Genre: Action/War/Comedy
Director: Todd Phillips
Writer: Jacob Jones
Cast: Nick Robinson, Adam Driver, John Cena, Dwayne Johnson, Dylan Schmid, Michelle Williams, Mena Massoud
Plot: Inside a military base in Columbus, Ohio, several men and women stand in a line, nervously staring into the face of their leader, the ruthless General Matthews (Dwayne Johnson). He slowly marches back and forth, giving a speech about grit and determination. From here on in, you can not cower away. The military is home to some of America's bravest soldiers, if you act like a numbskull, desert your post or humiliate yourself, you humiliate the military.
He glances at one of the rookies and asks for his name. Trying to not act nervous, the man introduces himself as Curtis (Nick Robinson). Matthews tries to get him to speak, but Curtis ends up fumbling in his words "A man with few words...and no balls.". Curtis lowers his head, embarrassed at the poor introduction. General Matthews then spots another man, one with a bright smile on his face and glasses on his eyes. He calls him AJ (Dylan Schmid) and expresses honor regarding joining the military.
Despite snickers and groans from the crowd, Matthews playfully gives him the title 'Fresh Eyes', cementing his name by taking his glasses and snapping it into pieces. Curtis watches as he garners a saddened expression and frowns before sneezing out of turn. Matthews hears him and demands an explanation. Fearing his life, Curtis tells him he just had to sneeze. Matthews finds his excuse insufficient and reminds him that he was chosen to serve this country. As he leaves, Curtis mutters under his breath that he doesn't have to be a dick about it.
Unfortunately for him, Matthews hears and storms right back. He tells him to give a 'show and tell' to everyone on what he said. Curtis looks into the eyes of his new general and again concerned about the ramifications it has for his life apologizes, saying that it won't happen again. At the end of initiation, Matthews gives the rookies their bunkmates. AJ gets to sleep with veteran Max (John Cena) while Curtis sleeps with veteran Austin (Adam Driver). He dismisses the rookies, letting them mingle with their new companions.
Curtis tries to start a conversation with Max, only for it to go nowhere. Austin comes up to him, telling him not to worry about Max. He can be a bit cankerous. The two introduce themselves and Curtis asks if Matthews is usually this mean. Austin admits to asking the same question when he joined and tells him that as long as he doesn't piss anyone off, he should be alright. The two head off to their room to get an early night's sleep. The next morning, Curtis stares at his breakfast trying to eat and pay no attention to the antics going on behind him. When he heads to the bathroom however, he finds Max menacing around AJ, playfully calling him 'Fresh Eyes' with a devious tint. When he offers to show his eyes to the toilet, Curtis steps in to break the two up.
Angered by Curtis's interruption, Max nonetheless respects his request to leave AJ be on the ground he stays out of his business for as long as they stay in the army. Curtis accepts the proposal, watching as Max walks off. Overjoyed, AJ hugs his savior much to Curtis's surprise and confusion. He asks AJ if everything has been alright, to which AJ admits that he's found it hard to fit in. He never saw himself as being a part of the military, but when the opportunity came, he had to take the chance. Curtis sympathizes and the two vow to take care of one another.
That afternoon, the soldiers partake in an exercise designed to test their physical strength and tenacity run by one of the senior soldiers. Curtis and Austin watch as Max utterly thrashes his opponent, Curtis cringing at the sight. The soldier calls Curtis and Austin up next, much to his sheer terror. Upon entering the ring, Austin asks Curtis if he's feeling alright. Curtis lies, saying he's never been better. The session starts and Austin completely dominates, Curtis being completely unprepared for the moves and going down swinging.
Later that evening, Curtis lies on his bed, nursing a black eye and several cuts on his face when he sees Austin enter their room, asking him if he's alright. Curtis says it could've been worse. Austin apologizes for the black eye, saying he got a bit too rough on him. He then offers to show him a few tips to stay on his feet. Curtis accepts, assuming things can't possibly get any worse for him. He stands up and Austin shows him how to dodge, protect and land the right punch at the right time. Over the next few days, Curtis begins to improve until one night, he clocks Austin on the head with a nasty left-hook. This is enough for Austin to declare him 'ready'.
