*This is a classic movie review. Edited and imported to this blog a long time after its release*
The “12 Strong” story is one that needs to be told. The bravery of the first American forces to push into Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks is a legendary one, and while the movie does stumble with storytelling from time to time, it still does its job telling us about these heroes.
Chris Hemsworth (Thor) stars as Captain Chris Nelson, who must lead a special forces team behind enemy lines to team with uneasy allies as they push back against the Taliban and Al-Qaida. Because of the circumstances this leads to a campaign on horseback, going against everything that Nelson has team has trained for.
Director Nicolas Fuglsig gives us a serviceable war film. The combat scenes hit hard, and we get Michael Pena and Michael Shannon (in a protagonist role) putting in some good work. There are a lot of scenes in the film designed to pull you in emotionally but we don’t really need it here. It is about a half hour too long.
Overall, “12 Strong” should inspire those drawn to heroics of some of our bravest, while others may enjoy it but will likely forget the movie a short time later.
12 Strong
GRADE: C+
Rated: R
Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes