Wikipedia

Act of Valor

Act of Valoris a 2012 Americanaction filmproduced and directed byMouse McCoyandScott Waughand written byKurt Johnstad.[2]The film stars active dutyU.S. Navy SEALsandU.S. Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen,as well asRoselyn Sánchez,Jason Cottle,Alex Veadov,Nestor Serrano,andEmilio Rivera.

Act of Valor
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMouse McCoy
Scott Waugh
Written byKurt Johnstad
Produced byMouse McCoy
Scott Waugh
StarringU.S. Navy SEALs
Roselyn Sánchez
Jason Cottle
Alex Veadov
Nestor Serrano
Emilio Rivera
CinematographyShane Hurlbut
Edited byMichael Tronick
Scott Waugh
Music byNathan Furst
Production
company
Bandito Brothers
Distributed byRelativity Media
Release date
  • February 24, 2012(2012-02-24)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[1]
Box office$81.3 million[1]

Act of Valorwas released in the United States on February 24, 2012, byRelativity Media.The film received generally negative reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $81 million worldwide against a production budget of $12 million. It was nominated forBest Original Songat the70th Golden Globe Awards.[3]

Plot

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InManila,a terrorist assassinates theUnited States Ambassador to the Philippines,and also kills his son and dozens of children at an international primary school in a terrorist bombing. The mastermind, aChechenterrorist, Abu Shabal, escapes to a training camp in Indonesia. Elsewhere inCosta Rica,twoCIAofficers, Walter Ross and Lisa Morales, meet to consolidate intelligence about their target, a drug smuggler named Mikhail "Christo" Troykovich. Christo's men kill Ross and capture Morales, who is imprisoned in a jungle compound and tortured.

AtCoronado,the members of Bandito Platoon,SEAL Team 7are at home.LieutenantRorke confides to Chief Dave that his wife is pregnant and has the entire team spend time together with their families until their next deployment. A squad from the platoon consisting of Rorke, Dave, Wiemy, Mikey, Ray, Sonny, and Ajay, is then deployed to Costa Rica to exfiltrate Morales.

The SEALs insert into the jungle viaHALOand hold position outside the compound all night. At dawn, they raid the compound and eliminate several guards before extracting Morales and a cell phone containing the information she had gathered. Alerted by the assault, an enemyquick reaction forceattempts to pursue and the SEALs commandeer a truck to exfiltrate. The pursuit forces them to revert to a tertiary extraction point where twoSWCCboats extract the team, with Mikey being wounded in action.

Christo and Shabal, who are revealed to have been childhood friends, meet inKyiv.Christo knows the CIA is watching him and informs Shabal that subordinates will complete their project, which is to equip suicide bombers with specialized undetectableexplosive vests.

On theamphibious assault shipUSSBonhomme Richard,Rorke is informed that the intelligence recovered confirms Shabal and Christo were working together. Shabal seeks to bring jihad to the U.S., while Christo provides the routes for smuggling drugs and people into the U.S. Ajay and Ray are sent toSomalia,where an arms transfer involving Shabal is taking place. The remaining SEALs, comprising Rorke, Dave, Sonny and Weimy, stay in the U.S. in case the terrorists make it in. Miller himself has been reassigned to SEAL Team Four, hunting for Christo somewhere on the oceans. Lieutenant Rorke gives Dave a letter to give to his family in case he is killed.

Shabal and sixteen terrorists are found to be on an island offBaja California,where the SEALs act to secure the island, killing eight terrorists. Shabal and eight others escape. Elsewhere, in the South Pacific, SEAL Team Four captures Christo andinterrogatehim, learning that Shabal's plot is to outdo theSeptember 11 attacks.