All throughout the next day, Curtis keeps in mind everything Austin has taught him and keeps to himself, focusing on all his exercises and such. During lunch however, he sees Max forcing AJ's face towards his empty plate, some of the soldiers cheering him on. Furious, Curtis storms up to Max, angrily telling him that he promised to stop. Max reminds him that he would if he stayed out of his business. To him, this is business. The two continue to argue until Max asks Curtis what he plans to do about it.
Without warning, Curtis wallops Max with a punch, taking him back. He stares at the angered expression on Curtis's face, smirking wickedly. He shoves AJ aside and enters a wrestling match with Curtis. The fight goes on for a few minutes, Curtis surprising many of the soldiers by keeping up with the veteran. As soon as he finds an opening, Curtis takes Max down and hits several nasty punches to his head. General Matthews walks in and finding the chaos orders two soldiers to break it up. As Curtis is restrained, he glances to his table and finds Austin nodding at him. He turns back towards Max, finding him bloodied but conscious. Max stares at him before smiling, saying he respects him in German.
That evening, Curtis lays on the doctor's bed getting stitched up when General Matthews steps in. After dismissing the doctor, he reveals that Curtis was about to be discharged when Austin told him what happened. He admits that he respects Curtis's bravery and willingness to stand up for a fellow soldier, but warns him never to pull a stunt like that again. Before Matthews can leave, he spots AJ by the infirmary door, asking if he can see Curtis. Matthews permits him, stepping away for the two of them to speak.
AJ thanks Curtis for coming to his defense, hoping this will be the end of Max's antics. From what Austin told him, he's actually a good person when he's not trying to impress his fellow countrymen and is also very funny. Curtis wishes to see that side of him someday. The two head out of the infirmary and off to Curtis's dorm. AJ runs off, returning with a selection of items. He reveals that he lived in Iraq for a few years before joining the military and picked up several items during his stay, including a sword and some walkie-talkies. Bemused, Curtis asks if he plans to use the sword. AJ says he won't, saying it's against the code of conduct. He then says that people think Iraq is this horrible country filled with terrorists, but having been there, he has found some incredible friends.
The two soon hear a five minute warning for curfew, AJ makes his way out before telling Curtis he found this one club nearby the military base. Despite Curtis's concerns that Matthews will kill them if they go missing in action, AJ declares that he has a plan, not revealing what it may be.
The next morning, Curtis wakes up, feeling a cold body. To his shock, he finds a robot sleeping under his blanket. His walkie-talkie soon goes off and despite his sheer confusion, Curtis listens to AJ's every move. AJ explains that he built robot replicas of themselves during the night with the metal he obtained from one of his hobbies. The two attempt to sneak out, hoping no one will find them. To their relief, no one does. Upon exiting the military base, AJ directs Curtis to a western-styled club called; 'The Goodtimes Corral'. Upon entering, they proceed to drink and party for much of the day. Feeling the buzz, AJ guides Curtis towards the poles and introduces him to one of the local strippers before paying her $100 to give him the best time ever. His inhibitions long past him, Curtis proudly declares his love of America as he is taken to an undisclosed room.
That evening, AJ finds Curtis inside the room completely unconscious and carries him back to the military base. To his amazement, he finds that the robots worked perfectly. With everyone sleeping, he quietly takes Curtis to his bed before getting rid of the robots. The next day, General Matthews has all of the soldiers run ten laps to test their endurance. Despite feeling horrible, Curtis pushes himself to go faster, perhaps to his detriment. By his final lap, he can barely breathe or see. He collapses by a nearby tree before being helped up by Austin and Matthews and taken to the bathroom where he nearly throws up.
Austin opens the door, checking to see if Curtis is okay. He nods, calling the session 'hell'. Austin understands, feeling the same way his first time around before revealing that Matthews praised his tenacity and drive. Curtis is relieved but tired, walking off to his dorm to catch some sleep. That afternoon, Curtis finally wakes up and sees Austin calling someone on his phone. He comes forward, asking Austin what he's doing. He tells Curtis that he's calling his wife Serene (Michelle Williams) and lets him speak to her for a bit. After introducing themselves, Curtis asks Serene what the most important thing a soldier can do is. After giving it some thought, she tells Curtis that despite everything that goes on, he must stay true to himself. Curtis thanks Serene before handing the phone back to Austin.
After the call, Curtis notes how happy Serene sounded to hear Austin. Austin nods, asking Curtis to sit by him. Upon doing so, Austin reveals that he has a son and a daughter back home and believes in the importance of being a good role-model, being in the military has not only taught him to embrace what makes him great, but to inspire others to be be the change they seek and help protect not just this nation but others across the globe. Inspired, Curtis hopes to one day start a family himself once he's deployed. The two head to sleep, their respect for each other reaching a new high.
