Michael: I look forward to seeing Act of Valor, but it won’t be this weekend and it may have to wait until the DVD comes out, for a simple reason. It’s rated R. I would love to take my kids to this film, for all the reasons you mention. But next time, can the filmmakers try to keep it PG-13?
Jeff Goldstein noted that the villain in this film in this is not your typical villain we might see today real life. Rather, the film uses an old villain stereotype trope. The victims are poor Filipino Muslims
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War is hell.
I don't see the point in trying to cover this up in movies.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseChildren are allowed into an R movie with a parent or guardian. If you wouldn't take your kids to see it in the theater, why would you show it to them on DVD?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDon't abdicate your decision-making to the MPAA. Air Force One is rated R, and that's a whole lot more benign than most of the sex-fueled, waste of brain cells, Hollywood trash that gets rated PG-13.
The rating folks are very, very leery of films with violence, but let soft core pornography through with little problem.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWar isn't PG-13; movies attempting to accurately depict it should not be either.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's a safe bet the R was awarded for violence, not sex. Imagine a Seals movie without violence?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIsn't this a war movie, with real military people in it? I take it that it's very realistic. War is not a PG-13 experience.
I don't know how old your children are, but the other poster makes a good point that minors can attend R movies when with adults. Either you think your children are too young for this movie or not, that's entirely up to you, as is whether you want to go to the movies or watch it at home. But it seems like this is a being presented as a movie for adults and that seems proper given the subject matter.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou're kidding, right? A movie that attempts to realistically portray the challenges and sacrifices of our brave warriors must limit itself to less than one F-bomb and not show too much blood or torture so as not to offend Mr. Miller's fragile sensibilities and allow him to take his young'uns?
And I thought he was into rock music.
Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Full Metal Jacket, Flags of Our Fathers/Letters From Iwo Jima, Glory, The Killing Fields, M*A*S*H, Stripes, and Good Morning, Vietnam.
All rated R.
How can you survive in this world, Mr. Miller?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSo why did they have to make the main villain Jewish? Just a coincidence? Or rather, pandering to the foreign movie market?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSpare me. I'd totally forgotten that the drug kingpin was Jewish because, unlike those who wish to seek grievance anywhere, it wasn't an important part of the story. You're one of those people who found Fiddler on the Roof and Yentl not Jewish enough, aren't you? You think that perhaps the only acceptable movie villains are white male heterosexual Christians? Feh.
I saw Act of Valor in early-December and have seen two dozen movies since then, so to be told the main villain was Jewish is news to me. He's NOT the Big Bad of AoV, he's the warm-up act for the real evil, the Muslim jihadist who is seeking to slip undetectable suicide vests into the United States. The interrogation on the ship as I recall was to pump intel from the kingpin about his childhood friend who had turned to militant Islam. When Senior mentions, "But you're Jewish," it's not to say, as EBL and his ilk imagine, "Hey you hook-nosed, covetous Jesus-killer," but, "You have nothing in common with your friend anymore. Why not help save some lives?" Since he does help *SPOILER ALERT*, doesn't that make him less of a bad guy?
Note for future filmmakers: ONLY use white male heterosexual Christians as villains or diaper-fillers like EBL will never shut up about their imagined slights. Maybe the DVD will redub the line, But you're Mormon, Mitt!" That would make EBL happy.
My Act of Valor review is here.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDirkBelig, I am not Jewish. I support our military. Do not put words in my mouth I never said. I am a bit tired of Hollywood making the villains white supremacists, Jews, white Christian males in general. And not focusing blame on terrorism where currently in our world blame belongs.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePardon me that I would've inferred otherwise as you reported what someone else who hasn't seen the movie either said as being its unpardonable sin: The villain is Jewish and that this is obviously meant to make it more salable in the anti-Semitic world.
Perhaps your source should've thought that maybe they cast this guy because he looked like a sleazeball. It's unwarranted outrage like this that leads to the villains in Tom Clancy movies being changed from Islamist terrorist to generic Euro-Nazis.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDirk, What I said was accurate. And sadly, making a villain Jewish does make a film more salable in the anti-Semitic world.
I am quite aware of how Western Caucasian men and especially Christian Caucasian men are often made to be villains (or idiots) in a lot of movies. I hate it too. There was a time that Nazis were the bad guys. Then it was the Soviets and ChiComs. Now the bad guys are Islamic terrorists. But I watch the news pretty carefully and Jews, Israelis and actual observant white Christians doing bad things like this is pretty rare (like exceedingly rare). What you do see is a lot of Christians out there trying to do good in the world. But here is the Debbie Schlussel article on the subject: External Link
You did not see it that way. I read your review. Maybe Ms. Schussel is being overly sensitive. I will go see the movie and see how they portray it.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSaw the movie. Read the Schlussel article. She's hysterical. The Jewishness of that villian is barely a footnote to the plot. And I sure don't see how making the second rate villian a Jew helps worldwide marketing when the major villian is Muslim...whose plot fails...and who, well I don't want to give away the ending, but let's say few if any in the anti-Semitic world will be inspired by how his hash gets settled.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDirk, I did not see the movie. I read your review. f you say it is not that bad in its portrayal, okay. I will take your word on it. But I am hearing it is not and from people on the right. Jeff Goldstein did not see the movie yet either.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDirk, usually you insert a "*SPOILER ALERT*" BEFORE you write the spoiler.
What you just did was the equivalent of "OMG! Malcolm Crowe has been dead the whole time! *SPOILER ALERT*"
(Sorry to any time travelers from 1998 who might be reading this.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOh, come on, don't be such a tool. He just he'd have to wait for a time when he could go without kids.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"He just *said*", that is.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNo, he said he'd love to take them if it was PG-13, but can't because it's R. I don't know how old or fragile his spawnlings are, but if they can't handle a realistic war movie, then they shouldn't watch the evening news.
I'm guessing Miller hasn't seen Touching the Void since that's an R-rated movie. No blood, no sex, just a guy who thinks he's fallen into is final resting place unleashing a string of F-bombs. Good thing he didn't smoke a cigarette, too!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhat a jerk to insult a man for wanting to show clean movies to his children. I never showed PG-13 movies to mine (other than a few clean ones, like Lord of the Rings), and they have carried a taste for clean movies into adulthood. So please -- toss your stupid insults my way. They will do me proud.
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