Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I wish I could give 2.5 stars because I have to give credit for the outstanding footage. It was beyond compelling and was also the only reason I lasted the entire documentary. I will also give Mike and Carlos Boettcher credit for risking their lives by embedding with these soldiers. But that's as much as I can say about that... Overall, the narration seemed contrived and like an audition tape for a news reporter/anchor position. The title may be called "The Hornet's Nest" but maybe 30-35% of the movie is actually about the soldier's experience in the valley. And when I say 30-35% of it being the soldier's experience, I really mean 15-20% because the rest of the time was dedicated to Boettcher and his experience. A common theme I've seen in any critical review of the film is that Boettcher is too superfluous, almost self-indulgent in his narration and the way he navigates his time of Afghanistan.The first half of the film is dedicated to something completely personal and unrelated: Mike goes on about how he was a poor father who was never around while his kids were growing up and now this life-threatening trip to Afghanistan would be a great opportunity to reconnect with his son who has absolutely no combat experience. From that moment forward, every experience is tinted with Boettcher's personal stake in it - how the experience scared him/affected him, what he was thinking and feeling throughout enemy fire. Even when his son isn't around, it continues to be this self self-absorbed ego-trip for Boettcher who just seems to be coming to grips with the fact that he's aging and can't embed much longer. When tragedy strikes, all he really has to say about it is, "How do you process that... as a reporter with a camera?... you don't." That's just not what this film should have been about. One incredibly insensitive and condescending moment stood out though. When Boettcher is explaining the actions taken by a particular soldier during a firefight, this is what he has to say, "In the middle of this battle, specialist Lindskog, this timid young man who you wouldn't expect would do anything heroic, runs through this hail of gunfire to try to save his fellow soldiers and another afghan soldier." I'm sorry but every man and woman who becomes a member of our military is heroic. Their job is to is to do the things you and I are not necessarily capable of doing, at the risk of their own life, for the protection of our entire country. That is brave. And that is heroic. Maybe Boettcher was just trying to frame the scene but, regardless, it was patronizing and incredibly crass. The only reason I would suggest this film is to see and appreciate the footage for it's compelling, raw and captivating content. Otherwise, the story is a disappointing homage to a war correspondent-with-an-Achilles-Complex's career that is inching ever closer to retirement.