McCain’s release, in full:

“I congratulate Clint Eastwood and the entire cast and crew of American Sniper for an outstanding cinematic achievement honoring the life of a genuine American hero, Chris Kyle. This film depicts with subtlety and compassion those brave few who serve our nation in uniform, their experiences in the horror of war, the burdens they often bear upon returning home, and the untold sacrifices of their families. It is deeply regrettable that obsessive critics of U.S. foreign policy have sought to disparage this film and denigrate the memory of a noble American warrior. Fortunately, their pettiness has not stopped millions of Americans from seeing American Sniper, and hopefully in the process, gaining a greater appreciation for the service and sacrifice of America’s military service members and their families.”

While saying he wasn’t directly criticizing “American Sniper,” Michael Moore has been vocal with his objections to the job of snipers. Seth Rogen was particular in his description of the movie, making an obvious comparison to fake Nazi propaganda featured in a separate Hollywood film. And journalist Matt Taibbi published a censorious takedown of “Sniper,” saying it turned “the Iraq war into a saccharine, almost PG-rated two-hour cinematic diversion about a killing machine with a heart of gold.”

As McCain alluded to, the movie has continued to dominate at the box office.