Lone Survivor Review - 3 Stars

Add “Lone Survivor” to the list of interesting and though provoking films featuring Mark Wahlberg.  Based on the memoir of Navy Seal Marcus Littrell “Lone Survivor” tells it straight —no politics—no false heroes.  Wahlberg and three others get dropped by helicopter into the mountains of Afghanistan on a mission to assassinate a Taliban Warlord.  But not long after they take their positions, things go wrong.  The mountainous terrain interrupts their communications system.  A group of civilian goat herders accidentally uncover the team, leading to a long discussion of what to do—kill them?  tie them up, or let them go?  The rules of engagement and morality dictate letting the civilians go.  When the SEALS do this, they touch off pursuit by an Army of Taliban fighters leading to one of the strongest and most powerful scenes of combat in a modern movie.  For more than thirty minutes the men run, jump, fall down mountains, get shot, die, and demonstrate the military ideal of a  band of brothers.  The final scenes raise a few questions which the credits try to answer.  More powerful, however, are the photos and videos of the real men who lived and died on this mission in a faraway almost forgotten war.  Does it deliver what it promises?  Powerful story of military and their mission.  Is it entertaining? Powerful and strong.  Is it worth the price of admission?    A story of the military at the best when the situation can’t be worse told without politics.