“Action-packed, nail biting capture of reality”

Operation Redwing, the largest loss of life in US Navy SEAL history since World War Two. They thought there were no survivors. I loved this movie because it showed lots of emotion, and stayed somewhat accurate for a Hollywood movie. Directed by Peter Berg, the real “Lone Survivor” Marcus Luttrell assists him in capturing the horrific reality that his team went through eight years earlier. Luttrell’s wanted to get the story out to as many people as possible so his brothers in arms wouldn't be forgotten. He wrote the book “Lone Survivor” that this movie is based off of, then wanted to make the movie to spread his story out to broader horizons. According to Luttrell in an interview, “No matter how many times I got up and told that story, or however many people read that book, it’s nothing compared to how many people watched that film.” It was filmed in New Mexico to replicate the rugged terrain of the Hindu Kush mountain range in Afghanistan, and the Pashtun Village was recreated in Chilili, New Mexico, which made the setting very realistic.

The main characters are the four US Navy SEALs assigned to a mission to execute a Taliban bomb maker who killed over a dozen US Marines the previous week. The mission was called Operation Redwing, named after the Detroit Red Wings. They were briefed and told who would partake in the operation. The SEALs assigned were Michael Murphy, Danny Dietz, Matthew Axelson, and Marcus Luttrell. They prepared for the mission in a short amount of time due to the possibility of him leaving the area soon. They suited up, and got in Chinook helicopters. The team fast roped off of the helicopter and looked around the surrounding area through night vision goggles as the helicopter left. They began a long walk through the wilderness, and they finally got a glimpse at the target. He’s recognizable by his insufficient earlobes. Unfortunately, they were too far away to shoot the target, so they had to move, and that will extend their trip through the Hindu Kush. They arrive at another checkpoint and experience their first communication problems. Then a bad mission got worse, three goat herders walked by and they were spotted. The three Afghan goat herders tried to run, but they were chased down by the four SEALs. Their cover was blown and they were forced to decide what to do with them. The rules of engagement prohibit them from killing the goat herders.

Made to honor the men who lost their lives on the June 28, 2005 mission, it gave Luttrell a chance to share his story with the rest of the world. If you enjoy watching movies that are factual, realistic, gripping, touching, and action-packed, than this should definitely be the next movie on your list.