On Dec. 27, Universal will unveil its last Oscar contender "Lone Survivor," which has scored mixed reviews.
The film, starring Mark Wahlberg, tells the story of the failed June 28, 2005 mission "Operation Red Wings," which tasked four members of SEAL Team 10 with capturing or killing notorious Taliban leader Ahmad Shahd.
The film was once seen as a potential Best Picture contender when it premiered at the AFI Festival. However, critics' groups have largely ignored the movie and its lack of Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Nominations has hurt its awards campaign. Universal will now attempt to engage audiences with the story and regain the buzz. The movie has premiered to mixed reviews so far, however. Joe Morgenstern from the Wall Street Journal wrote, "Peter Berg's screen version of Marcus Luttrell's book is remarkably good at dramatizing the notorious 2005 Navy SEAL operation that went horrifically bad."
A.O Scott from the New York Times enjoyed the film and wrote, "It is a modest, competent, effective movie, concerned above all with doing the job of explaining how the job was done."
Meanwhile, Richard Corliss of Time disliked the movie and stated, "That these events actually happened doesn't necessarily make it plausible or powerful in a movie, or keep it from seeming like convenient propaganda."
Latinos Post was mixed about the film and called it, "While the film is ultimately uneven in its execution, it is bound to leave viewers emotionally drained and with a stronger appreciation of the men and women that risk their lives for the safety of their nation."
The movie was directed by Peter Berg and also stars Emile Hirsch, Taylor Kitsch, and Ben Foster. Universal will release the movie in two theaters and will expand it nationwide on Jan. 10.