The directing was amateur hour with the abysmal slow-mo and faded flashbacks - and terrible cast direction. Most of the second-rate characters felt like it was their first acting gig, and I know they're better than that, so this is the perfect example of the director failing to direct his cast properly. Although Ryan Kwanten acted his heart out, he was poorly showcased from the directing to the writing, that was riddled with cheesy dialogue. The screenplay, even with the few entertaining twists and action scenes, was too generic and cliched, and lacked suspense, intrigue and thrills. I wanted to see more of Mickey Rourke, and I'm not even sure if Scott Adkins' character was needed, but he surely needed to be in this film much more to enhance the action. I feel he should've been cast for Kwanten's character, the entire backstory and current one would've been more believable and suspenseful had there been more fight scenes. There were far too many plot and technical issues, most fifth-grade drama class errors. Eg: the briefcase with maybe 5-6 rough stacks having 3 million in it was a joke. Never mind Lundgren's full-auto handgun with the endless ammo. If you're a fan of the iconic actors, it's an ok one-time watch if you're bored, just don't expect to see that much of most of them, or any decent non-generic story.
34 Reviews
Jeez, so bad
supermellowcali27 September 2022
I'm giving this a 4 to be generous to the cast and production crew. Excellent job as usual.
In fact everything about this story is the usual: a military acquaintance; a plot that becomes more senseless each scene; long, long flashbacks to show the hero's emotions; hand-to-hand attacks during gunfights;and plot inconsistencies that give the impression that a producer's 15-year-old son wrote a script and Dad decided to encourage him... and had the bucks.
Verdict: AVOID. Despite the cast and production quality, I found this movie completely forgettable and an unfortunate waste of time, even though I fast-forwarded through all the my-dead-wife-and-kid-poor-me scenes.
In fact everything about this story is the usual: a military acquaintance; a plot that becomes more senseless each scene; long, long flashbacks to show the hero's emotions; hand-to-hand attacks during gunfights;and plot inconsistencies that give the impression that a producer's 15-year-old son wrote a script and Dad decided to encourage him... and had the bucks.
Verdict: AVOID. Despite the cast and production quality, I found this movie completely forgettable and an unfortunate waste of time, even though I fast-forwarded through all the my-dead-wife-and-kid-poor-me scenes.
Make an action movie OR make a family movie. Do not try to combine both because it will end in a disaster.
imseeg26 September 2022
Beware: NOT a Mickey Rourke movie. NOT a Dolph Lundgren movie. NOT a Scott Adkins movie. Why not? Because they only have a few minutes of screentime.
Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren produced this movie, with (unfortunately) disastrous results.
I really love a good old fashioned action B-movie and I really like these old, tough action movie stars like Mickey Rourke and Scott Adkins.
But this movie is partly a sentimental movie about family bonds, partly an action movie. And it fails at being both.
If they only had stuck to a 100% action movie and IF they had replaced the leading (unknown) actor with one of the other great actors (Mickey Rourke, Scott Adkins) then this movie would have some merit for the B-movie action fan. Now it turned into a terrible, sentimental dreck of failure.
Mickey Rourke and Scott Adkins deserve to star in better movies than this one. Come on guys, you all rock. Now get together again and give us fans something we can really enjoy!
Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren produced this movie, with (unfortunately) disastrous results.
I really love a good old fashioned action B-movie and I really like these old, tough action movie stars like Mickey Rourke and Scott Adkins.
But this movie is partly a sentimental movie about family bonds, partly an action movie. And it fails at being both.
If they only had stuck to a 100% action movie and IF they had replaced the leading (unknown) actor with one of the other great actors (Mickey Rourke, Scott Adkins) then this movie would have some merit for the B-movie action fan. Now it turned into a terrible, sentimental dreck of failure.
Mickey Rourke and Scott Adkins deserve to star in better movies than this one. Come on guys, you all rock. Now get together again and give us fans something we can really enjoy!
Kill my family and I make you dead
RedKidBytes2 October 2022
An unrustling narrative, devoid of any worthy substance, relying on the expected norms of the genre, bringing nothing new, or original to the screen.
Packed up with the fight, war, and action celebrities, missing Arnold or Sylvester-type charismatic and charming characters, makes the hole thing a bore.
