海角大神

War movies in wartime 鈥� certainly since Vietnam 鈥� inevitably are controversial. John Wayne in 鈥淭he Green Berets鈥� and (ten years later) 鈥淐oming Home鈥� with Jane Fonda come to mind. Pentagon propaganda or peacenik polemic, they are bound to generate dispute.

Then there鈥檚 the question about such films鈥� artistic merit as entertainment, which is what Hollywood is all about.

That question for 鈥淎ct of Valor鈥� 鈥� the war movie about US Navy SEALs, which opened this weekend 鈥� is bringing decidedly mixed reviews from professional film critics and moviegoers.

On film review aggregator 鈥淩otten Tomatoes,鈥� 84 percent of some 9,500 audience reviewers give "Act of Valor" at least 3.5 stars (out of 5) 鈥� basically a thumbs-up. But only 26 percent of 76 鈥淎pproved Tomatometer Critics鈥� 鈥� those who write for newspapers, magazines, and broadcast outlets 鈥� give 鈥淎ct of Valor鈥� a positive review. The figure is even lower for those 27 reviewers the website designates 鈥淭op Critics鈥� 鈥� just 19 percent.

The problem for many reviewers is the casting 鈥� actual Navy SEALs playing themselves. They may be highly-focused and genuinely heroic 鈥� nailing Osama bin Laden and rescuing people captured by pirates 鈥� but these are not drama school grads, and apparently it shows.

鈥淓mploying Navy troops as stars is a clever idea for an action thriller,鈥� writes Claudia Puig聽of USA Today. 鈥淏ut the soldiers' awkward line readings are glaring enough to distract from the potency of the story.鈥� (As a former naval officer, I must note that referring to Navy sailors as 鈥渟oldiers鈥� may be a keel-hauling offense.)

Robert Koehler聽at Variety calls it 鈥渁 mechanically efficient yet soulless dramatization of the US Navy SEALs in action.鈥�

The Monitor鈥檚 Peter Rainer gives 鈥淎ct of Valor鈥� a so-so C+.

鈥淭he movie is essentially a series of reasonably good action sequences,鈥� Rainer writes. 鈥淭he bad guys, who specialize in funny beards, funny accents, and shaved heads, would feel right at home in an 鈥楢ustin Powers鈥� movie.鈥�

But of the warriors-turned-actors, he writes, 鈥渢he SEALs here have been encouraged by their directors 鈥� to be as blandly stalwart as any garden-variety Hollywood counterpart.鈥�

鈥淭op Critic鈥� Chris Vognar聽of the Dallas Morning News gives 鈥淎ct of Valor鈥� a thumbs-up B. But he also notes that 鈥渢he movie doesn't pretend to be anything but propaganda, a modern-day cousin to the morale-boosting documentaries made by John Huston and Frank Capra during World War II.鈥�

Kenneth Turan, who reviews movies for the Los Angeles Times and NPR, agrees with those put off by the acting ability of real-life SEALs.

But he also concedes that 鈥済iven how hot, hot, hot SEALs have become after their role in the聽death of Osama bin Laden, the opportunity to see the genuine article in action rather than the likes of聽Demi Moore (鈥楪.I. Jane鈥�) or聽Bruce Willis聽(鈥楾ears of the Sun鈥�) is to a certain extent irresistible.鈥�

鈥淚t still has some of that promotional film feeling to it, plus a healthy dose of worshipful mythologizing,鈥� Turan writes. 鈥淏ut, frankly, once you see the SEALs in action, you may feel that a certain amount of lionizing is in order.鈥�

There are better movies featuring US Special Forces portrayed by Hollywood actors. 鈥淏lackhawk Down鈥� and 鈥淐lear and Present Danger鈥� come to mind.

Rotten Tomatoes sums up its review of 鈥淎ct of Valor鈥� this way: 鈥淚t's undeniably reverent of the real-life heroes in its cast, but Act of Valor lets them down with a clich茅d script, stilted acting, and a jingoistic attitude that ignores the complexities of war.鈥�

Or as the disabled Vietnam vet played by Jon Voight in 鈥淐oming Home鈥� tells a group of high school students, 鈥淚'm telling you it ain't like it's in the movies.鈥