Bodean
Hot Damn
Don't remember the last movie I saw. Waste of money supporting these liberal idiots that make and star in them. Just my .02.
Movies, Movies, Movies
- Thread starter wct49
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Bodean said:
What he said!
For real plus they all support the food stamp prez.
X4 on this....I have gotten into Netflix BIG time hence all my recommendations of late.....all though I will be seeing the Navy Seal movie and possibly one or 2 others.
Journey 2 mysterious island wasn't too bad. Wish it had non-3D option.
I try and give as little money as I can to Hollywood, which is why my movie DVDs are bought in Shanghai. It's a good way to learn Mandarin.
Of course not sure why you want to watch movies when you can watch "My Redneck Vacation" on CMT. That show is awesome.
I try and give as little money as I can to Hollywood, which is why my movie DVDs are bought in Shanghai. It's a good way to learn Mandarin.
Of course not sure why you want to watch movies when you can watch "My Redneck Vacation" on CMT. That show is awesome.
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HAHA I cant ever look at a mound of mashed potatos without thinking of that scene where he goes bananas at dinner and then starts throwing dirt into the house through the kitchen window.....hilarious
Having taught close quarter tactics and being in uniform I can say this is the most realistic combat environment I've seen. X2
intel from Dad's navy buddy on Act of Valor
Passed along by a guy from '68 who got it from a guy .... who knows the guy who wrote the review.
I recently viewed the movie Act of Valor for the second time. I was
invited by the Cinema Society of San Diego to view a pre-screening, and
afterward, I and a few other SEAL veterans and an active duty Captain from
Naval Special Warfare Command were asked to come forward and offer comments.
Since the movie is opening to the public this week, and is generating a lot
of buzz in the media, I thought it would be an appropriate topic for this
blog.
A little Background: This movie project was initiated a number of years
ago when the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community was under considerable
pressure to increase its numbers to meet increasing commitments, and that
meant amping up recruiting efforts. My guess is that they were trying to
repeat the recruiting success that followed An Officer and a Gentleman and
Top Gun for Naval aviation a generation ago. The Bandito Brothers were
selected to help create and film a recruiting film, and over time, the
recruiting film turned into a feature length movie. It is ironic that Act
of Valor, starring active duty SEALs, is coming out at probably the historic
peak of public awareness and admiration of Navy SEALs, in the wake of SEAL
snipers recovering Captain Phillips of the Maersk Alabama from Somali
Pirates, the successful raid against Osama bin Laden, the tragic helicopter
crash, and the recent recovery of two hostages in Somalia. The release of
Act of Valor is preceded by a major publicity and marketing campaign, just
as the Naval Special Warfare community is trying to lower its public profile
and get back to focusing on their mission as 'the Quiet Professionals.'
But the wheels for this movie began turning when recruiting was
struggling, and all of these very public successes were still years into the
future. Though Act of Valor is being released at an awkward time for the
NSW community, the leadership seems to be graciously dealing with, yet
again, more publicity.
Some things I liked about the movie:
- I liked the introductory interview with the 'Bandito Brothers' who
directed the film - "Mouse" McCoy and Scott Waugh. The movie opens with
them speaking for about 5 minutes about what was involved in making the
movie, and they offer some candid and positive impressions of the SEALs with
whom they worked. Much of this introduction is on their website.
- The character and capabilities of the men were pretty realistic - they
were not portrayed as super-heroes, rather as very well trained 'tactical
athletes' committed to each other, their families, and their mission.
- The level of comfort and intimacy between the men reflects the best
units in the SEAL Teams. Not all SEAL units are that tight, but many are.
- It showed the SEALs as family men, which most are, and fairly depicted
the divided loyalty these men struggle with, between their family and their
unit/mission. This the SEALs share with other deployable military units.
- I liked how it portrayed our enemies. The movie gave us a look at the
face of the Evil and zealotry we are fighting, and hopefully makes it clear
how important it is that we aggressively fight these people.
- I thought the movie captured pretty well the intensity of close quarters
combat. Some of the shots give an excellent 'you are there' sense.
- I was glad to see the boats given some of their due. The Special
Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs) are truly awesome at what they do
and they don't get the recognition they deserve. I wish we'd seen more about
the SWCCs in Act of Valor.
