Marcus Luttrell and his team set out on a mission to capture or kill notorious al Qaeda leader Ahmad Shahd, in late June 2005. Marcus and his team are left to fight for their lives in one of the most valiant efforts of modern warfare.
As modern war movies go, Lone Survivor is gutsy, draining and brilliant.
There is an interesting late twist when a group of Afghan villagers present us with a different brand of heroism, but many viewers will have been turned off by Berg’s military fetishism long before that point.
Berg is doubtless sincere about paying tribute to Luttrell and his comrades – you just wish his salute wasn’t so jingoistic and clichéd.
A severe portrait of fortitude under extreme pressure, somewhat marred by blinkered politics.
Mark Luttrell may be the lone survivor but he’s far from the only hero. The picture may not be in contention for Oscars but it’s a first-class modern war film: visceral, exciting and thought-provoking.
Overlong yet relentless bone-crunching action.
The direction pummels and the cast impress, yet Berg’s war movie promises more than it delivers. Memories of Battleship are sunk, but that Oscar buzz may be a bit premature.
It would be better to get a documentary about this episode, not a flag-waving drama.
Beyond the jingoism, this Peter Berg film includes a brave attempt to grapple with the morals and ethics of modern warfare.
The result is uncomfortable: physically brutal, philosophically conflicted.
Lone Survivor: An American War Movie
General release. Check local listings for show times.