The film starts with an unrealistic fight sceen from Afghanistan where the Afghan soldiers speak in the middle eastern dialect, instead of the Afgan Arabic. The US moves into the neighborhood knowing it's a setup, in humvees with all windows open letting the fresh air and bullets in. Ultimately, getting many killed.
Usually, viewers find predictability in scenarios where many other films explored the same thing with a number of similar outcomes. This is one of those you will say I knew this was going to happen.
Packed up with the fight, war, and action celebrities, missing Arnold or Sylvester-type charismatic and charming characters, makes the hole thing a bore.
The film starts with an unrealistic fight sceen from Afghanistan where the Afghan soldiers speak in the middle eastern dialect, instead of the Afgan Arabic. The US moves into the neighborhood knowing it's a setup, in humvees with all windows open letting the fresh air and bullets in. Ultimately, getting many killed.
Usually, viewers find predictability in scenarios where many other films explored the same thing with a number of similar outcomes. This is one of those you will say I knew this was going to happen.
Sesma should be directing taco bell drive thru
Anastasia9727 November 2022
I did not know that good actors such as Dermot could become so bad. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is becuase of Dermot. The acting, the lines, the characters were so bad, one might think they were high. This director should just leave the industry. Waste of potential talent. Can anyone tell me why would any of these reputable actors would take on this nonsensical "project"
The fighting scenes were comical, you can see how the actors fight the air, I wasn't sure if thos is a comedy or a new genre. The dialogues was out of line. Rourke was just very hard to look at. If this was a satire than i give it thumbs up.
Are we Done?
nogodnomasters2 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Jake Atherton (Ryan Kwanten) served in Mosul with Colonel Mason (Dolph Lundgren). After they save each other's life, the film jumps to five years later with Jake working for his Uncle Earl (Mickey Rourke) at a body shop in Riverside, California. A group of gangbangers lead by Robert LaSardo try to shake them down to no avail. Jake's wife and son are killed and Jake goes vigilante "Death Wish" on the gang and goes to prison. While in prison he gets a bag over his head and is recruited by a group of government assassins called Section 8 but without the guys from "Basic." Yes, it would have been better with Samuel L. Jackson. He does a couple of jobs for them but hesitated on his last kill so Section 8 now wans to eliminate him calling in the big guy (Scott Adkins) to do the job.
The movie goes one way and then another trying to hit every cliche. The acting looked bad because the script was bad.
Guide: F-word. Brief sex. Uncredited stripper nudity.
The movie goes one way and then another trying to hit every cliche. The acting looked bad because the script was bad.
Guide: F-word. Brief sex. Uncredited stripper nudity.
Is this my brain on drugs?
A_Different_Drummer3 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
There is actually a category of film that is worse, much worse, than simply a bad movie. And OMG this is it. When you start with good talent both in front of and behind the camera, and a solid budget, and you still make a mess of the entire thing ... well that takes a very special talent indeed. The really amazing thing is the switch, the pivot, at the 16:00 mark. Up to then, the movie is competent and even interesting. Then, out of nowhere, the audience learns that, because the protagonist interfered with a low-level ghetto "protection racket," the aforesaid racketeers had no choice but to immediately find and kill the wife and child of the person who interfered...? From that point on, the entire film becomes a sort of acid trip into progressively worse film making. Whatta ^%^% waste.((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))
Better than you'd think based on who is in the cast
chris-h-324 September 2022
There is the basis of a decent film here, yes it has all been done before but the opening half hour or so is all pretty engaging (although you do feel they just let Mickey Rourke do and say whatever he wanted).
Then it started to get a bit silly, and then very, very silly. To the point it is barely making sense and they are having to have characters have one sided conversations on telephones to gloss over plot confusion - It just lost all credibility for the sake of slightly better writing.
That said it is clearly made on a budget and it goes well to hide some of this, clearly the whole film is shot in L. A. but watching it does a good job of making out that its characters travel around the US and beyond. The action scenes are fine too, sometimes a bit confused to follow but this actually gives it a bit more authenticity, I felt.
The cast are pretty good overall though two or three are so one dimensional, due to the writing, that they don't come off so well. Its a shame the last half hour or so wasn't as well made as the first and that it feels it needs to have plot twist after plot twist.