- Ethnic diversity was well represented - though perhaps this platoon was
more ethnically diverse than most. Increasing racial diversity - for
tactical, vice political reasons - is a key NSW recruiting objective.
- Act of Valor is orders of magnitude better than Navy SEALs with Charlie
Sheen, or GI Jane with Demi Moore.
Some things I didn't like about the movie:
The movie claims that, in using active duty SEALs, it provides a fairly
accurate portrayal of SEAL missions and capabilities, and life in the Teams.
And it does. The nits I pick with this movie are with inaccuracies or
incomplete truths that can give a false or overly idealized impression of
Navy SEALs, their capabilities and life in the Teams. I do understand that
compromises and certain liberties probably had to be taken, in the interest
not only of operational security, but also to make a two hour film exciting,
dramatic, and successful at the box office. That said, below are some of
the discrepancies between what I saw in the movie and my own experience as a
Navy SEAL:
- The tactical capabilities were somewhat over the top - on very short
notice no SEAL platoon that I've ever seen can do ALL that this platoon did.
- There was no indication of the intense staff support and oversight that
would accompany each of these operations. Because the SEAL platoon had
center stage in the movie, the movie gave the false impression that a SEAL
platoon is given a critical mission of strategic importance, then plans and
executes it, with little oversight or staff support.
- All the equipment and technology always worked. All the intel was always
right.
- In order to demonstrate a wide variety of capabilities within a dramatic
story line, the movie condensed 4 or 5 epic missions into one deployment for
one platoon. The reality is that few if any SEAL deployments have included
this much action and drama. Much, but not all, that SEALs do is interesting
and exciting, but not nearly as dramatic as this movie depicts.
- The movie gave the impression that SEALs are nonchalant in the face of
danger. This doesn't fit with my experience. Cavalier joking standing on
the ramp of a C-130 just prior to a night, equipment free fall into a real
mission? Cavalier joking after one SEAL nearly shoots his team mate while
clearing a building of real bad-guys? My experience is that when all the
marbles are at stake, the boys have their game-face on, and there is focus,
focus, focus, and little or no room for the distractions of humor. Now
afterwards, at the bar, that's a different story.
- Great personal and professional relationships between Platoon Officers
and their Chief Petty Officers do happen, but the relationship between
Lieutenant Rorke and Chief Dave in this film was truly idealized. There is
usually a healthy tension in the professional relationship between the
Officer and his Chief, which is meant to resolve itself to the advantage of
both the troops, and the mission.
- My wife felt that the funeral scene at the end was indeed too personal.
She was quite uncomfortable with showing the public the intimacy of a
funeral for one of our fallen comrades, especially since the funeral service
in the movie represents that of Mike Monsoor, who was awarded the Medal of
Honor posthumously for covering a grenade with his body to save his
teammates.
Bottom line: Though Act of Valor presents an idealized depiction of an
ideal SEAL platoon, it is worth seeing - but go in with your eyes open.
Though it does accurately depict the character of the men in the Navy SEALs
and many of their more dramatic operational capabilities, there is some
stretching of the truth to make a good story and get the public engaged.
It is not a docudrama; a more accurate, warts-and-all look at the Teams
might satisfy guys like me, but probably would not have much chance at the
box office. The film does provide exciting and realistic action scenes,
and stays within the general bounds of true NSW capabilities. The Bandito
Brothers deserve to make a lot of money from this movie (God-bless
capitalism!), and I hope that the public reaction is positive - in the form
of increased appreciation for the sacrifices that these men and their
families make to fight the evil that threatens us all. I also hope that
it results in more of the RIGHT kind of men going to their recruiters and
saying: "I want to join the Navy to be a Navy SWCC," or "I want to join the
Navy to be a Navy SEAL."
A note on Operational Security considerations. The tactics, techniques
and procedures that are on display in this movie are routinely presented to
the public during NSW capabilities demonstrations and in other open source
material. The movie didn't show the best or the latest or the most
sensitive of NSW capabilities. The film was reviewed by a number of DoD
experts to ensure nothing classified was revealed. The men in this movie
know that they and their families are now vulnerable to more publicity and
scrutiny than they are used to. The Navy, their team mates, their
leadership and their friends in the community will be taking measures that
hopefully protect them, until this blows over.
