'THE WALL': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
A war thriller about two American soldiers that are pinned down in Iraq by an enemy sniper. The film was made on a budget of just $3 million, and it stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena and Laith Nakli. Doug Liman (who also helmed 'THE BOURNE IDENTITY', 'SWINGERS', 'GO', 'EDGE OF TOMORROW', 'MR. AND MRS. SIMITH', and more) handled directing duties, while Dwain Worrell (a regular writer of the superhero TV show 'IRON FIST') wrote the screenplay. The movie received mostly positive reviews from critics, but it also only got a limited release in theaters.
Staff Sergeant Shane Matthews (Cena) is a US Army sniper that's sent to investigate some shootings at a pipeline construction site in the Iraqi dessert. He's assisted by his spotter, Sergeant Allen Isaac (Taylor-Johnson). After waiting for over 22-hours, Matthews determines that the site is clear. When he approaches the bodies though, he's shot by an unseen Iraqi sniper (Nakli). When Isaac tries to help Matthews, he's also shot, and then he's trapped behind a collapsing wall that he uses for cover (while Matthews appears to be dying). The sniper than converses with Matthews over a military radio, and a psychological showdown develops between the two men.
The film has a great premise, a talented cast, and a decent director. The screenwriter just wasn't able to stretch the plot out enough to make a very decent feature length thriller though (so it's surprising to me that this script made the 2014 Black List). It's definitely not a boring film, or a pain to sit through, but it isn't that thrilling either. Not in a very memorable way at the very least. It's a decent war film though, and it's worth seeing if you're a fan of the genre.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/SXjABrLbV7A
A war thriller about two American soldiers that are pinned down in Iraq by an enemy sniper. The film was made on a budget of just $3 million, and it stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Cena and Laith Nakli. Doug Liman (who also helmed 'THE BOURNE IDENTITY', 'SWINGERS', 'GO', 'EDGE OF TOMORROW', 'MR. AND MRS. SIMITH', and more) handled directing duties, while Dwain Worrell (a regular writer of the superhero TV show 'IRON FIST') wrote the screenplay. The movie received mostly positive reviews from critics, but it also only got a limited release in theaters.
Staff Sergeant Shane Matthews (Cena) is a US Army sniper that's sent to investigate some shootings at a pipeline construction site in the Iraqi dessert. He's assisted by his spotter, Sergeant Allen Isaac (Taylor-Johnson). After waiting for over 22-hours, Matthews determines that the site is clear. When he approaches the bodies though, he's shot by an unseen Iraqi sniper (Nakli). When Isaac tries to help Matthews, he's also shot, and then he's trapped behind a collapsing wall that he uses for cover (while Matthews appears to be dying). The sniper than converses with Matthews over a military radio, and a psychological showdown develops between the two men.
The film has a great premise, a talented cast, and a decent director. The screenwriter just wasn't able to stretch the plot out enough to make a very decent feature length thriller though (so it's surprising to me that this script made the 2014 Black List). It's definitely not a boring film, or a pain to sit through, but it isn't that thrilling either. Not in a very memorable way at the very least. It's a decent war film though, and it's worth seeing if you're a fan of the genre.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/SXjABrLbV7A