Producer Jerry Bruckheimer thinks big, and his war movies can range from noisy idiocy (Pearl Harbor) to near brilliant (Black Hawk Down). Luckily, 12 Strong sees the value in substance as well as spectacle. Based on Doug Stanton's 2009 bestseller, Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rod to Victory in Afghanistan, this rough-hewn drama has a compelling, mostly untold story to relate. After 9/11, an elite Special Forces unit comprised of 12 Green Berets led by Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), were dropped into Afghanistan in response to the attack. Their mission impossible – codenamed: Task Force Dagger – was to link up with the Northern Alliance, headed by General Abdul Rashid Dostum (Navid Negahban), to take on the Taliban and its Al Qaeda followers. He's show the U.S. team where the enemy was located. Nelson's group would then join in the battle on land and order bomb strikes from the air.
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What seemed simple on paper was, of course, a whole other another thing reality-wise. The captain and his men knew nothing of the Afghan terrain – one dotted T-72 tanks and missile launchers – or had the experience of riding horses, which was the only way to maneuver on this unfamiliar landscape of sand and mountains. Not only did the Americans have to practice diplomacy by cementing a bond with the Northern Alliance, they had to learn to fight Afghan-style to survive. And that saddling up.
It's a hell of a tale, and Danish director Nicolai Fuglsig, a former photojournalist and creator of award-winning TV commercials, had his work cut out for him. It had to look and feel real (the production shot in New Mexico), and the filmmaker certainly delivers. The action scenes pulsate with the hum of modern warfare. Credit Hemsworth for playing Nelson not as some Norse God out of Marvel fantasy (that's his day job) but as a man of courage forced to improvise on his feet or die trying. The rest of the cast also perform beyond the call of escapist duty. Michael Shannon is outstanding as the Chief Warrant Officer, a fighter who has seen combat, unlike his captain. Michael Pena and Trevante Rhodes – so good in the Oscar-winning Moonlight – also score as members of the team.
If you're thinking these characters are drawn in conventional lines by screenwriters Peter Craig and Oscar winner Ted Tally (Silence of the Lambs), you're not wrong. The script doesn't go much beyond the surface in establishing the camaraderie among these men who left their families to take on a battle still being fought. This is not a movie with time on its hands for character development or scrappy discussions of the politics involved on both sides. What 12 Strong does deliver, however, is a rousing tribute to the bravery of soldiers whose contributions went unheralded for years. That impact cannot be denied.
Photo: Warner Bros.
Movie Review Movie Review 12 Strong C+ Movie Review 12 Strong C+ C+ 12 Strong Director Nicolai Fuglsig Runtime 130 minutes Rating R Language English Cast Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Navid Negahban, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes, William Fichtner, Rob Riggle Availability Theaters everywhere January 19
It’s become Hollywood tradition to sound reveille at the start of the year with stories of heroic Navy SEALs, Green Berets, and CIA contractors aimed at putting red-state butts into seats, and close out with a quavering awards-season “Taps” of dutiful acknowledgements that war is, in fact, terrible. And so it goes with the dusty, Jerry Bruckheimer-produced 12 Strong (a title generic enough to be a sports drama), a squarely-in-the-former-category wartime adventure wannabe that turns a real Special Forces operation in Afghanistan into something that feels like warmed-over John Milius.
Adopting a wavering American accent, Chris Hemsworth stars as Mitch Nelson, a captain in the 5th Special Forces Group—the old stomping ground of John Rambo and Col. Kurtz—who leads his team into northern Afghanistan to assist an ethnic Uzbek warlord in the fight against the Taliban just a month after the 9/11 attacks. With only three weeks left before the coming winter freeze, Nelson and his men have their work cut out for them: make contact with the warlord, earn his trust, and help his ragtag militia recapture a village and breach the Tiangi Gap, a narrow ass-crack in the mountains that serves as a supply route from the Taliban stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Surprisingly stolid and barren for a Bruckheimer production, 12 Strong skates by on the virtues of an old-fashioned programmer: technical competence, an above-average cast, and well-written dialogue, the latter courtesy of screenwriters Ted Tally (The Silence Of The Lambs) and Peter Craig (Blood Father). The director, Nicolai Fuglsig, is a Danish former photojournalist who began his career covering radioactive pollution and the Kosovo War, which may explain the relative restraint. But perhaps it’s best to leave the flag-waving camo fantasies to the true believers. His action scenes are strictly perfunctory, kabooms of gunfire, tossed rubble, flipping trucks, and air strikes executed with the same sense of obligation that characterizes the movie’s Special Forces heroes.
Photo: Warner Bros.
