12 Strong

Director: Nicolai Fuglsig Nicolai Fuglsig

Overview

In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, a U.S. Special Forces unit undertake a dangerous mission in Afghanistan to strike back against the Taliban. There, they find common allies among the Afghani people, and must adapt to their new terrain by learning to fight on horseback. 12 Strong was directed by Nicolai Fuglsig, and is based on the non-fiction book Horse Soldiers by Douglas Stanton. Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pe?a, Trevante Rhodes, Navid Negahban, Elsa Pataky, William Fichtner, and Rob Riggle star.

Product Details

Release Date:	05/01/2018
UPC:	0883929601530
Original Release:	2018
Rating:	R
Source:	Warner Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	2:10:00
Sales rank:	1,814

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Chris Hemsworth	Captain Mitch Nelson
Michael Peña	Sam Diller
Navid Negahban	General Dostum
Trevante Rhodes	Ben Milo
Geoff Stults	Sean Coffers
Thad Luckinbill	Vern Michaels
Austin Hébert	Pat Essex
Austin Stowell	Fred Falls
Kenneth Miller	Kevin Jackson
Kenny Sheard	Bill Bennett
Jack Kesy	Charles Jones
Rob Riggle	Lt. Colonel Bowers
William Fichtner	Colonel Mulholland
Arshia Mandavi	Najeeb
Elsa Pataky	Jean Nelson
Marie Wagenman	Maddy Nelson
Allison King	Marsha Spencer
Samuel Kamphuis	Jake Spencer,Diller's Son
Lauren Myers	Lisa Diller
Laith Nakli	Commander Ahmed Lal
Fahim Fazli	Khaled
Numan Acar	Mullah Razzan
Peter Karas	Habib(as Peter Malek)
Matthew Van Wettering	Desk Sergeant
Michael Shannon	Hal Spencer
Taylor Sheridan	Brian
Yasmine Aker	Teacher
Ben O'Toole	Scott Black
Austin Hebert	Sgt First Class Pat Essex
Kevin Kent	555 Soldier
Verónica Díaz	Lt. Henriques
Seth Adkins	Josh
Peter Malek	Habib
Mustafa Haidari	Taliban Fighter
Ali Olomi	Afghan Man
Shvan Aladdin	Al Qaeda Fighter
Martin Palmer	Northern Alliance Soldier
Tim Aydelott	Special Forces First Sargent
Frank Powers	SF Civillian
James Joseph Pulido	Newmark
Shawn Sarmeidani	Dostums Bodyguard
Anouar Smaine	Ahmad Taliban
Nour Bitar	Afghany Mother
Edward Butron	Taliban/New Alliance
Christian Pedersen	SF Soldier
Shawn Lecrone	Northern Alliance Soldier/Dostum Flank
Nate Boyer	Captain Nosorog
Adrian Luna	Taliban Soldier
Benjamin Poe	Special Forces Captain
Perla Daoud	Afghani Girl
Michael Stogner	Village Elder
Lawrence Gilligan	Taliban Soldier
Michael Sercerchi	Soldier
Tommy Truex	Chinook Pilot
David White	Northern Alliance Soldier/Dostum Flank
Martin Andazola	Taliban Soldier
Dan Gruenberg	Taliban
Massa Daoud	Afghani Girl
Robert Doudell	Rug Merchant
Vincent McDaniel	515 Captain
Sarrett Williams	Special Forces Sergeant
Shaun Valdez	Taliban Soldier
Marcus Sparenberg	Sergeant MacDonald
Ivan Nino	Taliban Soldier
Matthew Velez	Soldier
Paul David Cano	Taliban
Jason Exum	Admin 2nd Lieutenant
Lorne Balfe	Composer

Technical Credits

Ted Tally

Peter Craig

Ted Tally	Screenwriter
Peter Craig	Screenwriter
Nicolai Fuglsig	Director
Yale Badik	Executive Producer
Garrett Grant	Executive Producer
Val Hill	Executive Producer
Broderick Johnson	Executive Producer
Andrew A. Kosove	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Ellen H. Schwartz	Executive Producer
Doug Stanton	Executive Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer	Producer
Thad Luckinbill	Producer,Producer
Molly Smith	Producer
Chad Oman	Executive Producer
Scott Oshita	Special Effects
Douglas Stanton	Executive Producer
Jo Boldin	Casting
John Papsidera	Casting
Marty Funkhouser	Executive Producer
Mike Stenson	Executive Producer
Christopher Glass	Casting
Edwardo Santiago	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

Last summer's Dunkirk set a new benchmark for war films, portraying the British evacuation of Dunkirk in a way that conveyed the sense of mortal danger involved in combat, as well as the emotional tension that occurs when soldiers (and civilians) find themselves straddling the razor-thin line between life and death. It managed to convey both these feelings and a strong sense of British patriotism, even though it tended to give the vivid battle scenes precedence over individual character development. Nevertheless, this technique worked surprisingly well and served to distinguish Dunkirk from the many character-driven war films, such as Saving Private Ryan and American Sniper, that remain the most popular examples of the genre. Despite the differences between the European theatre of World War II and the United States' 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, Dunkirk is likely to be on many moviegoers' minds when they see 12 Strong. However, the involvement of producer Jerry Bruckheimer (whose Pearl Harbor was released shortly before the invasion that 12 Strong portrays) ensures that they will see a much more conventional war film. Bruckheimer specializes in blockbuster action flicks, and the combat scenes in 12 Strong play more like explosive free-for-alls than realistic representations of war. While the movie is meant to commemorate the heroic efforts of the 12-man Army task force that overwhelmed the Taliban stronghold of Mazar-i-Sharif a mere three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, many of the combat scenes end up emphasizing the terrible destructive powers of American air strikes rather than the ground-level efforts of the so-called "Horse Soldiers." In its non-combat scenes, 12 Strong is a much more character-driven film than Dunkirk, which is probably appropriate given the fact that it follows a group of twelve soldiers rather than the entirety of the British forces at Dunkirk. But while its enthusiastic attempt at portraying the camaraderie among a tight-knit group of soldiers fighting against extreme odds might be fitting in theory, it often fails to be convincing -- especially with Chris Hemsworth playing the task force's leader, Captain Mitch Nelson. His well-groomed appearance and mischievous demeanor do nothing to suggest that his character is a competent military leader, an unfortunate obstacle which persists until the final battle sequence. Even less convincing is the friendship between Nelson and the Uzbek warlord General Dostum (Navid Negahban), with whom the American task force joins forces in their fight against the Taliban. As Nelson, Hemsworth foolishly blusters his way through almost every one of his encounters with Dostum -- making the frequent shifts in the general's attitude toward him seem arbitrary and mostly self-motivated. One of 12 Strong's redeeming facets is the presence of Michael Shannon as Nelson's second-in-command, Hal Spencer. As the film progresses, it's hard to shake off the feeling that Shannon, with his powerful presence and hard-edged stare, would have been more convincing in the role of Captain Nelson, even if this would have meant sacrificing the everyman appeal of Hemsworth (which would have likely made a crucial difference in the movie's box-office performance). Still, like Dunkirk, 12 Strong is primarily an ode to patriotism and the soldiers who fought bravely for their country -- despite its questionable casting choices and overly bombastic combat scenes. It may not be a particularly memorable war film on its own merits, but its commemoration of an extraordinary and little-known American military victory will likely be enough to satisfy veterans and war-movie fans alike.