One final thing I liked about the movie was the quote from Tecumseh at its
conclusion:
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. And
when your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with
fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little
more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your
death song, and die like a hero going home."
Passed along by a guy from '68 who got it from a guy .... who knows the guy who wrote the review.
I recently viewed the movie Act of Valor for the second time. I was
invited by the Cinema Society of San Diego to view a pre-screening, and
afterward, I and a few other SEAL veterans and an active duty Captain from
Naval Special Warfare Command were asked to come forward and offer comments.
Since the movie is opening to the public this week, and is generating a lot
of buzz in the media, I thought it would be an appropriate topic for this
blog.
A little Background: This movie project was initiated a number of years
ago when the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community was under considerable
pressure to increase its numbers to meet increasing commitments, and that
meant amping up recruiting efforts. My guess is that they were trying to
repeat the recruiting success that followed An Officer and a Gentleman and
Top Gun for Naval aviation a generation ago. The Bandito Brothers were
selected to help create and film a recruiting film, and over time, the
recruiting film turned into a feature length movie. It is ironic that Act
of Valor, starring active duty SEALs, is coming out at probably the historic
peak of public awareness and admiration of Navy SEALs, in the wake of SEAL
snipers recovering Captain Phillips of the Maersk Alabama from Somali
Pirates, the successful raid against Osama bin Laden, the tragic helicopter
crash, and the recent recovery of two hostages in Somalia. The release of
Act of Valor is preceded by a major publicity and marketing campaign, just
as the Naval Special Warfare community is trying to lower its public profile
and get back to focusing on their mission as 'the Quiet Professionals.'
But the wheels for this movie began turning when recruiting was
struggling, and all of these very public successes were still years into the
future. Though Act of Valor is being released at an awkward time for the
NSW community, the leadership seems to be graciously dealing with, yet
again, more publicity.
Some things I liked about the movie:
- I liked the introductory interview with the 'Bandito Brothers' who
directed the film - "Mouse" McCoy and Scott Waugh. The movie opens with
them speaking for about 5 minutes about what was involved in making the
movie, and they offer some candid and positive impressions of the SEALs with
whom they worked. Much of this introduction is on their website.
- The character and capabilities of the men were pretty realistic - they
were not portrayed as super-heroes, rather as very well trained 'tactical
athletes' committed to each other, their families, and their mission.
- The level of comfort and intimacy between the men reflects the best
units in the SEAL Teams. Not all SEAL units are that tight, but many are.
- It showed the SEALs as family men, which most are, and fairly depicted
the divided loyalty these men struggle with, between their family and their
unit/mission. This the SEALs share with other deployable military units.
- I liked how it portrayed our enemies. The movie gave us a look at the
face of the Evil and zealotry we are fighting, and hopefully makes it clear
how important it is that we aggressively fight these people.
- I thought the movie captured pretty well the intensity of close quarters
combat. Some of the shots give an excellent 'you are there' sense.
- I was glad to see the boats given some of their due. The Special
Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs) are truly awesome at what they do
and they don't get the recognition they deserve. I wish we'd seen more about
the SWCCs in Act of Valor.
- Ethnic diversity was well represented - though perhaps this platoon was
more ethnically diverse than most. Increasing racial diversity - for
tactical, vice political reasons - is a key NSW recruiting objective.
- Act of Valor is orders of magnitude better than Navy SEALs with Charlie
Sheen, or GI Jane with Demi Moore.
Some things I didn't like about the movie:
The movie claims that, in using active duty SEALs, it provides a fairly
accurate portrayal of SEAL missions and capabilities, and life in the Teams.
And it does. The nits I pick with this movie are with inaccuracies or
incomplete truths that can give a false or overly idealized impression of
Navy SEALs, their capabilities and life in the Teams. I do understand that
compromises and certain liberties probably had to be taken, in the interest
not only of operational security, but also to make a two hour film exciting,
dramatic, and successful at the box office. That said, below are some of
the discrepancies between what I saw in the movie and my own experience as a
Navy SEAL:
- The tactical capabilities were somewhat over the top - on very short
notice no SEAL platoon that I've ever seen can do ALL that this platoon did.