Ultimately its better and has a lot more to offer than you might expect, even if it is a bit disappointing overall.
Then it started to get a bit silly, and then very, very silly. To the point it is barely making sense and they are having to have characters have one sided conversations on telephones to gloss over plot confusion - It just lost all credibility for the sake of slightly better writing.
That said it is clearly made on a budget and it goes well to hide some of this, clearly the whole film is shot in L. A. but watching it does a good job of making out that its characters travel around the US and beyond. The action scenes are fine too, sometimes a bit confused to follow but this actually gives it a bit more authenticity, I felt.
The cast are pretty good overall though two or three are so one dimensional, due to the writing, that they don't come off so well. Its a shame the last half hour or so wasn't as well made as the first and that it feels it needs to have plot twist after plot twist.
Ultimately its better and has a lot more to offer than you might expect, even if it is a bit disappointing overall.
Not that bad, an R rated, low tier action B+ movie
eldadno124 September 2022
The main character is fairly good, probably the best part of the film.
The action parts are lacking, but the amount of killing makes up for it :) a few good scenes with Scott Adkins, he always brings his A game. I think people expect too much, but a movie with those actors really can't be great, there are too many flashback scenes, even though they're short it's really getting annoying seeing the same flashbacks over & over, we got it, the guy had a family & it the base for the entire premise, but give us a break already.
Mostly I enjoyed it, laughed at it a few times. Why low scores which this movie don't deserve? I give it a 6.5.
The action parts are lacking, but the amount of killing makes up for it :) a few good scenes with Scott Adkins, he always brings his A game. I think people expect too much, but a movie with those actors really can't be great, there are too many flashback scenes, even though they're short it's really getting annoying seeing the same flashbacks over & over, we got it, the guy had a family & it the base for the entire premise, but give us a break already.
Mostly I enjoyed it, laughed at it a few times. Why low scores which this movie don't deserve? I give it a 6.5.
Couldn't Watch More Than a Few Minutes
thosebadmovies25 September 2022
This movie makes the Hurt Locker look like the standard for military SOP.
I didn't even make it 7 minutes into this film before having to turn it off. The most unrealistic and insulting portrayal of the United States military I have seen in a very long time.
If I could leave 0 stars I would. To say the little I saw is cringe worthy would be a huge compliment. I find it hard to believe a movie with these names could go so wrong so fast.
About the only thing they got right about the military is the profanity used. I would say I should watch it again to verify but I just painted my bathroom and need to watch the paint dry.
I didn't even make it 7 minutes into this film before having to turn it off. The most unrealistic and insulting portrayal of the United States military I have seen in a very long time.
If I could leave 0 stars I would. To say the little I saw is cringe worthy would be a huge compliment. I find it hard to believe a movie with these names could go so wrong so fast.
About the only thing they got right about the military is the profanity used. I would say I should watch it again to verify but I just painted my bathroom and need to watch the paint dry.
SECTION 8 Movie Review
rsmarwa-8673625 September 2022
Section 8 delivers great action and intense beats throughout its runtime. Characters gel well together, BTS crew have done an exceptional job in delivering what the fan base want as well as catering to the majority of cinema goers. Its nice to see the movie have its release theatrically for those who want to attend the theatre and its great for those who just wanna stay in bed and be comfortable. Overall a great action pictures with elements of all your favourite movies wrapped into one. Definitely worth a watch in my opinion. Grab a beer (or glass of wine) and enjoy this thrill ride of a movie.
Nope ....
alashiq-9561524 September 2022
It's sad.. this movie could have been a great movie if the director had spent more time on the plot and raised the budget. It is also a shame to mix well-known and successful actors together with actors who should not be seen behind the screen. The story itself is a very good but there is no context and everything goes quickly, very easily to figure out and we see clear budget effects that make the watcher ashamed. How can they even class it as a movie and get it to end up on imbd?
Ryan was and is described as insecure in many scenes, but at the same time he was able to extinguish a homemade bomb among 10 colleagues around it without blinking an eye. It is contradictory and creates confusion. He could kill many heroes quickly but when he met scott it suddenly took a lot of time and he was close to losing the fight. I think they have skimped a bit too much in combination with poor choice of actors and pressured action that resulted in a failed rather than a watchable film.