The SEALs are informed that Shabal is en route to the U.S. via tunnels underneath a milk factory, and are ordered to link up withMexican Special Forcesand neutralize the remaining targets. Arriving at the factory, the SEALs and Mexican forces launch an assault there, engaging numerous Mexican cartel and Shabal's terrorists in the process. During the gunfight, a combatant throws a grenade, and Rorke sacrifices himself bydiving on itto save his team before it detonates, killing him. Dave pursues the terrorists and shoots them as they try to escape through the tunnels. He is then shot several times and gravely wounded by Shabal, who is intercepted and killed by Sonny before he could execute Dave.

At home, Rorke is given amilitary funeralwith full honors, where the SEALs pay their respects. It is then revealed that Dave's narration throughout the movie was a written letter meant for Rorke's son. The film ends with a dedication to 60 U.S. Navy SEAL and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCC) killed in action since 9/11 along with a listing of their names as well as a photo montage of fallen public servants.

Cast

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  • Jason Cottle as Yuri / Mohammad Abu Shabal, a Chechen terrorist
  • Rorke Denveras Lieutenant Rorke James Engel, field commander of SEAL Team 7
  • Dave Hansen as Chief Dave Nolan, a Chief of SEAL Team 7
  • Sonny Manson as Sonny, a member of SEAL Team 7
  • Brendan “Weimy” Weimholt as "Weimy", a member of SEAL Team 7
  • Ajay "A.J." James as Ajay, a member of SEAL Team 7
  • Ray Mendoza as Ray, a member of SEAL Team 7
  • Mike Everett as Mikey, a member of SEAL Team 7
  • Katelyn Lyons as Lieutenant Lyons, a US Navy officer (the real character serves in theU.S. Army)
  • William "Bill" Austin as SWCC Boat Senior Chief Billy
  • Duncan Smith as Captain Duncan Smith
  • Callaghan as Admiral Callaghan (the true character name is Rear Admiral Dennis Moynihan)
  • Alex Veadovas Mikhail "Christo" Troykovich,[4]a drug smuggler working with Shabal
  • Roselyn Sánchezas CIA Officer Lisa Morales
  • Nestor Serranoas CIA Officer Walter Ross
  • Emilio Riveraas Sanchez, a head cartel thug
  • Ernie Reyes Jr.as Recruit, a Filipino jihadist suicide bomber recruited by Shabal to launch terrorist attacks over the States
  • Drea Castro as Recruit, a Filipino jihadist suicide bomber recruited by Shabal to launch terrorist attacks over the States
  • Marissa Labog as Recruit, a Filipino jihadist suicide bomber recruited by Shabal to launch terrorist attacks over the States
  • Keo Woolfordas Recruit, a Filipino jihadist suicide bomber recruited by Shabal to launch terrorist attacks over the States
  • Thomas Rosales, Jr.as Christo's RHM
  • Antoni Coroneas Yacht Henchman #1
  • Gonzalo Menendez as Commander Pedros, aMexican Special Forcescommander who teams up with the SEAL Team to take down Shabal
  • Ailsa Marshall as Jackie Engel, Lieutenant Engel's Wife
  • Derrick Van Ordenas Senior Chief Otto Miller

Production

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Development

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In 2007, Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh of Bandito Brothers Production filmed a promotional ad video for theSpecial Boat Teamswhich led theU.S. Navyto allow them to use actual active dutySEALsandSpecial Boat Teammembers. After spending so much time working closely with the SEALs and SWCC, McCoy and Waugh conceived the idea for a modern-day action movie about this covert and elite fighting force. AsAct of Valordeveloped with the SEALs on board as advisors, the filmmakers realized that no actors could realistically portray or physically fill the roles they had written and the actual SEALs and SWCC were drafted to star in the film. The SEALs and Special Boat Team members would remain anonymous, as none of their names appear in the film's credits.[5]Legendary Pictures' founder and then-chairman/CEOThomas Tullserves as executive producer.[6]

For the Navy, the film is an initiative to recruit SEALs and SWCC.[7]According toThe Huffington Post,the Navy required the active-duty SEALs to participate.[8]