- There was no indication of the intense staff support and oversight that
would accompany each of these operations. Because the SEAL platoon had
center stage in the movie, the movie gave the false impression that a SEAL
platoon is given a critical mission of strategic importance, then plans and
executes it, with little oversight or staff support.
- All the equipment and technology always worked. All the intel was always
right.
- In order to demonstrate a wide variety of capabilities within a dramatic
story line, the movie condensed 4 or 5 epic missions into one deployment for
one platoon. The reality is that few if any SEAL deployments have included
this much action and drama. Much, but not all, that SEALs do is interesting
and exciting, but not nearly as dramatic as this movie depicts.
- The movie gave the impression that SEALs are nonchalant in the face of
danger. This doesn't fit with my experience. Cavalier joking standing on
the ramp of a C-130 just prior to a night, equipment free fall into a real
mission? Cavalier joking after one SEAL nearly shoots his team mate while
clearing a building of real bad-guys? My experience is that when all the
marbles are at stake, the boys have their game-face on, and there is focus,
focus, focus, and little or no room for the distractions of humor. Now
afterwards, at the bar, that's a different story.
- Great personal and professional relationships between Platoon Officers
and their Chief Petty Officers do happen, but the relationship between
Lieutenant Rorke and Chief Dave in this film was truly idealized. There is
usually a healthy tension in the professional relationship between the
Officer and his Chief, which is meant to resolve itself to the advantage of
both the troops, and the mission.
- My wife felt that the funeral scene at the end was indeed too personal.
She was quite uncomfortable with showing the public the intimacy of a
funeral for one of our fallen comrades, especially since the funeral service
in the movie represents that of Mike Monsoor, who was awarded the Medal of
Honor posthumously for covering a grenade with his body to save his
teammates.
Bottom line: Though Act of Valor presents an idealized depiction of an
ideal SEAL platoon, it is worth seeing - but go in with your eyes open.
Though it does accurately depict the character of the men in the Navy SEALs
and many of their more dramatic operational capabilities, there is some
stretching of the truth to make a good story and get the public engaged.
It is not a docudrama; a more accurate, warts-and-all look at the Teams
might satisfy guys like me, but probably would not have much chance at the
box office. The film does provide exciting and realistic action scenes,
and stays within the general bounds of true NSW capabilities. The Bandito
Brothers deserve to make a lot of money from this movie (God-bless
capitalism!), and I hope that the public reaction is positive - in the form
of increased appreciation for the sacrifices that these men and their
families make to fight the evil that threatens us all. I also hope that
it results in more of the RIGHT kind of men going to their recruiters and
saying: "I want to join the Navy to be a Navy SWCC," or "I want to join the
Navy to be a Navy SEAL."
A note on Operational Security considerations. The tactics, techniques
and procedures that are on display in this movie are routinely presented to
the public during NSW capabilities demonstrations and in other open source
material. The movie didn't show the best or the latest or the most
sensitive of NSW capabilities. The film was reviewed by a number of DoD
experts to ensure nothing classified was revealed. The men in this movie
know that they and their families are now vulnerable to more publicity and
scrutiny than they are used to. The Navy, their team mates, their
leadership and their friends in the community will be taking measures that
hopefully protect them, until this blows over.
One final thing I liked about the movie was the quote from Tecumseh at its
conclusion:
"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. And
when your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with
fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little
more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your
death song, and die like a hero going home."
Blah blah blah.....it was well made but really, it was a bit over the top in parts.....blah blah blah....I was a SEAL......it was good.
Bodean
Hot Damn
Now that might get me to the movies. Are they still $3.00?
haha better add $7 to it...
My amateur review from a civilian standpoint is I thought it was a great movie and I'd see it again. For those I saw it with we walked away with a continued appreciation for our service men and women laying it on the line and sacrificing everything so we can sleep well at night. I hope the movie helps bring that appreciation and continued support so that our military can continue to operate at it fullest potential. I also hope it strikes fear in the eyes of our enemies that look to attack our spirit and values and show them you don't want to be on our $hit list and see first hand what our best are capable of. Cheers!
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