Ryan was and is described as insecure in many scenes, but at the same time he was able to extinguish a homemade bomb among 10 colleagues around it without blinking an eye. It is contradictory and creates confusion. He could kill many heroes quickly but when he met scott it suddenly took a lot of time and he was close to losing the fight. I think they have skimped a bit too much in combination with poor choice of actors and pressured action that resulted in a failed rather than a watchable film.
Bad. Just. Yeah.
mattcocky8 October 2022
I could say this was a formulaic direct to video action flick with in house music that never seems to have any vocals. It's like they took one of those Steven Segal movies that have flooded streaming services and only played half of every scene. No joke, within 5 minutes the plot had already been introduced, played out, and transitioned to the final act. Justin Furstenfeld played an interesting character but like everything else we only got a glimpse of who he was. It was like watching a movie completely stoned except I was sober this time. If I smoked a bowl and rewatched it, I bet it would seem like a Taco Bell commercial.
You Need Sectioning
stuartfanson2 January 2023
I watched this on New Years Day, feeling a little tired and rough and wanting B Movie action nonsense, I was disappointed as all I got was nonsense.
Do people who write, produce and direct this, actually talk and interact with people in real life? Because the script and acting, is not how people talk to and act around others.
I expected better of a movie with Scott Adkins in. He's B Movie Action Royalty. Ryan Kwanten cannot carry a film, I doubt he could carry the bins out. Dolph Lundgren is used too little and Mickey Rourke is virtually unrecognisable anymore.
Anyway, it was disappointing, shambolic and too messy to enjoy.
Please do better.
Do people who write, produce and direct this, actually talk and interact with people in real life? Because the script and acting, is not how people talk to and act around others.
I expected better of a movie with Scott Adkins in. He's B Movie Action Royalty. Ryan Kwanten cannot carry a film, I doubt he could carry the bins out. Dolph Lundgren is used too little and Mickey Rourke is virtually unrecognisable anymore.
Anyway, it was disappointing, shambolic and too messy to enjoy.
Please do better.
hat the hell
Lythas_8530 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Dude, what is this?
Michey rourke looking like a robot.. guy cannot even smile anymore.. or show any emotion at all..
we had dolph lundgren but he does nothing at all... sookies brother is terrible.. at first i thought this movie would try to be similar to ryan gosling and chris evans movie... dude is in jail and then gets into a secret sector killing people.. for the government..
it had potential but it was poorly done..
plot consisted of grey bearded dude killing sookis brothers family just to recruit him.. and dolph lundgren was part of it... no,m wait he pretended to be and double crossed the guy the last minute..
and let us not forget scott adkins... dude appeared like in 2 scenes doing nothing really, shooting the dude in the middle of the street in broad daylight and then at the ending, kicking our heros ass easily just to forget where his gun was knocked under an armchair.. and just got killed..
another wasted potential.
Michey rourke looking like a robot.. guy cannot even smile anymore.. or show any emotion at all..
we had dolph lundgren but he does nothing at all... sookies brother is terrible.. at first i thought this movie would try to be similar to ryan gosling and chris evans movie... dude is in jail and then gets into a secret sector killing people.. for the government..
it had potential but it was poorly done..
plot consisted of grey bearded dude killing sookis brothers family just to recruit him.. and dolph lundgren was part of it... no,m wait he pretended to be and double crossed the guy the last minute..
and let us not forget scott adkins... dude appeared like in 2 scenes doing nothing really, shooting the dude in the middle of the street in broad daylight and then at the ending, kicking our heros ass easily just to forget where his gun was knocked under an armchair.. and just got killed..
another wasted potential.
In the '80s, this would have been an good action movie...
eenff26 September 2022
I was sure about giving 5 stars until the last third of the movie. This is a very old-fashioned action movie, peppered with geil emotions and shows some artistic blend. In the '80s, this would have been a very good movie. In the '90s, it would still compete with some good Steven Segal and van Damme movies. But we are in 2022. Dolph Lundgren and poor Mickey Rourke should already stay away from cinema... but I guess they still live in the '90s at heart.
