After the rousing success which was Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth is back in full-action mode; playing U.S. Special Forces Captain Mitch Nelson in 12 Strong, the big screen adaptation of Doug Stanton’s acclaimed book Horse Soldiers; charting one of the U.S.’ first, and most daring, operations in Afghanistan.
Leading the first U.S. Special Forces team to be deployed in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers, Mitch is tasked with embedding his 11 men with a local warlord, to help battle the Taliban, and some of their Al Qaeda allies, on the way to securing a strategic city.
Butting up against language barriers, cultural differences, mistrust, harsh terrain, unexplored conditions, and the the fact these inexperienced riders will be using horses to fight tanks, it’s clear Mitch has a monumental mission ahead of him; including a fair few big action set-pieces, and near misses, along the way to inevitable victory.
It’s true, we know how 12 Strong is going to end; possibly not the ins-and-outs, but Hollywood would only commission a movie about a recent U.S. Special Forces team if it had a spectacularly positive outcome; and unfortunately the by-the-numbers screenplay remains just as predictable and unimaginative as you’d expect.
Thankfully the action is solid, and the cast do a fantastic job of elevating what could have otherwise been a rather bland affair. Hemsworth is well placed (though not astounding) as the stoic leader of the bunch, appearing every bit the strong and tactically versed commander he’s supposed to be, while Michael Shannon (Man Of Steel) delivers yet another strong performance as the grizzled elder statesman/mentor of the group (think Tom Sizemore in Saving Private Ryan), and while Michael Peña (Ant-Man) once again plays the comedy sidekick, he does so with such charm and heart, he manages to elevate his character to something more than a simple joke-smith.
Yet the standout performance belongs to Homeland star David Negahban; who, playing the war-weary General Dotsum, effectively conveys the anguish, anger, and hopefulness of a man who has known nothing but war for his entire life, but is determined to fight for the betterment of his country. While he has his little monologues, and a couple of corny lines, it’s the subtly displayed between the dialogue where Negahban not only shines, but outshines the rest of the cast completely.
Sure, it’s a cheesey-at-times, derivative war movie, but the direction is solid, the cinematography is excellent, and while the whole film is an overt injection of pure American patriotism, the cast, the brilliant action, and the amazing true-life story behind it is enough to make 12 Strong a worthy watch for anyone who likes a good war film.
If you enjoyed Lone Survivor, you’ll like 12 Strong.
