Lone Survivor [DVD] [2013]

Lone Survivor brings to life the events of Operation Redwing as first brought to us by Marcus Luttrell in his bestselling book of the same name. The story is well known and has been discussed far and wide for years. The overall theme of the movie is true to the book but there are differences as would be expected from Hollywood. In some respect the movie tones down some of the more difficult and gut wrenching parts of the book like when the name “Marcus” repeatedly gets yelled by his dying friend and fellow warrior. This does not detract from the overall content of the movie and for some viewers it may actually make the movie more palatable and less painful. I like that the movie begins with real footage of SEAL training and uses pictures of the real SEALs of Operation Redwing throughout the movie in a variety of scenes. Director Peter Berg adds many subtle touches that may go unknown to the casual viewer yet pays tribute to the SEAL community. The actors do a very good job throughout the film and show the camaraderie of SEAL Team 10 and the SEAL community as a whole. While many of these subtleties may go unnoticed they add a personal touch. There is a feeling and a sense that this is not just a movie but that real people are impacted by the events that occur as the result of this operation. The loss of the warriors lost in Operation Redwing touch not only the friends and family of those operations but the nation. It shows that morals and ethics matter and doing what is right is not always easy. Choices have consequences. If these warriors had made a different choice this would be a completely different movie. If you are looking for the movie to completely follow the book you won’t find it. If you are looking for the movie to leave out the Hollywood factor you won’t find it. What the movie does is a phenomenal job in its ability to show ordinary men who do extraordinary acts. Each of the men in Operation Redwing suffered severe injuries but stayed in the fight and not one time do you see an example of weakness or the feeling that this is too much for them. They are warriors with the best training in the world. Their mindset and actions do not know the words quit or defeat. This movie provides the opportunity to honor the lives of Mike Murphy, Danny Dietz, Matt Axelson, Marcus Luttrell, and all those lost on the Chinook. These men are the essence of character, courage, and commitment.

This movie does have everything for that guy who loves a movie with action BUT that is not THIS film. True story reflecting real life Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell's last dangerous mission in Afghanistan goes beyond a "Hoo Rah Get The Bad Guys" mentality. Marcus's (played by talented actor Mark Wahlburg) journey begins with his squad of fellow elite trained Navy Seals to locate & eliminate a major player in the terrorist network. However, things start to go horrible wrong when their presence is discovered by a group of goat herders. This film accurately depicts how difficult it is to make life and death decisions when you only have seconds to decide. It shows how our highly trained soldiers are some of the world's finest men as they wrestle with their own principles and values vs how they've been trained to see "the enemy." It's easy for us to sit on our couches and judge what we would do in any given moment. After all we're in the safety of our own homes wrapped up in our comfy blankets of freedom that these Heroes put their very lives on the line for. This film, this true story will haunt your heart and your conscience long after the credits roll. It will most likely leave you surprised at what you thought you knew you felt about a group of people you saw as a whole as "the enemy." But after seeing this film I think what was most surprising for me was how much gratitude I thought I already felt for our military men/women...(looking in the rear view mirror) I now discovered had paled in comparison to the awe and gratitude for these selfless, brave, courageous & loving warriors. A Must See Movie for all those who think they know all about war and bravery! Glad I got this for our family & it will have a home in our best real life account movies library for future posterity!

Brutal and intense, writer-director Peter Berg's superb combat film, based on the vivid New York Times bestselling tale of heroism, takes a look at the 19 American deaths - and lone survivor - of an ill-fated incident in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. Bloody and poetic, the incredible true story follows four Navy SEALS on a secret mission to kill a Taliban leader when they stumble across a trio of goat herders. The SEALS difficult decision to release and not kill them. That act of mercy is rewarded by a relentless firestorm from at least forty Taliban fighters who quickly surround the four. Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg), Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) and Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch) are the brave SEALS. Ben Foster and Eric Bana also star. And they do justice to the real men they play - and honor. Berg's smooth direction captures every horrific moment whether it's a bullet's impact or a treacherous fall. We always have a sense of where we are and the camera movement is not frantic but wide-eyed - it's shot in the same way we remember frightening real-life moments. The editing is tight and the performances never seem anything but real. But in the end, it's the big questions that linger. This ambiguity gives heft to this fine film and raises it to a level of meaningful contemporary art, especially with the ironic and satisfying ending that bookends the act of mercy the men showed to the goat herders. LONE SURVIVOR ranks with and is superior to "Platoon," "Battle of Algiers," "Paths of Glory" and "Saving Private Ryan" in its visceral and moral intensity. But finally, this brilliant film is about our common humanity and not the the hell of war. Over the end credits, there are photos of the real soldiers who sacrificed their lives for what they believed to be a worthy cause. I wept.