There are a couple of big plot-holes, and there are a few silly moments. E.g. If one is out of bullets, then just gets in the car to take a long trip, how come that when gets out of the car, the magazine is again full?
Or: you sit in the Toyota to catch the bad guy who just left with his GMC. And you just literally have two red wires hanging out underneath the dashboard, so within a few seconds you already have a running car. You don't even need the ignition key with the radio chip that is needed for a Toyota to communicate wirelessly with the onboard CPU to start the car (the so-called anti-theft system).
This movie would have worked in the '80s but not in 2022, sorry.
So in conclusion: There was some potential in this movie, there were some good watchable parts in it. There were some plot twists, yes. And the lead actor is quite good. Really. He did a great job, and would deserve something better in the future.
But the rest of the actors were really bad. The whole story is a big cliché that you must have seen several times.
My conclusion is that you don't lose anything if you don't watch it. This movie is a grain of salt less than entertaining.
There are a couple of big plot-holes, and there are a few silly moments. E.g. If one is out of bullets, then just gets in the car to take a long trip, how come that when gets out of the car, the magazine is again full?
Or: you sit in the Toyota to catch the bad guy who just left with his GMC. And you just literally have two red wires hanging out underneath the dashboard, so within a few seconds you already have a running car. You don't even need the ignition key with the radio chip that is needed for a Toyota to communicate wirelessly with the onboard CPU to start the car (the so-called anti-theft system).
This movie would have worked in the '80s but not in 2022, sorry.
So in conclusion: There was some potential in this movie, there were some good watchable parts in it. There were some plot twists, yes. And the lead actor is quite good. Really. He did a great job, and would deserve something better in the future.
But the rest of the actors were really bad. The whole story is a big cliché that you must have seen several times.
My conclusion is that you don't lose anything if you don't watch it. This movie is a grain of salt less than entertaining.
Good actors that accepted the wrong movie deal.
dixiecretion3 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
What the heck is going on with Mickey Rourke's face. It's like a mask that keeps slipping off of his skull and requires more botox to keep it on straight.
Mackey Rourke's roll in this.... film, was undesernable meaning. Like his character was superfluous. Because his character development was incoherent. It's like, hey let's get Mickey Rourke in the movie, that will help. His character reassures another character that nothing bad will happen, he was once one of them, then all heck breaks loose and the guys family is destroyed. Thanks Mickey! WTF man! What was the point? To intentionally make a bad film and make good actors look bad?
This is what happens when your pimp out your celebrity status, like Bruce Willis did in the end. To a pack of no name, trash can digging, producer and director. You hand them a few Aces and they end up losing with liberious deficit in their sky rocket.
I hate to see actors decay, going down this road.
We see it happen all the time too. Half of Nicholas Cage's films end this way, then the other half are phenomenal making up for the rest.
Mackey Rourke's roll in this.... film, was undesernable meaning. Like his character was superfluous. Because his character development was incoherent. It's like, hey let's get Mickey Rourke in the movie, that will help. His character reassures another character that nothing bad will happen, he was once one of them, then all heck breaks loose and the guys family is destroyed. Thanks Mickey! WTF man! What was the point? To intentionally make a bad film and make good actors look bad?
This is what happens when your pimp out your celebrity status, like Bruce Willis did in the end. To a pack of no name, trash can digging, producer and director. You hand them a few Aces and they end up losing with liberious deficit in their sky rocket.
I hate to see actors decay, going down this road.
We see it happen all the time too. Half of Nicholas Cage's films end this way, then the other half are phenomenal making up for the rest.
Mosul is not in Afghanistan
rasheednoorpk30 November 2022
Hi, guys I am still watching the movie...if you noticed in the starting scene Mosul - Afghanistan shows up.
I heard Mosul was in IRAQ correct me ?
So I just was wondering how could such a mistake can happen.
However it's not surprising.
The movies I did not finish yet however it's interesting I am watching now.
The brutal murder was so abrupt and immediate and the people who killed the family did not show any mercy and killed innocent family for no reason or may be frivolous reason. And right on the spot the hero took revenge and the villain was willing to be killed the story so far is a bit lagging but see it it could make sense later.
I heard Mosul was in IRAQ correct me ?
So I just was wondering how could such a mistake can happen.
