Strong soldiers

A story I along with likely many, was unaware of, until I saw the Nicolai Fuglsig-helmed 12 Strong. Many of us being unaware of it due to the documents being classified for years. But a dozen of the United States military soldiers were actually the first ones to retaliate, just a day after the shocking, devastating 9/11. Such was an impact of it on Captain Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth) and fellow others that he promised to be involved in the battle, to contribute onto something, to do, to go, for his country while most of his countrymen were in pain.

Captain Mitch promises his wife that he’ll return. Coming back from a compromised, foreign territory likely seems unbelievable, and I think that’s what make us, the audiences, mainly hold onto. That if the soldiers will be able to keep their promises, which we think is somewhat over-the-top, but still strive up to.

Taliban leaders here, well, mostly everywhere, are merciless, despicable, and unnecessarily ultra conservationists (not allowing girls to be educated). The film's antagonist is given less screen-time, but his establishing scene is described basically as the points mentioned. And it’s tense.

Though a secondary, not asked for, task for Mitch was to now have ‘killer-eyes’, exclaimed by the unlikely ally – General Dostum (Navid Negahban). Eyes of a killer, as Mitch hasn’t been on a real warfront before. So, does he really get them – forms another crux of the narrative.

Here we witness realistic explosions. And damages. Which made me wonder about, even though the film isn’t aimed at one - is war being the answer to end war? We may be able to save a town through it, but the battle is still going out there, in different forms.

Here's a 12 Strong trailer.