Fans of first person shooter games will love this film. Some excellent action scenes with a variety of cinematography techniques used - nothing feels overused or in my opinion tiresome. The humid tropical jungle is a lush exciting backdrop for the action. Some of the battle scenes are a tad over stylised risking glorifying war and violence. Be warned there are some extremely graphic scenes of death and violence.
Some great acting here from the whole cast but it can't rescue the thin plot, and the sometimes impenetrable military jargoned or clichéd cloying script. The caricatured bad guys (Russians and Muslims obvs) make the film feel even more hollow and maybe the biggest downfall of the film - a very AMUHRICA MACHO film which is fun given that three of the leads are Australian. There are moments when the script tries to go deeper, explore themes of imperialism/no innocence in war, and poke fun at itself making war look good - and where the American heroes get dirty and messy.
It looks good, is thrilling in points and has some good humour / human moments. Overall though, this feels like an hollow shell showcasing some beautiful men, in a beautiful place, with some excellent directing /editing, doing some ugly things against caricatured/borderline racist depictions of baddies. I enjoyed watching it but felt guilty to be partaking in a simplistic reassertion of the American hero /America dominance over Russians and Muslims old and tired narrative.
Review by TheLazyReviewerBlockedParent2024-04-12T14:59:17Z
Film 164 (Goal: 300) of 2024:
Land of Bad is a pretty standard action film, starring 2 of the 3 Hemsworth brothers, Milo Ventimiglia (predominantly of Heroes and This is Us fame) and Russell Crowe, among others.
On a mission, a Delta Force team is ambushed in enemy territory. A rookie officer manages to escape the conflict. He must now overcome the enemy, the surrounds and his own fear as he tries to escape. He is supported by an Air Force drone pilot as the eyes in the sky during his battle for survival.
Land of Bad can take a bit to get going but when the action ramps up in Act 1, it starts to flex it's muscles. There's some excellent battles and set pieces. Liam Hemsworth, who I still question his leading man ability, is pretty good in this role, of the overwhelmed officer behind enemy lines. He's supported well by Russell Crowe as a drone pilot. While never in the same room together, I enjoyed their interactions, especially in the quieter moments.
The film does however drag in the middle towards the middle of Act 2, before finding it's feet again towards the end of Act 3. But the tonal shift is enough for me to drop this from a 3.5 rating, to the 3 stars I ultimately landed on.
Land of Band is a surprisingly enjoyable film, that I wasn't expecting to like as much as I did. It likely won't be remembered much come years end, but it's solid viewing.