However it's not surprising.
The movies I did not finish yet however it's interesting I am watching now.
The brutal murder was so abrupt and immediate and the people who killed the family did not show any mercy and killed innocent family for no reason or may be frivolous reason. And right on the spot the hero took revenge and the villain was willing to be killed the story so far is a bit lagging but see it it could make sense later.
Justin FurstenFeld
ilovetalley8 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
To be clear, the A-listers on this dumpster-fire of a movie don't deserve a shout-out based on status alone; they did nothing and this movie is garbage.
However, all nine stars I assigned to this are for Justin Furstenfeld's performance. He was golden. I actually skipped backwards several times to listen to his lines again; he was fantastic.
Furstenfeld's was the stand out performance in a painfully atrocious film. How is it that he has almost no acting credits to his name and yet he stole the show?
To crown it all off, when Blue October's song "This is What I Live For," played in the end end credits I cheered. Furstenfeld is the lead singer for the band, and according to Wikipedia not only wrote the lyrics for the song but the most of the lyrics on the album it originates from. The guy knows how to write; no wonder he seems better suited to deliver lines than the other clowns in this film.
Hope someone sees this and puts him in more films.
However, all nine stars I assigned to this are for Justin Furstenfeld's performance. He was golden. I actually skipped backwards several times to listen to his lines again; he was fantastic.
Furstenfeld's was the stand out performance in a painfully atrocious film. How is it that he has almost no acting credits to his name and yet he stole the show?
To crown it all off, when Blue October's song "This is What I Live For," played in the end end credits I cheered. Furstenfeld is the lead singer for the band, and according to Wikipedia not only wrote the lyrics for the song but the most of the lyrics on the album it originates from. The guy knows how to write; no wonder he seems better suited to deliver lines than the other clowns in this film.
Hope someone sees this and puts him in more films.
Actually a bit better than expected
tateya-6745312 November 2023
I didn't have a bunch of expectations going in, but I like Lundgren and Rourke enough to give this movie a shot. I admit to not seeing some of the plot twists coming, and that was great. I also agree with the other reviewers about the silliness of some of the movie, the endless lack of ammo, and bad shooting. However, it is for entertainment, and I was entertained. I like that Lundgren had a part to play in the behind the scenes in this movie, and overall it was engaging enough for me to keep watching it. I wouldn't watch this movie twice, but I enjoyed it watching it once. Just don't look for academy award winning anything, but the veteran actors do a fine job fleshing this movie out.
Oh well...
garcinder-221393 October 2022
Usually (usually), if I decide to watch a movie, I watch it to its conclusion, whatever that may be.
However, in this case, I made an exception and did other things like laundry, reading part of a novel, fixing something to eat, and dealing with other more pressing issues that mattered more than this interlude in my life.
But, typically, people in Hollywood need jobs, have to earn their paychecks, keep their families fed, etc., etc.
Additionally, I used a bit of "speed watching" to shorten the amount of time required to view this waste of time
I love fast-forwarding options on all the various channels.
However, in this case, I made an exception and did other things like laundry, reading part of a novel, fixing something to eat, and dealing with other more pressing issues that mattered more than this interlude in my life.
But, typically, people in Hollywood need jobs, have to earn their paychecks, keep their families fed, etc., etc.
Additionally, I used a bit of "speed watching" to shorten the amount of time required to view this waste of time
I love fast-forwarding options on all the various channels.
So Bad.....................
alipyyyy8 October 2022
End of movie i ask to my self why I take time for watch this movie ...............It's sad.
This movie could have been a great movie if the director had spent more time on the plot and raised the budget. It is also a shame to mix well-known and successful actors together with actors who should not be seen behind the screen. The story itself is a very good but there is no context and everything goes quickly, very easily to figure out and we see clear budget effects that make the watcher ashamed. How can they even class it as a movie and get it to end up on imbd?
Ryan was and is described as insecure in many scenes, but at the same time he was able to extinguish a homemade bomb among 10 colleagues around it without blinking an eye. It is contradictory and creates confusion. He could kill many heroes quickly but when he met scott it suddenly took a lot of time and he was close to losing the fight. I think they have skimped a bit too much in combination with poor choice of actors and pressured action that resulted in a failed rather than a watchable film.
