Melissa Tamminga’s review published on Letterboxd:
On one level, this seems a very straight forward, rah-rah American hero sort of thing, even with the overt, "see? he's damaged, and he doubts himself, and he won't admit it" scenes, scenes which, some might say, are evidence of Eastwood trying not very successfully (viz. too obviously) to complicate the patriotic heroism.
But the more overt backpressure against the patriotism is, maybe, a foil for a deeper, more complex layer of ambivalence that I think I see - or feel - running through the film; it creeps in under the edges of the framing - and rather flummoxes me. I saw this movie three days ago, and I still don't know how I feel about it or about the central character.
It may be that Eastwood isn't in total control of the tone here, but I think not, that is, I think it is controlled, and so the challenge that the tone thus poses is, well, kind of exciting.
I think this is a pretty good movie.