Land of Bad
It seemed like a fairly decent action movie to me, the kind that does not reinvent anything and watches well if you accept its military mission, impossible rescue, radios and explosions. It is not subtle or deep, but as old-fashioned war entertainment it works.
The story is simple: a special operation goes wrong, one soldier is trapped in enemy territory and, from the base, a drone pilot tries to keep him alive. The film does not need much more. Its appeal lies in alternating survival on the ground with the tension of an operator who sees everything from far away, powerless and with a screen as his only contact with the disaster.
Liam Hemsworth does the job as the physical lead. He is not a complex character, but he holds the role of a man overwhelmed by a situation that keeps collapsing around him. The film makes him move, hide, fall, run and survive without turning him into an invulnerable superhero.
Russell Crowe is what lifts the film most. His Reaper has more charisma than almost everything else: tired, grumpy, professional, surrounded by a shabby domestic life and with a presence that gives weight even to functional scenes. I liked that mix of high-level military control and ordinary problems, as if the world could be exploding while he is worried about buying cheese or dealing with supermarket nonsense.
That supermarket part is almost the most memorable thing because it breaks the mold. In such a military and procedural film, putting Crowe in an absurd everyday shopping situation gives it a strange human touch. It does not always fit, but it prevents everything from being pure muscle and tactical jargon.
The action is fairly well shot. There are shootouts, chases, bombs, helicopters, drones and hand-to-hand fights with enough energy. It did not seem visually dazzling to me, but it is effective. William Eubank keeps the pace moving and gives some stretches physical tension, especially when the mission becomes a chain of mistakes, casualties and desperate decisions.
I also liked that the drone is not just a technological toy. The film uses it as an extension of the gaze, a presence that can protect but not touch, see but not save everything. There is an interesting idea there: modern war as distance, precision, guilt and absolute dependence on communication. It does not develop it deeply, but it gives the film some substance.
The problem is that the script is very by-the-numbers. The characters speak the way you expect in a military movie, situations move along familiar tracks and the emotion often feels pre-cooked. There is camaraderie, sacrifice, useless commanders, obstructive protocols and soldiers trying to do their job in the middle of chaos. All acceptable, but very familiar.
Some supporting characters are little more than functions inside the mission: the expert, the boss, the teammate, the man left behind, the one giving orders, the one who does not understand the urgency. The film cares more about the rescue machinery than the people inside it.
Even so, as muscular B-movie action, it has charm. There is something almost old-fashioned in its idea of war cinema: sweaty men, jungle, armed enemies, radio communication, explosions and a mission that keeps getting more absurdly complicated. It may feel like a film from twenty years ago, but at times that works in its favor.
What limits it most is that it never quite finds a personality of its own. It has military thriller, survival movie, drone film and dumb macho energy, but not a new point of view. It is watchable because it is assembled with craft and because Crowe gives it presence, not because its story is especially strong.
It convinced me more when it surrendered to pure action than when it tried to become solemn. When it shoots, runs and explodes, it works. When it wants us to care too much about sacrifice and honor, it becomes generic. The film should trust its B-movie nerve more and its patriotic gravity less.
In the end, for me it remains an entertaining, uneven and limited film, but decent within its own terms. It has enough action, reasonable tension, a charismatic Russell Crowe and a few moments that stick more than expected. It is not great cinema, but not a disaster either. A standard hostile mission, with the soul of a military video game and a few flashes of effectiveness.
The story is simple: a special operation goes wrong, one soldier is trapped in enemy territory and, from the base, a drone pilot tries to keep him alive. The film does not need much more. Its appeal lies in alternating survival on the ground with the tension of an operator who sees everything from far away, powerless and with a screen as his only contact with the disaster.
Liam Hemsworth does the job as the physical lead. He is not a complex character, but he holds the role of a man overwhelmed by a situation that keeps collapsing around him. The film makes him move, hide, fall, run and survive without turning him into an invulnerable superhero.
Russell Crowe is what lifts the film most. His Reaper has more charisma than almost everything else: tired, grumpy, professional, surrounded by a shabby domestic life and with a presence that gives weight even to functional scenes. I liked that mix of high-level military control and ordinary problems, as if the world could be exploding while he is worried about buying cheese or dealing with supermarket nonsense.
That supermarket part is almost the most memorable thing because it breaks the mold. In such a military and procedural film, putting Crowe in an absurd everyday shopping situation gives it a strange human touch. It does not always fit, but it prevents everything from being pure muscle and tactical jargon.
The action is fairly well shot. There are shootouts, chases, bombs, helicopters, drones and hand-to-hand fights with enough energy. It did not seem visually dazzling to me, but it is effective. William Eubank keeps the pace moving and gives some stretches physical tension, especially when the mission becomes a chain of mistakes, casualties and desperate decisions.
I also liked that the drone is not just a technological toy. The film uses it as an extension of the gaze, a presence that can protect but not touch, see but not save everything. There is an interesting idea there: modern war as distance, precision, guilt and absolute dependence on communication. It does not develop it deeply, but it gives the film some substance.
The problem is that the script is very by-the-numbers. The characters speak the way you expect in a military movie, situations move along familiar tracks and the emotion often feels pre-cooked. There is camaraderie, sacrifice, useless commanders, obstructive protocols and soldiers trying to do their job in the middle of chaos. All acceptable, but very familiar.
Some supporting characters are little more than functions inside the mission: the expert, the boss, the teammate, the man left behind, the one giving orders, the one who does not understand the urgency. The film cares more about the rescue machinery than the people inside it.
Even so, as muscular B-movie action, it has charm. There is something almost old-fashioned in its idea of war cinema: sweaty men, jungle, armed enemies, radio communication, explosions and a mission that keeps getting more absurdly complicated. It may feel like a film from twenty years ago, but at times that works in its favor.
What limits it most is that it never quite finds a personality of its own. It has military thriller, survival movie, drone film and dumb macho energy, but not a new point of view. It is watchable because it is assembled with craft and because Crowe gives it presence, not because its story is especially strong.
It convinced me more when it surrendered to pure action than when it tried to become solemn. When it shoots, runs and explodes, it works. When it wants us to care too much about sacrifice and honor, it becomes generic. The film should trust its B-movie nerve more and its patriotic gravity less.
In the end, for me it remains an entertaining, uneven and limited film, but decent within its own terms. It has enough action, reasonable tension, a charismatic Russell Crowe and a few moments that stick more than expected. It is not great cinema, but not a disaster either. A standard hostile mission, with the soul of a military video game and a few flashes of effectiveness.
Mini Review: It seemed like a fairly decent action movie to me, the kind that does not reinvent anything and watches well if you accept its military mission, impossible rescue, radios and explosions. It is not subtle or deep, but as old-fashioned war entertainment it works. The story is simple: a special operation goes wrong, one soldier is trapped in enemy territory and, from the base, a drone pilot tries to keep him alive. The film does not need much more....
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