Kandahar

On the pro side, the photography was beautiful. There were some gorgeous desert shots, fly-overs of the cars that were enjoyable in their own right. Fight scenes were realistic enough to feel the sense of danger. Even the music was good and kept me wanting to feel empathy for the characters, but here's were the problem was. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to be rooting for the main characters or disappointed that they were making the same mistakes of their past. The whistle-blower reporter, was she a heroine or an ignorant meddler? Did the black-ops group do something bad or good? The medley of Iranian operatives, ISIS, Talaban, and a host of others all had their vague "bad-ness" about them, trying to kill the main character, but then they were just being used as well, so maybe I was supposed to feel badly for them. Am I supposed to feel bad about being the US forces attacking Afganistan? Our calamity of a withdrawal? Or am I just supposed feel like war is a mess of conflicting allegiances and there are no more clear answers any more?

Filmography/editing got this a 6/10 instead of the 5/10 that the writing deserved.

Strong plot and promising action but falls short. Worth viewing if you like this type of film or Butler in general.

Butler's 'Tom Harris' and Fimmel's 'Roman' were strong, they provided high points. Bagheri's 'Parshand' didn't hit the mark.

Action scenes had moments of awesome. But odd timing of starts/stops during sequences made them confusing. Particularly when Roman rolls out of the vehicle during a pursuit scene.

Parshand pursuing main characters endlessly through the desert on a low range motorcycle was odd and not believable enough. Character did not seem ruthless. His scenes subtracted from the overall concept I was expecting and hoping for.

The film's strengths lie in its action sequences and Butler's performance. The action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting, and Butler gives a strong performance as the CIA operative. However, the film's weaknesses are its predictability and lack of originality. The plot is very predictable, and the film relies heavily on clichés and stereotypes. Overall, Kandahar is an average action thriller film that is worth watching for Butler's performance, but it is not a must-see film.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the film:

Pros:

Gerard Butler gives a strong performance.

The action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting.

The film is shot beautifully, capturing the harsh beauty of the Afghan landscape.

Cons:

The plot is predictable.

The film relies heavily on clichés and stereotypes.

The film is slow-paced at times.

Overall, Kandahar is an average action thriller film that is worth watching for Butler's performance, but it is not a must-see film.

Butler is always good for the slick action movie, and has made a career as some of the most consistent action stars. While he never achieved anything compared to 300, it's hard to point a finger at a film that did not entertain.

Butler goes somewhat beyond his limited range in Kandahar with some success. There is a real attempt to create character and suspense, which is at points refreshing and at points boring. Nothing is revolutionary, the baddies get some lines of dialogue (be warned, you will have to read a lot of subtitles!) and there is some sad music playing, but that's about the extent of it. Richie's Covenant also tackles the same setting, with overall better results.

The ending is predictable and ridiculous, devolving into explosion city, but what did I expect?

There is about 20 mins to be cut from this, but it has enough going for it that I can forgive the draggy parts, and appreciate the attempt at substance.

7/10 - if your expectations are right...

3 out of 5 stars.

Kandahar is a fair espionage action thriller film about a CIA operative whos cover is blown. And he and his translator need to escape the country. Plot is okay. The script lacks in building the character and story. The script tries to follow different characters with there story but never pulls through completely. Leaving it feeling shallow. The action sequences are okay. Nothing too exciting or thrilling. Gerard Butler is great. But the direction just felt shallow with its story. The pacing is also slow for the first half. When the action does pick up it doesnt help capture any interest. Overall, it is an okay film that could have been better.