Only three of the men under Nelson’s command leave an impression: Spencer (Michael Shannon), an experienced warrant officer who is relentlessly loyal to his untested, much younger captain; the fidgety but selfless Diller (Michael Peña); and the lollipop-sucking Milo (Moonlight’s Trevante Rhodes), who ends up taking a shine to a bothersome local kid, as American servicemen in movies about war in the Middle East are wont to do. Not that these characters are all that well-developed (though there is a small, effective vignette early in the film with Spencer and his family), but at least the viewer might end up remembering their names. That’s more than can be said for the rest of the group, who are a blur of gear, injuries, orders, and wisecracks.
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One might argue that’s because it’s supposed to be about “the mission.” But what’s the mission about, anyway? For a war film, 12 Strong is short on conflict and adrenaline; it sings the praises of exceptional men, frontline camaraderie, and unlikely odds with all the passion of a grunt following orders. Like most exercises in January jingo, it’s a “true,” “declassified” story, adapted from Doug Stanton’s nonfiction book Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story Of A Band Of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory In Afghanistan—and like the rest of them, it’s about as real as a G.I. Joe action figure. American Sniper, the best of the lot, ignored Chris Kyle’s fabulism, forfeiting possible insight into the psychology of a self-made culture-wars hero. But at least it tried to depict the consequences of traumatic stress.
At the ill-defined center of 12 Strong is the relationship between Nelson and the film’s most Milius-ian character, Abdul Rashid Dostum (Navid Negahban), the aforementioned Uzbek warlord, portrayed as a figure of almost medieval nobility. As the expected end-titles epilogue helpfully announces, Dostum would later go on to become vice president of Afghanistan, though it fails to mention the fact that he is currently hiding out in Turkey to avoid prosecution for the kidnapping, rape, and torture of a political rival. Good people might find themselves fighting in wars, but they aren’t likely to lead them. 12 Strong, however, contents itself with peddling the same crap about pure valor and warrior ethos that’s been around since wars were actually fought on horseback—and it doesn’t even have the decency to reward viewers a rousing cavalry charge.
Jerry Bruckheimer has enjoyed lasting success in Hollywood thanks to his blockbuster films, like “Armageddon,” “Top Gun” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” — but it’s American heroes that keep inspiring him.
And the 74-year-old film producer is no stranger to bringing true stories to life. Bruckheimer has relied on storytelling for the big screen to honor the men who’ve tirelessly fought for America, which is seen in his war movies, such as “Black Hawk Down” and “Pearl Harbor.”
Bruckheimer’s latest project is “12 Strong,” which was inspired by the first U.S. Special Forces that were sent to Afghanistan in the weeks after the September 11th terror attack. It’s a tale that was kept under wraps until Doug Stanton’s book “Horse Soldiers” was published in 2009.
“12 Strong” stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, as well as comedian/Marine Rob Riggle.
Fox News spoke with Bruckheimer about the captivating soldiers behind “12 Strong,” his passion for the American military and being a proud conservative in Hollywood.
Fox News: What inspired you to tell the story of the horse soldiers?
Bruckheimer: I like to tell stories about individuals who have made a difference in our world, but yet you know nothing about them. This was a classified story that was recently declassified. It made such a difference for our country and the Afghan people.
And I think they should be remembered. And with this movie, they will be remembered. We did it with "Remember the Titans," "Glory Road" and "Black Hawk Down." So this is a terrific, heroic story. And I also like to tell stories that not only entertain an audience but also educate. And I think this movie is a prime example of educating the world about this very interesting mission.
Fox News: Where did your passion for the military come from?
Bruckheimer: I think about their professionalism and how they operate and the fact that they give up so much to protect our shores. And the fact that they have to leave their families, especially the men on this particular mission. Mark [Nutsch], the man Chris Hemsworth plays, he left behind his wife and child and didn’t know if he would ever come back. And they do that because they love our country and they want to protect their families. And I believe these men should be celebrated.
Fox News: In “12 Strong,” how important was it to show Afghan soldiers helping American soldiers especially after the 9/11 tragedy?
Bruckheimer: We were fortunate because we worked with a lot of Afghan refugees. They’re actually in the movie. There’s a whole community of them in New Mexico. And what they said to us after they’ve been working on the movie and read the script, they said, "This is such an important film for the Muslim people and for the Afghani people." So they can see how we can work together against the common foe and rid our country of invaders. And the fact the brotherhood between the two different nations, I think, is very important.
Fox News: What surprised you the most about these soldiers?
Bruckheimer: I think they don’t see themselves as heroes. They see themselves as doing their job. They’re highly intelligent men. Of course, they’re deadly. But still, they are here to support our country and that’s why they joined the military. They’re the common man who rises to extraordinary personal triumphs. And we love that triumphant spirit. I love telling those stories.
Fox News: What was your research process like for this film?
Bruckheimer: Doug Stanton’s book gave us a great rendition of what happened over there. He interviewed those who were actually part of the mission… Plus, we met with the real soldiers. They are portrayed in the movie. We spent a lot of time with them and they were on the set with us. They were there and they said, “Look, this is how it happened.”
