Uphold 8/10
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| Lone Survivor (R) |
Starting the year off right, with an intense, emotional, thrill ride, Lone Survivor is the true story based on the failed June 28, 2005 mission "Operation Red Wings," where four SEAL Team 10 members were tasked with capturing or killing notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd. With high octane action engulfing the majority of the picture, effortlessly mixed with the emotional trauma that accompanies it, this is a movie that grabs the audience tightly and refuses to let go. Mark Wahlberg leads with his excellent portrayal of Marcus Luttrell, followed closely by Taylor Kitsch (Micheal Murphy), Emile Hirsch (Danny Dietz), and Ben Foster (Matt "Axe" Axelson), who fill out the rest of the SEAL Team. Nearly every scene has the audience at the edge of their seat, with teeth clenched in a futile effort to keep the movie from drawing them ever closer. Lone Survivor is a gritty, intense true story of courage that accurately depicts the horrors of war and delivers on all facets.