Courage, valor and nationalism are qualities deeply respected in the U.S. military.  In director Nicolai Fuglsig’s film “12 Strong,” 12 U.S. military officers display these qualities in their fight against the Taliban.

Taking place directly after 9/11, “12 Strong” is the story of the 12 soldiers who were the first to fight back after the attacks.  

The hostile Afghani mountains and Captain Mitch Nelson’s (Chris Hemsworth) lack of combat experience are the least of the Special Forces team’s worries.  Their mission is to recover the Taliban-run city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 21 days because of snow threats.  Their only assistance comes from the horseback-riding Afghani warlord General Dostum (Navid Neghaban) and his soldiers.  

In the real-life story, U.S. Task Force Dagger rode into combat on horseback, Dostom’s army by their side, guns blazing.  Despite impossible odds, the army of 12 fought with bravery and the American spirit in their hearts.  They were outnumbered and outgunned yet did not think twice about stampeding into combat.  History knows them as the “Horse Soldiers” and they will be remembered for their fortitude.

Throughout the film, Fuglsig shows glimpses of Taliban cruelty and mercilessness, especially the acts of villain Mullah Razzan (Numan Acar).  Fuglsig effectively instills a feeling of anger in the viewers in showing these scenes of fatal violence towards women who attempted to educate their children.  This anger has anyone watching rooting for Nelson and Dostum even more than they were before.

An unexpected element of this film is its comedic tint.  Since the subject matter of this movie is so heavy,  the occasional joke coming from one of the soldiers lightens it up a bit.  The men often laugh about the fact that they were literally plunging into the battlefield on the backs of horses.  The pleasant and often funny dialogue among the 12 soldiers keeps the audience hopeful for the outcome of their mission.

The cinematography throughout the movie was phenomenal, especially during the battle scenes.  The constant sound of gunfire, explosions and visuals of the Horse Soldiers plunging into war was extraordinary.   The scenes were thrilling and detailed–you could see the heroism reflecting from the soldiers.

All of the actors portrayed their characters as tough men ready for anything.  You have no trouble picturing them as anything other than soldiers.

“12 Strong” pays tribute to the soldiers who fought with everything they had for their country and its people.  While Americans were grieving from 9/11, these 12 soldiers first response was to get up and fight back.  Their anger led them straight into the heart of terrorism to fight for the values those terrorists hate.  Their actions began the retaliation in Afghanistan for 9/11.  “12 Strong” depicted those brave 12 and all of their qualities with the respect their courage deserved.  Despite the threat of death over their heads every step of the way, the 12 soldiers didn’t just follow orders, they sprinted into battle.

“12 Strong” brilliantly shows their courageous actions, and honored their valor.

I give this movie 4 out of 5 stars.