You think you know what they do. And then you realize, no you really don’t.

Take a look at just about every run-n-gun-em movie involving spec ops in past decade and they’re all colorful and boisterous. We take these caricatures as if any gum with a gun might go join the Navy Seals and have a great time blowing stuff up. But in reality, that’s not how things roll.

From the first of the film, it’s apparent that not only do real operators (the term for special operations members) have depth to their color, but are consummate professionals in every situation.

These men train intensely for years in every operation, coordinate with multiple military parties on upcoming operations, trust their lives in the hands of not just their teammates but important supporting personnel, and plan extensively how to conduct each operation because when things go wrong, winging it is not sufficient to get as many people home alive as possible.

Act of Valor is a story starring real Navy Seals, who were blessed to be sponsored by the U.S. Navy to spend time working on the film, to portray realistic operations around the world in support of U.S. anti-terrorism efforts and protecting the homeland.

It’s not pretty and makes no apologies. These are the best of the best and when they go to work, it’s not a free-for-all.

The names are not real, but the families are. When you see the families during certain scenes, you’re looking at the real families of the frogmen playing in the film, adding a depth of reality when they say goodbye before a mission. They’re not professional actresses or models, they’re the real people who experience the stress and concern as their loved ones deploy.

The film boasted smooth, quality cinematography, quality acting by those hired to act — including several you might recognize, and, worth noting, live-fire action scenes. They use real ammo in certain scenes that add both to the realism and consideration that the very professionals portraying operators are doing what they do best, right before your eyes.

No other film can well portray the gravitas these men represent from the first scene to the last. The cost they pay to stand the line, offering themselves as sacrifices on our behalf, and the chances they take to make sure the homeland remains safe, can be told no better way than on this screen.

If you’re asking yourself if you should go see it, stop asking. I won’t reveal any spoilers for the film, other than to say that the story, itself, isn’t the most exciting tale to grace theater screens. If you want super exciting for the flamboyancy of the storyline, go rent Michael Bay. If you want something accurate and very intense for the stark realism of the story and the people portraying it, go watch Act of Valor.