American Sniper, a new movie from actor/director Clint Eastwood, stars Bradley Cooper as historic ex-navy sniper Chris Kyle. Training to become a Navy SEAL after years of attempting a career as a cowboy, Kyle endures several years of harsh training, and the responsibility of starting a family. When he is ready, Chris is sent to Iraq with the mission to protect the soldiers fighting the insurgents on the front line. Through four lengthy tours in Iraq and over 160 recorded kills, Kyle becomes known as “the Legend” to his fellow soldiers, and as the best sniper in US history. However, after his first tour Kyle also became known behind enemy lines,  making him a primary target for all insurgents, and resulting in a money reward for his death. Although Kyle makes out of Iraq four times without dying, he still battles with his inability to forget his place in Iraq at home.In order to better fit the appearance of the real Chris Kyle, Cooper gained  on 40 pounds in ten weeks.

Cooper acts alongside actress Sienna Miller who plays his wife. The acting is overall incredible, capturing specifically the intense emotions that go on in the life of a seasoned soldier. Additionally, Cooper and Miller are both able to demonstrate the powerful character development that both characters experience as Kyle travels between Iraq and his home in Texas.

The only fault evident in this movie was the special effects, when several times in the movie it is clearly obvious that a puppet is used to represent the baby that Kyle and his wife have. Several times there are instances where any normal baby would move or behave differently than the way represented in the movie. This is not all that bad however, because the outstanding overall performance overshadows the minimal negative aspects of the movie.

Since its release on January 16th, American Sniper has achieved both national and international praise for the portrayal of this true story. So much praise, in fact, that it has been nominated for both for Best Picture and Best Actor in a leading role at the upcoming 2015 Oscars.

So, if you’re in the mood for an intense yet jaw-dropping film, be sure to catch American Sniper before it leaves theaters!