It’s been tricky making movies about September 11 and the ensuing Afghanistan War. We’ve seen some distasteful attempts, straight-up propaganda, and then the bizarre tacking on of the tragedy to a Robert Pattinson romance movie (Remember Me). However, the 12 Strong 4K release of the 2018 movie, which was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, is a solid effort that celebrates a team of remarkable soldiers who were eager to defend their country after a terrorist attack, which is something easy to celebrate regardless of the many complications that followed with the war.
“12 Strong is set in the harrowing days following 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghan horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners,” reads the official description.
What immediately stands out about watching the 12 Strong 4K release is how great the cast is. Chris Hemsworth is the heart and soul of the film as Captain Mitch Nelson, which is a strong dramatic portrayal — far removed from the eccentricities of Thor and Furiosa‘s Dementus. The supporting cast also shines, with Michael Shannon and Navid Negahban delivering really good performances, with many other talented actors popping up throughout — Taylor Sheridan even shows up for a good sequence. It’s the glimpses into these soldiers’ personal lives and the sacrifices they are willing to make to put their country first that really drive the story forward. The film also does a good job of showing the political landscape of Afghanistan at the time, with multiple wars and allegiances playing out at once, without becoming too inaccessible.
As with nearly any war movie, there are plenty of big action moments throughout. Thankfully, this is an area where 12 Strong delivers. Tension is always high as you grow to like the group of soldiers, and there are quite a few memorable sequences, including a particularly nasty suicide bombing. The gunfights are aided by some intense airstrikes and the usage of horses throughout, which help separate it visually from a lot of modern-day war movies.
The 12 Strong 4K release is an audiovisual treat. The picture looks great, allowing the action sequences to really captivate, with the nighttime sequences really looking incredible on my OLED screen. The sound design also stands out, as the battle sequences are all the more immersive thanks to Dolby audio.
Faring much better than the Magic Mike 4K release, there’s a worthwhile amount of special features on offer. There are two featurettes: the 22-minute “The Making of an Incomparable Mission Finally,” which goes into how the film was made, and the 10-minute “Monumental Effort,” which focuses on the creation of the America’s Response Monument that honors the 12-man Operational Detachment Alpha 595 team. Both are well worth watching and it’s actually pretty incredible how the film took advantage of New Mexico’s geography to make it convincingly look like Afghanistan. It includes the theatrical trailer as well, so you’ve got over 30 minutes of interesting bonus content.
12 Strong 4K Review: Final Verdict
The 12 Strong 4K release is a welcome one. The Chris Hemsworth-led action movie tells an interesting post-9/11 story of a really remarkable true story that led to the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif. Bolstered by a strong cast and some great action on horseback, this is a war movie worth checking out again.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the publisher for our 12 Strong 4K review.
