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I went and saw Lone Survivor starring Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch opening weekend on the Carmike Big D screen. Even though I knew the story, and what was going to happen, I really enjoyed the movie and thought they did a good job of telling the story of four SEAL Team 10 members and the failed June 28, 2005 mission “Operation Red Wings.”

Remember, this movie is based on the true acts of courage shown by those four men, and those that went to rescue them. The movie is not 100% true to the book of the same name, written by Marcus Luttrell, one of the four SEAL Team 10 members. I’m not going to go into the differences, they are easy enough to find in other articles. (Or read the book and watch the movie and make your own comparisons.)

I want to focus on the overall impression the move provides, and that is one of a tribute to the heroes that serve in our armed forces. I liked what Mark Wahlberg, who plays Luttrell, said on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, when Ferguson asked about the movie being serious. Wahlberg replied, “It’s a very serious movie and the most important movie that I’ve done throughout my entire career. It’s the first time that I’ve made a movie that wasn’t about my own individual experience as an actor and my own individual self-interest. It really was about telling these guy’s story and paying tribute to those guys that lost their lives on the mountain and anybody else that’s ever, you know, walked into a recruiting office and signed up to, you know, protect our country or their community or anybody else.”

At the end of the movie, there is a moving tribute to the men from SEAL Team 10 who died, as well as those who were killed during the rescue mission. The theater was completely silent when the pictures of these fallen heroes were shown.

If you like war movies based on actual events, Lone Survivor is one to see. I’m glad I saw it on the big screen, and will undoubtedly watch it again when it is out on DVD. Very well done war movie and a fitting tribute to those who serve, who I want to thank for their dedication and sacrifices.