12 Strong tells the true story of the horse soldiers who were the first to fight back after 911

Movie Title:   
  12 Strong

Grade:   B

Rating: R,
  2 hours 10 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This declassified true story has good intentions and a solid cast, but doesn’t give us the depth that other war movies have provided in recent years.

Hoorah to our American soldiers who bravely fight in impossible circumstances.  I'm a proud mother of an officer in the US Army, so this kind of movie really tugs at my heart.

The inspiring stories after 911 seem to be endless.  A horse soldier statue was erected at the new World Trade Center in honor of the heroes in this story.  The film is based on the book 12 Strong: The Declassified True Story of the Horse Soldiers.

Tips for parents: 

• Tons of profanity and trash talk from tough soldiers.
• Lots of shooting and violent deaths.
• Blood and gore.
• Lots of subtitles.

                                         

Uplifting theme: 

• “The greatest weapon in the history of the world is this (points at heart).”  - General Dostum   (Navid Negahban)
• “How do we love our family and leave them to go to war?” – Hal Spencer (Michael Shannon) 
• War, brotherhood
• Friendship
• Communication, culture

                                                                 

Things I liked:

• Because it's a Jerry Bruckheimer production, you are assured some great action sequences.  
• The capable cast includes the always hunky Chris Hemsworth, compelling Michael Shannon, and likable Michael Pena.
• Pictures of the real soldiers about whom this movie was made are shown at the end of the movie.
• I get a kick out of Rob Riggle in everything he does.
• Great sound effects that make you feel like you're in the middle of it all.
• The absurdity and horror of horses facing tanks is actually made believable in the movie.

Things I didn’t like:

• Sometimes it’s hard to understand what everyone is saying.
• Sometimes it’s hard to see what’s happening too, especially in the evening scenes.
• A surprising amount of standing around talking.  There is hardly any action during the first hour of the movie.  Lots of action in the second half.
• If you don't know the true story, you'll feel the suspense and danger.  If you already know who does and doesn't survive the ordeal, the tension lessons tremendously.  The good news for this movie is that most people don't know the story at all and will enjoy the ride.
• It's definitely a man's movie, so some women will feel pummeled and exhausted by the end.
• Some of the battles feel repetitive.

Interesting lines:

• That’s not intel; it’s motivation.” – Sam Diller (Michael Pena)
• “Stop being a soldier and start using this (points to heart) and you can be a warrior.” –General Dostum

Funny lines:

• “What is that?  $10?  $9.50?”   (American soldier says to an Afghan street vendor who holds up his hand and has a finger cut half off.)

911 War movie that did it better:
Black Hawk Down

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