Action packed, suspenseful and a throwback to 80's films like "Uncommon Valor" and "Rambo: First Blood 2", LAND OF BAD is a war movie that delivers old fashioned thrills with new world weaponry.
There's no better ammo in the tank than Russell Crowe as Captain Eddie Grimm "Reaper", a senior drone pilot with old school style and dedication.
He and his co-pilot Staff Sgt Branson (an excellent Chika Ikogwe) are at the helm of aerial drone support for a special ops mission. Explosive firepower abounds.
That mission sees Air Force Staff Sgt. JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) pulled into his second major field assignment. He's a last minute replacement on a squad of four about to be Halo dropped into the Philippines jungle. Led by Master Sgt John "Sugar" Sweet (Milo Ventimiglia) and two long tenured soldiers, Abell (Luke Hemsworth) and Bishop (Ricky Whittle), the four have a mission to recover an asset for the CIA.
They approach a classic, wealthy bad guy's lair positioned between the jungle and a massive dam. They observe what looks like a party tent, with a couple and their young child enjoying the day. But moments later, Middle Eastern terrorists arrive and all hell breaks loose.
We've seen similar stories before, but the film finds a comfortable balance between Crowe, surrounded by screens and trying to keep the team alive, and the action on the ground, which is explosive and relentless. As the conflict changes again and again, Director William Eubank (as he did in the underrated thriller "Underwater") manages to stage the action effectively and with focus, always making sure we have perspective on exactly where the bad guys and our heroes are.
The first hour and ten minutes is shockingly good. Sharp, explosive and suspenseful as hell. The final 45 minutes wanders a bit, threatening to dip too deeply into opportunities for grandstanding by the worst of the terrorists. But Hemsworth and Crowe never let it get completely off track.
As Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) has aged, he looks a lot more like his more famous brother, Chris. His acting chops have aged well too, he's believable in his arc from an unproven drone engineer to a jungle warrior.
Ventimiglia (This is Us) is excellent as Sugar, pumped up like John Rambo and kicking plenty of terrorist ass. This is unapologetic-ally that kind of film. It's a refreshing call back to the 80's, when we beat the living hell out of terrorists without taking a moment to virtual signal our concern for why they want to kill us.
When the evil figurehead Saeed Hashimi (Robert Rabiah from "Chopper", well cast) starts spouting his anti- American jargon, you hope the film gives Kinney a chance to respond. Wow, does it ever.
With US fighter jets and Reaper's massive drones raining down hellfire on the bad guys, I found myself literally on the edge of my seat. If I had a flag, I would have waved it.
The sound effects and stunt teams deliver, as does the nearly non-stop action score by Brandon Roberts (Thanksgiving, Underwater).
The only people that let the film down are the hacks at the studio that gave it this title. LAND OF BAD. Hmmm, that will really drive them to the theater.
Crowe is excellent, the action is plentiful and the suspense is palpable.
If you miss action films the way they used to be, check this one out.
It blasts it's way to a surprising B.
Here's the R-rated, red band trailer.
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