Following a bidding war withDark Castle Entertainment,Alcon Entertainment(both companies had their own respective distribution deals with Legendary's then-partnerWarner Bros.),Lionsgate,andFilmDistrict,Relativity Mediaacquired the rights to the project on June 12, 2011 for $13 million and a $30 million in prints and advertising commitment.Deadline Hollywoodcalled it "the biggest money paid for a finished film with an unknown cast".[6]Theproduction budgetwas estimated to be between $15 million and $18 million.[9]

Principal photography

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Shooting of a scene with SWCCs from Special Boat Team 22

Filming took place inCambodiawhere an explosion was shot inPhnom Penhwith 300 children as extras.[10]Scenes were shot in San Diego at Blue Foot Bar and in a house in theNorth Parkarea.[11]Other locations includedMexico,Puerto Rico,[11]Ukraine,Florida,[11]and at theJohn C. Stennis Space CenterinMississippi.[12]

The crew filmed at Navy training sites to provide realistic settings, such as a drug cartel base, a terrorist camp on an isolated island, and a smuggler's yacht.[9]

CinematographerShane HurlbutusedCanon EOS 5D Mark IIcameras withZeiss ZEandPanavisionPrimo lenses. The cameras followed the SEALs' planned out missions in the film.[5]Hurlbut used an 18mm Zeiss ZE mounted on the SEALs' helmets to capture their point of view. The 25mm Zeiss ZE was used to capture natural light coming through windows. The 21mm Zeiss ZE was used as a stake cam so a truck could drive over it.[12]The Navy heldfinal cut privileges[5]in order to remove any frames to address security concerns and kept raw footage to use for real-life training and other purposes.[9]

Release

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Act of Valorwas scheduled to be released on February 17, 2012 in the U.S. to coincide withPresidents' Day,[5]but was pushed back to February 24, 2012.[13]The film was released in the UK and Ireland on March 23 asAct of ValourbyMomentum Pictures.

Home video releases

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Act of Valorwas released on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on June 5, 2012 with a rating ofR.[14]

Accolades

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The film was a2012 Teen Choice Awards[15]nominee forChoice Action Movie.

Reception

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OnRotten Tomatoesthe film has an approval rating of 28% based on 144 reviews with an average rating of 4.54/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "It's undeniably reverent of the real-life heroes in its cast, butAct of Valorlets them down with a clichéd script, stilted acting, and ajingoisticattitude that ignores the complexities of war. "[16]Metacriticassigned the film an average score of 40 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[17] Audiences onCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A", on an A+ to F scale.[18]

The film opened at #1 at the box office, earning $24.5 million in its opening weekend from 3,039 theaters for an average of $8,054 per theater.

Many reviews, both positive and negative, expressed praise for the action sequences while criticizing the plot and acting. Claudia Puig fromUSA Today,for example, said the action in the film is "breathtaking," but gave the film an overall negative review, in which she wrote that "the soldiers' awkward line readings are glaring enough to distract from the potency of the story."[19]Similarly, Amy Biancolli from theSan Francisco Chroniclewrote, "Act of Valoris intended to wow audiences with high-test action while planting a giant wet kiss on the smacker of the U.S. military – and it scores at both tasks, "but that, ultimately," the film gets snagged by its own narrative convention. "[20]Michael Rechtshaffen fromThe Hollywood Reporterhad a similar opinion, stating, "Although the film has its undeniably immersive, convincing moments, the merging of dramatic re-creations and on-camera 'performances' proves less seamlessly executed than those masterfully coordinated land, sea and air missions."[21]

Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film two and a half out of four stars, and complained that "we don't get to know the characters as individuals, they don't have personality traits, they have no back stories, they don't speak in colorful dialogue, and after the movie you'd find yourself describing events but not people."[22]The film was accused of having anantisemiticsubtext by bloggersDebbie Schlussel[23]andPamela Geller[24]as well as other Jewish sources.[25]

Soundtrack

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Main article:Act of Valor: The Album

