12 Strong is without question, one of the best US Army movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a movie that American servicemen and women will truly appreciate and it will give American citizens a better understanding of what really happened when the US Army took its first steps into Afghanistan in retaliation to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
A movie based on a true story written by Doug Stanton, director Nicolai Fuglsig did a great job at not only creating realistic war scenarios between the US Special Forces and the Taliban but it’s his ability to recreate the bond between the military and the Afghan citizens that will leave many viewers in awe. Americans who only view Afghans as terrorists will get an education on how Afghan people put themselves in the front line for the freedom of America.
Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Mark Nutsch was brilliant. Despite him being world-renowned for playing Thor, people who’ve only seen him in Marvel movies will get to watch a more realistic performance by Hemsworth. It was truly refreshing to see Hemsworth display his talents as Captain Mitch Nelson, that was tasked to lead the Special Force group consisting of a total of twelve men and destroy a key Taliban stronghold.
12 Strong will be appreciated by Afghan-Americans, many who until this day are still looked at as the enemy and called terrorists despite the fact that they fought alongside the US Army. Navid Neghaban who plays General Dostum also deserves applause for his magnificent performance. During the press conference, Neghaban said:
“..this is the first film that truly shows what Afghans went through.”
Hemsworth also stated how thankful Afghan-Americans are about 12 Strong during the press conference.
“…a number of them came up and said thank you for telling our story because I was there and fought with the Americans, but people…the whole world thinks I’m a terrorist.”
Hemsworth’s quote shows just how grateful he was for receiving this role, in a movie that will help clear the misconception of Afghan-Americans.
Overall, I enjoyed and appreciated 12 Strong. It’s a film with a strong message, one that will not only change the view of many Americans in regards to Afghan-Americans and any others who help the US Army in the fight against terrorism but will have them feeling thankful that so many of this brave men and women leave their beloved families and put their lives on the line for our freedom every single day.