Early next morning, Matthews calls for everyone to meet him outside the base. As everyone gathers, Curtis sits by Austin and AJ, wondering what is going on. Matthews announces that they will be deployed to Baghdad, Iraq to survey an escalating situation regarding three conflicting groups. The hope is that they will be able to prevent things from boiling over, but there is no guarantee. He orders everyone to be prepared, they will be departing for their plane in twenty minutes.
While everyone packs only the essentials, Curtis notices AJ stuffing in virtually everything he has in his backpack. When asked why, AJ says that he needs to be prepared for every possible situation. Austin commends him but hopes he can carry the weight. Max watches him, extremely suspicious about this, but knowing what happened last time decides not to question it. The soldiers walk a single-file line, each group entering a vehicle run by one of the senior officials before arriving at their plane. All is quiet as they board the plane, with everyone understanding the weight of the situation.
During their flight, Max breaks the silence by quietly singing a song he remembers hearing back in Germany called Don't Go Breaking My Heart. Matthews catches wind of it and to everyone's surprise asks if he'd like to join him in a duet. The two proceed to trade verses and entertain the others. Soon, Austin and AJ join in before finally Curtis chimes in after much cajoling. Next thing they know, the entire military personnel is singing in a makeshift choir. Once they finish their show, everyone gives Matthews and Max a standing ovation. Curtis smiles, having finally seen Max's lighter side.
The plane soon arrives at Iraq and the group begins to make their way to their base. Upon arrival, Matthews reminds everyone to be vigilant. All may be calm now, but the situation is volatile. Matthews heads to his office to discuss plans with the president, leaving the soldiers to prepare and observe life in Iraq. Much to everyone's surprise (excluding Curtis), AJ proves very helpful regarding how to navigate the country and its people. That evening, Curtis and Austin prepare for bed when Curtis realizes he needs to say goodnight to AJ. When he attempts to find him however, he discovers that he is absent. Fearing that AJ has been kidnapped, he tells Austin the news. To his relief, Curtis finds out that AJ was granted permission to take night missions. He goes to sleep with a clear mind.
Once again, Curtis is jolted awake by an occurrence, this time by the sound of gunfire. He rushes to the scene, finding that their base has come under attack by one of the groups. He scrambles into his gear, grabbing his weapons and coming into the line of action. Despite his best efforts, it is clear that no one prepared for such an unexpected attack. Thankfully, the numbers advantage is too much for the terrorist group and they retreat. It isn't without casualty however as Curtis finds Austin writhing in pain. It turns out he was shot in the stomach during the attack. Despite the clear pain in his eyes. Austin manages to hand Curtis his phone, telling him that if he needs anything to call Serene. Curtis watches in dismay as his closest friend is taken to a hospital.
That afternoon, a solemn Matthews reveals that Austin's survival is in question and to pray for him and his family. He rallies the troops, assuring them that they will find out how this happened and exact justice. After the meeting, Curtis comes across AJ and asks where he's been. AJ claims that he garnered secret undercover information regarding the group and wants to discuss the matter in private. For the second time, Max observes the interaction with a hint of suspicion. Later that day, Matthews finishes talking to Serene on the phone and contemplates his next move when the door opens, revealing a concerned looking man. Suspicious, Matthews asks for his name. In a soft voice, he introduces himself as Rami (Mena Massoud), son of Iraqi ambassador Massoud. He tells Matthews that he has some information regarding the attacks.
The next morning, all the soldiers are called over to home base for an important meeting. Max notes Matthews's angrier than usual expression, fearing it to be serious. Sure enough, Matthews reveals that Rami saw the terrorist group making their way to their base and that he saw one of their guys leading the charge. Sadly, he could not identify the person. He orders everyone to stay calm and take everything with a grain of salt, but assures them that if it's true that there's a traitor in the ranks, he will make their name mud back home.
Matthews then names Curtis the 'deputy', giving him the duty of gathering clues as to who could be the traitor. Stunned, Curtis nonetheless accepts the proposal and heads off to his bunker, hoping to figure out how to handle the biggest role of his military career. He sits on his bed, thinking about how to go about it when he remembers what Austin told him and picks up his phone. He calls Serene, explaining the situation and asking her where he should go from here. Serene admits that she isn't sure, there are no certain answers here but trusts that he'll make the right decision. When asked about Austin's condition, Serene reveals that he is doing well but that it may take some time for him to return. For his sake, she hopes that Curtis finds the traitor.
