Shia LaBeouf is good in this, but the movie is a mess

What keeps Man Down from being a total misguided mess is LaBeouf. The actor gets a lot of guff for his somewhat bizarre persona and attention-grabbing stunts, but when he wants to he can deliver a unique performance that reminds you why he became a star. LaBeouf brings a tightly-wound intensity mixed with a wounded identity. Seeing LaBeouf’s performance makes one wish Montiel had thrown out all the phony gimmicks and blunt metaphors and instead tried to make an honest portrayal of PTSD with the actor. I have no doubt Montiel had good intentions with this story, but Man Down never rises above its premise, and merely falls flat on its face. http://www.cutprintfilm.com/reviews/man-down/