We tried to give an honest account of that. This is Hollywood, and we do have to tell a story in two hours when it reality it took three weeks. But we tried to be as accurate as we could. When we showed it to them, and we showed it to the head of Special Forces, they said we captured the essence of that operation, and that’s the greatest honor for us as filmmakers to get the people really on the ground and more involved to stay we portrayed them right.
Fox News: How have you managed to remain a proud conservative in Hollywood?
Bruckheimer: I think it’s always about your work. I don’t let politics get into my work. I just try to make movies that celebrate the human spirit and entertain. I get along with just about everybody so even though we might have different views on certain things, it doesn’t matter. We’re there for the work.
Fox News: Do you think we’ll see more films that celebrate American patriotism?
Bruckheimer: If it’s a success, yes. We’ll definitely see more. We know it’s a very entertaining movie. We know it’s a compelling, true story. It has a lot of humor. But hopefully we will have a big weekend and we can celebrate... And this story is a compelling, entertaining one. And what’s also very interesting is that women love this film. Especially women with husbands and sons in the military. The film shows the sacrifices they have to make for their children and their spouses.
Fox News: How do the actors feel about sharing this story?
Bruckheimer: I think every one of them were captivated by the real-life men who went on this mission. A lot of them read the script and went, "I can’t believe this is true." Then we gave them the book. And a lot of actors wanted to be in this movie because after reading the book, they were inspired to play these characters on the big screen.
"12 Strong" premieres Friday in theaters.
CLOSE The first trailer for '12 Strong,' starring Chris Hemsworth, the true story of Green Berets who ride into battle in Afghanistan after 9/11 on horses.
Retired Lt. Gen. John Mulholland led a team of Green Berets and is among the main characters depicted in the film "12 Strong." (Photo: Courtesy 5th Special Forces Group)
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Within hours of the 9/11 attacks, 12 men from America’s most elite forces were gearing up to head into a place they knew nearly nothing about with the weight of a nation on their shoulders.
Thousands had died in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, and at this sprawling military post, one of the few immediate response teams tasked with taking down the Taliban regime was forming as millions of other Americans grieved over the loss of life.
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The story of that first response, and what a single 12-man team from Fort Campbell's 5th Special Forces Group did in northern Afghanistan on horseback will be among the season’s biggest Hollywood releases in “12 Strong,” which stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña and Elsa Pataky.
The film by Jerry Bruckheimer, based on the book “Horse Soldiers” by Doug Stanton, was screened Sunday for a theater full of current and former members of that 12-man team and others in America’s most elite Army units based here.
The film debuts in theaters Friday.
Almost all of the troops ordered into Afghanistan in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 came from Fort Campbell, including helicopter pilots from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.
Operational Detachment Alpha 595 — one of several “A-Teams” sent to Afghanistan in the days following 9/11 — was given one two-part mission: Work with Afghan forces and destroy the Taliban regime, a strategy still being perfected on a larger scale today.
More: Watch the exclusive first trailer for Chris Hemsworth’s ’12 Strong’
“That was intimidating, yeah, and of course you realize you’re carrying the weight of the nation,” said retired Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, then a colonel who led the team into northern Afghanistan.
“Go do this, but you know, everyone dies here,” he said, referring to the fates of numerous armies dating back to Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan and later the British in the 1800s and the former Soviet Union in the 1980s who have failed in Afghanistan.
These 12 solders were outnumbered by the Taliban as they worked with Afghan rebels.
Mulholland, played by William Fichtner, is one of the few whose names weren’t changed for the film.
Andy Marchal was one of those men on that mission. He doesn’t consider it any different than the other classified missions he was a part of during his 20-year career.
“I didn’t see it as that big of a deal,” Marchal said. “I did what I got paid to do.”
But they didn’t have any of the gear and technology that most Special Forces soldiers have today.
Andy Marchal, a former member of a Special Forces team depicted in the Jerry Bruckheimer film "12 Strong," attended a special screening Sunday, Jan. 14 at Fort Campbell. (Photo: Courtesy 5th Special Forces Group)
“We went into that fight with a shameful level of resourcing,” Mulholland said.
In the end, the soldiers overcame steep odds to secure the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a landing strip and a critical northern supply route.
Mulholland, who has seen the film a half-dozen times already, said some liberties were taken with the Hollywood production, which was expected. But he said the core of the story is true.
“I’m alive and anything they’re gonna show is gonna get you killed,” Marchal said, jokingly.
Mulholland said he hopes a much bigger message is delivered with the film, which is that when Americans band together and don’t worry about who gets credit, they can accomplish anything.
“There’s a lot of effort to divide us from one another, and it’s wrong, it’s evil and it’s detrimental to our country,” Mulholland said.
Reach Jake Lowary at jlowary@tennessean.com or on Twitter at @JakeLowary.
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