Seal Team Six [Blu-ray] [Import]

After watching "Seal Team Six," I was a bit surprised to see the diversity in reactions to this well-intentioned teleplay. I didn't really expect to see glowing five star reviews, but nor did I anticipate the vitriol with which others would respond to this piece. Maybe it helps to know what you're getting into when approaching the DVD/Blu-ray release of "Seal Team Six." This is NOT the eagerly anticipated and critically lauded (and soon to be Oscar winning) film "Zero Dark Thirty" by Kathryn Bigelow. (Even that film, though, has its detractors despite unanimous critical acclaim). Instead, this straightforward docudrama was produced and aired by the National Geographic Channel. In no way does this constitute a definitive treatment of a difficult subject. It just boils down the main events of a rigorous manhunt into a earnest summary. It is a surface presentation of complicated events and judged on those terms, it works just fine.

This little film is loaded with TV friendly faces that you might recognize. Among the cast are Kathleen Robertson, Cam Gigandet, Anson Mount, Freddy Rodriguez, and Xzibit. The movie attempts to introduce the Navy SEALs responsible for this life changing raid. Much of the screenplay shows them interacting within their squad, but this footage is interspersed with confessional type sit-downs where each member of the cast gets a bit more personal with what they were thinking as the mission progressed. With Robertson, we see some of the behind-the-scenes moments that initiated the raid. Again, this is all presented in a documentary style that suits the lower budget of the project well.

If you have an interest in this topic (and who doesn't really?), "Seal Team Six" presents an entertaining enough overview. For its constraints and limitations, it is a nicely assembled film. My hesitation stems from the fact that there is a slight difference between watching something for free (or renting it cheaply) as opposed to purchasing it for your collection. Now that I have "Seal Team Six" on Blu-ray and have viewed it once, I'm not sure that it had the power or impact that will make me pull it out for a second look. I just wanted to weigh in with a more conservative perspective. If you anticipate that this treatment is the last word as an in-depth analysis of the subject, you might not be satisfied. Ultimately, for me, it didn't present much in the way of new information. But I did like the actors and the film's confessional documentary feel. KGHarris, 1/13.

By Jim Clark, publisher, Lee County Courier, Tupelo, Mississippi

White House officials will not "confirm or deny" if Seal Team Six got it right or not.
There are a couple things we know they got wrong. None of the compound's children wandered outside as the Black Hawk's arrived on the scene like they did in the movie. Also Osama Bin Laden was shot in the head when he ducked his head out the doorway to see what was going on.
I haven't seen Zero Dark Thirty, a film also about this successful Seal mission. But I suspect it's the better of the two knowing the actors involved and what some critics, I respect, have said.
But Seal Team Six is worth a watch while waiting for the other to arrive on DVD.
There's little doubt that this mission was what every Navy Seal has been trained for and more than willing to participate in.
The film mixes actors with real characters via news footage in a documentary style thriller. The CIA think they have located Bin Laden but clearly most operations can't be carried out on a hunch. The President does have to also weigh an unannounced attack on Pakistani soil.
I liked the peak inside of how Navy Seals lived and trained. At one point there is conflict between two of the Seals, basically because an older member of the unit, has been passed over, and made to answer to a younger unit commander. But regardless, of petty circumstance the men know they must show no show no sign of division as they carry out an impressive attack, which lasts less than 38 minutes.

Very well done film with awesome images and sound. Excellent direction and acting make for a very insightful and entertaining film. Not heavy handed either. Check it out!