Sean Bean has yet to star in a major movie, but he proves his charisma in Bravo Two Zero, based on the true story of a British Special Forces unit behind enemy lines during the Gulf War. Bravo Two Zero begins with the men taking leave of their wives, children, and girlfriends, then takes us step by step through the procedures that lead to going to war: not simply the gathering of equipment and intelligence, but things like "proof of life" statements--something idiosyncratic that, if the soldiers are captured, will demonstrate that they are still alive. Sent to cut an information line, the squad loses radio contact, and the men are forced to abandon their gear and head for the border of Syria. From there things only get worse, and some viewers may find the going brutal. These realistic details give the movie its punch, but it's Bean who keeps you caring. --Bret Fetzer
2.
Based on Andy McNab's memoir, BRAVO TWO ZERO is the story of the eight man SAS team who, during the Gulf War, were dropped behind enemy lines with 210 packs strapped to their backs and orders to destroy Saddam's "scud alley." Unfortunately, within 24 hours, the team's radios were dead and they found themselves pursued by the Iraqui Army. Sergeant McNab, who commanded the top-secret mission, was one of the five who made it back from behind Iraqui lines, and his story is one of the most heartbreaking and thrilling of the Gulf War.
3.
A made-for-TV adaptation of Andy McNab's best-selling Bravo Two Zero--his account of a covert SAS mission in the Gulf War gone wrong. Sean Bean plays McNab, part of an eight-man team dropped behind enemy lines to sever communications lines. Things inevitably go wrong, however, and the team are captured and tortured, before making a variety of daring and amazing escapes. The story on which this film is based is certainly stirring, but it suffers from being generically at odds with the production values of a TV adaptation. The acting is wooden and the budget cannot provide the pyrotechnics or thrilling action sequences which action or war junkies may demand. At some points there are even unsuccessful attempts to blend parts of the staged drama with real documentary news footage. One might argue that the presentation of the SAS team as everyday, emotionally stunted lads, and their mission as gritty, downbeat and devoid of glamour is perhaps quite true to real-life events. It is also a huge novelty to see cinematic acknowledgement of British forces' participation in any conflict occurring in the last century. On the other hand, Bravo Two Zero undoubtedly appears quite dour when placed alongside a more flashy, Hollywood offering such as Three Kings. Nevertheless, SAS aficionados and fans of the novel will enjoy it immensely, if only to look at the way in which McNab's account presents Chris Ryan--author of a drastically different film and novel version of this incident, The One That Got Away--as a posturing, image-conscious coward. The video also includes an exclusive 22-minute interview with the author, Andy McNab. --Paul Philpott
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