This movie could have been a great movie if the director had spent more time on the plot and raised the budget. It is also a shame to mix well-known and successful actors together with actors who should not be seen behind the screen. The story itself is a very good but there is no context and everything goes quickly, very easily to figure out and we see clear budget effects that make the watcher ashamed. How can they even class it as a movie and get it to end up on imbd?
Ryan was and is described as insecure in many scenes, but at the same time he was able to extinguish a homemade bomb among 10 colleagues around it without blinking an eye. It is contradictory and creates confusion. He could kill many heroes quickly but when he met scott it suddenly took a lot of time and he was close to losing the fight. I think they have skimped a bit too much in combination with poor choice of actors and pressured action that resulted in a failed rather than a watchable film.
Barely watchable, mostly for the sake of Lundgren and Adkins
carlos-pires15 November 2022
It's always a pleasure to see Dolph Lundgren and Scott Adkins work.
But the director and producers seem to have banked this gig solely on the star-status of these two guys (and on the shooting-star-status of the venerable Mickey Rourke) and just couldn't give a s**t about the most basic physical and social reality of the world around them (the opening scene, an ambush in a village in Afghanistan, says it all... nobody in their right minds would act like supposed "spec ops" soldiers act, not even a child would act in such a reckless way)... anyway, if you give that a pass, and if you fast-forward through the boring scenes (a good final cut could safely cut off at least 30 minutes), well... then you're left with a decent (although 110% predictable) action movie.
I would advise the director to find another job, because this is for sure not his calling. Either that, or he should not leave the editing room before the final cut.
And I would advise "producers" to not meddle in the nitty-gritty of movie making if their only forte is supplying cold hard cash.
But the director and producers seem to have banked this gig solely on the star-status of these two guys (and on the shooting-star-status of the venerable Mickey Rourke) and just couldn't give a s**t about the most basic physical and social reality of the world around them (the opening scene, an ambush in a village in Afghanistan, says it all... nobody in their right minds would act like supposed "spec ops" soldiers act, not even a child would act in such a reckless way)... anyway, if you give that a pass, and if you fast-forward through the boring scenes (a good final cut could safely cut off at least 30 minutes), well... then you're left with a decent (although 110% predictable) action movie.
I would advise the director to find another job, because this is for sure not his calling. Either that, or he should not leave the editing room before the final cut.
And I would advise "producers" to not meddle in the nitty-gritty of movie making if their only forte is supplying cold hard cash.
How bad is it?
Luv2Spooge28 September 2022
It's Nicholas Cage bad. Yes, that bad. I mean it got some big names, but I wasn't expecting an Oscar worthy film. Yet, it is bad. The dialog, the action, the story, the music, just bad. It feels like they filmed it on an iPhone. That's bad. All the "twists?" You'll see them coming a mile away. I just have no idea why this film was made. It's Bruce Willis bad. That's how bad. I want to like this film, honestly, but I just don't. Not one redeeming quality. Not one good scene. Cringe worthy bad. Really bad. Like high school film class bad. It's boring, it's cheesy, it's lame, and it's predictable.
Doesn't deserve a try
beltaiefabdessattar8 November 2022
The movie starts with an unrealistic scene that we're told is happening in Afghanistan, but Mossul is in Irak guys and there they speak Arabic yeah, not in Afghanistan.
The plot is really an old cliché of the 90's maybe, nothing is realistic in the whole story. The killing scenes also were so imaginary, e.g the famous "Locke" can kill anyone with one shot but when it comes to our hero, he points the gun to him but fails many times. Poor screenplay and lack of new ideas were so clear.
The end as well can't be worse, and please do not think of a part 2 as you may intend to do.
This is not worth a try even if you've nothing to do, just look away you'll find something more interesting.
The plot is really an old cliché of the 90's maybe, nothing is realistic in the whole story. The killing scenes also were so imaginary, e.g the famous "Locke" can kill anyone with one shot but when it comes to our hero, he points the gun to him but fails many times. Poor screenplay and lack of new ideas were so clear.
The end as well can't be worse, and please do not think of a part 2 as you may intend to do.
This is not worth a try even if you've nothing to do, just look away you'll find something more interesting.
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