One can only watch Daniel Craig save the world and shoot a gun so many times. That’s why the concept of Act of Valor is so intriguing — instead of another big–name star, the core cast is comprised of eight active duty Navy SEALs.
The film itself, however, has very little to stand on other than a few well–timed slow–motion explosions and an infectious pro–America feel. The plot is difficult to decipher, although it seems to revolve around a potential jihadist attack on multiple American cities. The film skips locations from Somalia to Costa Rica to Mexico in a seeming effort to engage the audience not in any sort of story, but in the reality of Navy SEALs.
That’s not to say that Act of Valor isn’t entertaining — it is, and the end is emotional enough to wet a few eyes. Overall, though, the dialogue is sparse and forced, the pace is slow and the acting, while theoretically real, is subpar.
For the effort, though, we salute you.
2/5 Stars
