Director Peter Berg's film, which he also scripted, is a big step up in quality from his earlier military movie Battleship. It's based on a book by Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and, though some changes have been made and the title is a spoiler, it's a gripping, gruelling account of men in a deadly situation.

Four SEALs - team leader Michael Murphy (Taylor Kitsch), snipers Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) and Matthew "Ax" Axelson (Ben Foster), and communications specialist Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch) - are sent on a covert mission in Afghanistan to capture Taliban leader Ahmad Shah, who has been responsible for the deaths of US Marines and people aiding them.

In the mountains, they find themselves faced with a terrible moral decision when they encounter some shepherds and it leads to an ambush and a long, bloody battle.

The sunshine and beautiful terrain contrast starkly with the violence taking place for most of the story.

All the actors - including Eric Bana as a SEAL quick-reaction force commander - are good and help make the film feel realistic. It's not excessively jingoistic, just a tribute to the courage and teamwork of the men.

Some featurettes provide information on the background and the making of the film.

RON CERABONA