Relativity Mediareleased the film's soundtrack on February 21, 2012. It includes 10 songs bycountry musicartists. The first cut on the soundtrack,Keith Urban's "For You",was released as a single. The song was nominated for aGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abc"Act of Valor(2012) ".Box Office Mojo.Internet Movie Database.RetrievedJune 11,2012.
  2. ^Buchanan, Jason."Act of Valor".Allmovie.Rovi Corporation.RetrievedDecember 7,2013.
  3. ^abNikki Finke (April 24, 2007)."lasse_hallstrom.jpg".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedDecember 15,2012.
  4. ^"Act of Valor (2012)".Yahoo! Movies.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  5. ^abcd"Hollywood movie stars real-life SEALs".WTKR.October 10, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon November 14, 2011.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  6. ^abFleming, Mike (June 12, 2011)."TOLDJA! Relativity Closes Big Acquisition Deal For Navy SEAL Movie 'Act Of Valor'".Deadline Hollywood.PMC.RetrievedOctober 20,2011.
  7. ^Anderson, John (February 17, 2012)."On Active Duty for the Movies (Real Ammo)".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 24,2012.
  8. ^Zakarin, Jordan (February 17, 2012)."'Act Of Valor' And The Military's Long Hollywood Mission ".The Huffington Post.AOL.RetrievedFebruary 24,2012.
  9. ^abcMcHugh, Paul (June 7, 2011)."Navy SEAL risks, rewards captured in feature film".San Francisco Chronicle.Hearst Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2012.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  10. ^Eloy, Cedric (February 23, 2011)."Working to make Cambodia a popular location for filming".The Location Guide.Archived fromthe originalon April 2, 2012.RetrievedOctober 20,2011.
  11. ^abcAnderson, Cathy (June 2010)."Filming downtown brings opportunities".San Diego Community Newspaper Group.Archivedfrom the original on April 4, 2012.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  12. ^abHurlbut, Shane(February 26, 2011)."Zeiss: A Cinematic Journey on" Act of Valor "".Hurlbut Visuals.Archivedfrom the original on October 31, 2011.RetrievedOctober 21,2011.
  13. ^Labrecque, Jeff (December 17, 2011)."'Act of Valor' trailer: I feel the need – the need to bleed! ".Entertainment Weekly.RetrievedDecember 24,2011.
  14. ^"Act of Valor - CompleteSeasonDVDs.com".Archived fromthe originalon September 23, 2015.RetrievedJune 1,2012.
  15. ^"Teen Choice Award Nominees 2012".The Huffington Post.May 18, 2012.RetrievedMay 19,2012.
  16. ^"Act of Valor".Fandango.Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedJuly 25,2019.
  17. ^"Act of Valor".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedMarch 9,2012.
  18. ^"'Act of Valor' Destroys Competition, Is No. 1 at Friday Box Office ".The Wrap.February 25, 2012.RetrievedMarch 3,2012.
  19. ^Claudia Puig (February 23, 2012)."'Act of Valor' has amazing action ".USA Today.RetrievedFebruary 23,2012.
  20. ^Amy Biancolli (February 23, 2012)."'Act of Valor' review: Action a hit, story a miss ".San Francisco Chronicle.RetrievedFebruary 23,2012.
  21. ^Michael Rechtshaffen (February 23, 2012)."'Act of Valor': Film Review ".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedFebruary 23,2012.
  22. ^Ebert, Roger (February 22, 2012)."Act of Valor".Chicago Sun-Times.RetrievedFebruary 24,2012.
  23. ^"Act of Valor OUTRAGE: Navy SEALs Movie's Terrorist is... JEWISH (Tortures, Murders CIA Agents, Smuggles Jihadists into U.S.)".
  24. ^"Don't See" Act of Valor "…… SEALs Battle the Jew | Pamela Geller".Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2016.RetrievedJuly 4,2016.
  25. ^""Act of Valor": An Act of Bigotry? ".jewishvoiceny.com.Archived fromthe originalon December 13, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 12,2022.

Further reading

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