I am a big fan of action films, any action film such as World War 2, 007, Stallone, etc. You name it I've seen it, When I heard they were making a film about Irish UN peacekeepers in Africa I was keen to see this film. I don't think I've seen a film about Irish peacekeepers or any peacekeepers come to that so I thought it would be an interesting take on the genre. I read that it was going to be a limited release so I was worried that it wasn't good enough to get a general release. Luckily the release wasn't too limited as I was able to see it in one of the local cinemas and my fears turned out to be unfounded.
The UN soldiers were dropped in the middle of a civil war in the Congo that was partly caused by the Cold War between the USA and the USSR, fuelled by their interest in the uranium mines located in that country. Generally it feels like an update of Zulu where there is a small isolated army post being overwhelmed by wave after wave of African soldiers. These attacking soldiers were led and guided by foreign mercenaries in the pay of mine owners who were disgruntled that the UN were dictating who would lead the country and hence who they would deal with. The spears and rifles of Zulu were replaced by more modern machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars and bazookas. There was no expense spared by the special effects' department on explosions that bring to life the combat. There are some events in the film that seem highly unlikely such as the first attack but I'm guessing as it's based on a true story reflecting the hectic nature of real fighting that these strange events did happen.
There are only a small number of recognisable stars and that may have hampered the chances of a general release but the largely unknown cast give it their all. I felt, however, that Mark Strong was sadly under-used and that he was on the fringes of the main action. The leading actor, Jamie Dornan, is more associated with the Fifty Shades films than with being an action hero but he is impressive as a soldier out of his depth trying to turn his training and his knowledge of fighting techniques into real fighting and doing the best for his men. Less than a week ago I saw him play an assassin, in Anthropoid. He's well-suited to playing the weary fighter and is convincing as an officer facing combat for the first time.
It was an enjoyable mix of action and mayhem featuring a band of soldiers with their backs against the wall and fighting for survival. It's well worth checking out.
The UN soldiers were dropped in the middle of a civil war in the Congo that was partly caused by the Cold War between the USA and the USSR, fuelled by their interest in the uranium mines located in that country. Generally it feels like an update of Zulu where there is a small isolated army post being overwhelmed by wave after wave of African soldiers. These attacking soldiers were led and guided by foreign mercenaries in the pay of mine owners who were disgruntled that the UN were dictating who would lead the country and hence who they would deal with. The spears and rifles of Zulu were replaced by more modern machine guns, sniper rifles, mortars and bazookas. There was no expense spared by the special effects' department on explosions that bring to life the combat. There are some events in the film that seem highly unlikely such as the first attack but I'm guessing as it's based on a true story reflecting the hectic nature of real fighting that these strange events did happen.
There are only a small number of recognisable stars and that may have hampered the chances of a general release but the largely unknown cast give it their all. I felt, however, that Mark Strong was sadly under-used and that he was on the fringes of the main action. The leading actor, Jamie Dornan, is more associated with the Fifty Shades films than with being an action hero but he is impressive as a soldier out of his depth trying to turn his training and his knowledge of fighting techniques into real fighting and doing the best for his men. Less than a week ago I saw him play an assassin, in Anthropoid. He's well-suited to playing the weary fighter and is convincing as an officer facing combat for the first time.
It was an enjoyable mix of action and mayhem featuring a band of soldiers with their backs against the wall and fighting for survival. It's well worth checking out.