Mark Wahlberg plays former Navy SEAL and the actual Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell. Lone Survivor is the true story of the events, which took place in Operation Red Wings, which took place on June 27th in Afghanistan. Luttrell was a part of a four-man team, who was sent on a reconnaissance mission to capture or kill a Taliban leader, Ahmad Shah, who was responsible for killing several Marines in the Afghan region. Unfortunately, the SEAL team had an issue, which a decision had to be made and consequences came with it. This movie is very intense. I would say, more-so because many of the events actually took place. I might also mention, this movie is based on the book, Lone Survivor, which was written by Luttrell. I would advice anybody that watches this movie to give the book a read, too. It is one of the best books I have every read. The 4K resolution of this movie shows superb.

When I saw this movie in theaters I was literally at a loss for words. The incredible story is only made that much more so by the fact that it's as real as it gets. After watching the DVD and the special features I know now that the director, Evan Berg (who is quickly becoming one of my favorites), as well as the cast and crew did everything they possibly could to make this movie as authentic as possible. Visited the families of the fallen soldiers to learn more about those men from the people who knew them best, brought Marcus Luttrell himself - who is the "Lone Survivor" - on set to make sure everything was as accurate as possible, brought Navy SEALs to train all the actors, answered any questions about the movie by going straight to the source, either the book or Marcus himself, etc etc. Berg did an unbelievable job: From casting to cinematography to the incredibly moving tributes in the special features, everything had an incredible sense of purpose and showed the utmost respect for these true heroes. Worth every single penny and then some.

Overall, the film "THE LONE SURVIVOR" was outstanding! It is based on a true story. Mark Wahlberg deserves and Oscar for his remarkable role as a Navy Seal who turned out to be a hero. Given the current atrocities, transpiring in the Middle East, this failed mission should function as a political wake up call. Al-Queda and Isis pose a threat to our security. As a tactical and strategic Navy Seal, it is your job to engage in high risk operations. What happens if your enemy out maneuvers you? What happens when you lose all your ammunition and freedom? These questions circle around in the battered and bruised psyches of these heroes who fought for us. I give them so much credit. I am a teacher and I use this film as a didactic tool. Students were asked to write a compare and contrast essay as well as a formal review of the film written through a Marxist ideological lens. Hence, this is a cinematic tool worth investigating for myriad reasons.

I purchased Lone Survivor on Blu-ray and watched at home on my Panasonic Viera 52 inch Plasma Screen Television in 1080p using my Xbox One console. The story was realistic and kept me as a viewer interested and entertained. The picture quality was good. Action scenes were fast paced yet realistic. Characters were realistic and had character qualities that made me able to relate to. In my opinion Lone Survivor is one of Mark Whalberg's best performances and equal or better than Shooter which is an Excellent film as well. An appropriate level of humor was present in the movie. The movie shows the sacrifices that American Soldiers are making every day and makes me appreciate the sacrifice that others have made so that I can live in a free country. With all in consideration, Lone Survivor was A Realistic Shooter Film about Real Sacrifices.

To anyone that is looking for "TRUE STORY", that is over the top drama with inspiring raw human emotion than this film is for you! This film is based on the eye witness accounts of the "Lone Survivor" himself (Marcus Luttrell). Director "Peter Berg" specifically used "Luttrell" on the set during the making of this film for actual & factual evidence of what truly took place during the military operation in Afghanistan. This film provides extremely graphic & detailed proof of the unfortunate events that took place during the military operation "Red-Wings". But the film also provides an excellent view on the resiliency that the soldiers of America's Armed Forces have, and the jobs that they voluntary signed up to do. I thought that this movie was outstanding!