Curtis sits down with Rami, Max and AJ to discuss the crisis. He asks Rami to try and describe the person. Rami says that the person seemed to do an excellent job camouflaging himself and was rather strong. Max questions AJ's innocence given how he often leaves base to do his 'night missions'. AJ explains that he's given explicit permission to do so. The two bicker for a few seconds before Curtis puts a stop to it. AJ reveals that he knows who the traitor is and tells Curtis to follow the same path he took on his mission.
That evening, Curtis wanders down the streets of Baghdad, a gun in hand up just in case. He looks around before coming to the place where AJ claims to have found the traitor. He calls out for him, getting no response in return. Feeling AJ is mistaken, Curtis begins to head back when he is stabbed in the back with a sword. In agony, he turns his head over, finding AJ with an uncharacteristically sadistic grin. To Curtis’s shock, he watches AJ grab a walkie-talkie calling for 'them' to come out. The rest of the group heads toward the scene, all surrounding Curtis. He asks AJ what he's doing, only for him to push the sword further onto his back.
AJ steps back, telling his fellow 'Americans' to finish the job. The terrorist group begin to beat away at Curtis, coming within an eyelash of his life. Before AJ can cinch the sword further in Curtis's back, Max and Rami see what is happening and chase the group off. As Max pulls the sword off of Curtis’s back while Rami gets AJ in a headlock tight enough to take back to home base.
Upon returning, Curtis tells Matthews to bring everyone together. He reveals that the traitor is AJ much to everyone's surprise. Realizing the jig is up, AJ admits his betrayal, explaining that he is the leader of a terrorist-sympathizer group named 'Americans Against Atrocities'. During his time in Iraq, he studied a lot about Iraqi history and Iraq-America relations and was disgusted by what he saw. After reading more about America's indecencies, he realized he had to do something. So he joined the military and used the connections he built from his time in Iraq and his technological prowess to build respect from his peers and convince others to join his plight.
He tells Curtis that there are more people in his group than what he saw and to everyone's horror, several soldiers admit their allegiance to the group. AJ then reveals that he wants Curtis to join him, saying that he is the only one to understand him and treat him with any sort of respect. America has disgraced and shamed the Middle East for years and it's time to fight back. He tells Curtis if he doesn't accept the offer, his group will kill everyone here. After thinking about what AJ has done to Austin, Curtis replies with a very stern no. He replies that everyone here knows that not all Muslims are terrorists and that not everything has gone the way America wanted it to, but he also knows that treason goes against the very indecency he claimed to be against. If it's war he wants, it's what he'll get.
Despite AJ bringing in as many members of his group as possible, the military responds with great force. In the span of a few minutes, Bodies are on the floor from both sides, bloodied and injured. Soon, among the mess, Curtis and AJ are left as the last men standing. Curtis goes to shoot, only to find that he's out of bullets. AJ however has one left and aims for the head. He gives Curtis one last chance to change his mind, but Curtis remains firm. He closes his eyes, preparing for what may be his demise.
But when he opens his eyes, he finds Austin on the ground, hunched over in pain. He tells Curtis to get the sword on the table. Despite his confusion, Curtis races for the sword, AJ not far behind him. He catches up towards him and is about to reach the sword when Curtis leaps over him and onto the table, grabbing the sword and pinning AJ onto the floor. Despite AJ's pleas for mercy, Curtis tells him that it's too late and in a cruel twist of irony stabs AJ in the back.
Some time after, AJ is taken away in handcuffs, soon to be deployed back to America and tried for treason. Curtis looks on, saddened by what has transferred when he sees Austin. He asks him how he got back and learns that it was because of his call to Serene that he found the strength to get through the pain. He then reveals that he is being deployed back home to spend time with his family, this may be the last time they see each for a while. Before he goes, he gives Curtis a present. The tooth Curtis knocked out from Austin's mouth all those days ago. He thanks Austin for everything and the two embrace.
The next day, Curtis is awarded a medal for his bravery and determination and is promoted to general. He leads a group of soldiers out to the wilderness, warning them to be ready if an attack occurs and most importantly, to stand their ground.
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