Re: Act of Valor
I've been looking forward to seeing this movie ever since I saw the very first promotionals. I picked up the Novelization last weekend at Wal-Mart, & after having finished reading it yesterday I have to say, after watching the Internet promos, if the movie follows the book's plot pretty closely, in combination with cool-looking cinematography, & BTDT Navy SEALs bringing some technical expertise to the action, altogether has got me looking forward to this war-flick moreso than any I've seen in AWHILE!!
From what I understand from the novel's "Forward," it seems this movie was originally a project of the Naval Special Warfare Group to be developed as a NSW promo/recruit film. Tom Clancy heard about it, & approached NSW with an idea to develop the short film into a full blown big production movie & Novel.
Author of "The Finishing School," "The Warrior Elite," & "Chosen Soldier," former SEAL Team One officer & Vietnam Veteran, Dick Couch, was approached to write the Novelization with help from Capt. George Galdorisi, U.S. Navy (Ret.), who spent his 30yr career in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator, helicopter squadron commanding Officer, & Chief of Staff for Cruiser-Destroyer Group Three with combat deployments to the Western Pacific and the Arabian Gulf, aboard the USS Carl Vinson & USS Abraham Lincoln, after which he served as an advisor with the Center for Security Strategy and Operations in Washington, D.C. where he was involved in Navy and Marine Corps strategy & policy formulation, before finally retiring to pursue writing books such as; "Leave No Man Behind."
The screenplay for the film was written by Kurt Johnstad.
Lord knows, Hollywood's let me down with the accuracy(or lack thereof) of their War movies in the past, but this film hasn't just been given unprecedented access & support of the Naval Special Warfare Group & Navy SEALs, but has also benefitted not only from SEAL technical advisors, but it's actually starring active-duty, BTDT Navy SEALs.
I guess if Hollyweird manages to take all that & turn it into a giant, cluster-fuck, then there shouldn't be even a glimmer of hope left in any of us that they'll EVER put anything on the Silverscreen that remotely resembles "real life."