The Hornet's Nest

Can't believe the stupidity in these reviews. Giving a bad review because you don't understand or recognize the basic subject matter of the documentary? Smdh. You people are a disgrace to Americans. No wonder the world thinks we're idiots. You people do all you can to prove we are. Smfh.

Could have done without the contrived father/son drama at the start of the film, it was so bad I almost stopped watching it. Luckily I kept on watching it, it really picked up steam in the second half when the film was devoted to the 101st in operation strong eagle III. It really highlighted the sacrifice of the soldiers and their willingness to give all.

I was a civilian contractor in Iraq and Afghanistan, the losses and ceremonies commemorating them were always sad. The professionalism of the US troops, despite the politics and questionable nature of the Iraq War always made me proud.

Before starting, the movie was more-so a documentary on the journalist than it was the soldiers. It seemed the soldiers were sidelined the whole time and more of a side story for the journalists. Unlike Restrepo, the movie was pitched from the journalist's (Mike and Carlos Boetcher) point of view and mainly from Mike's point of view as the father. It isn't until the last 15 minutes of the movie that they seem to care at all about the soldiers, finally having interviews with them on their combat actions and their opinions, which even then seemed more like a 30 second piece than the reason for the movie.

The first major thing watching the movie to bug me, however, was that they felt the need to add a vast amount of sound effects. From added gun noises, to yelling, to bullet sounds, they would frequently place these added effects over the combat footage as if that combat (real combat) wasn't exciting enough. Being an Afghan War Veteran myself, I felt this was kind of a jab, to say that the soldier's actual stories and actual combat was not worthy of Hollywood. After also watching movies such as Restrepo, I feel this was completely unnecessary.

Those things aside, the movie wasn't awful. I do feel it should have been more about the actual soldiers and the war rather than Mike. I found it rather ironic as well that with him taking so much of the movie to direct to himself and his son, and take away from the soldiers, that he later goes on to say that he was trying to tell their stories.

Overall, for a civilian the movie will hopefully paint a slightly better picture on the war, and it was still done quite well. I just have my feelings on the side due to my past experiences.

I have just finished watching this documentary. While some people are giving negative comments about the documentary and the journalists part in it. People are under the impression this was only to be about America's Military in Afghanistan. However, near the beginning Mike stated that he had sacrificed his family because he neglected them and choose to be a war correspondent. He felt he had this last chance to connect with his son and if he blew it he would lose his son.

Mike is an award winning journalist. He is a war correspondent. He has covered world conflict for 30 years, and was kidnapped and threatened with execution as well as been a survivor of suicide bombing. Carlos and Mike embedded themselves with U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division to bring their perspective of the war in Afghanistan. His coverage dates back to Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Without journalists like him we would never be able to understand some of the things that happens in war. To see someone injured or who has died makes it so real for us. Every day men and women at war go to work everyday not knowing if they will die today. They hunt down the really bad men in this world and although I do not believe in the death penalty, I wont lose sleep if these kinds of men die.

Carlos and Mike were 2 different people in the end of the documentary then they were at the beginning of it. They finally had their connection, their bond as father and son.

I feel they have made sacrifices for us as well...

The best parts are when neither Boettcher is on camera.