Operation Chromite (2016)

                   It took 35 years for another movie to be made about Inchon.  “Inchon” (1981) starring Sir Laurence Olivier is famous as one of the biggest turkeys of the 1980s.  “Operation Chromite” was the first joint American/South Korean production focusing on the Korean War since “Inchon”.  Continuing a recent trend that has included Bruce Willis, it stars a big American actor who clearly loves money and cares little for reputation.  In this case, Liam Neeson takes the cash and saunters as Douglas MacArthur.  Ironically, Douglas MacArthur turned in better acting performances than the actors who have portrayed him.

 

                   The title refers to the code name for the invasion at Inchon.  MacArthur’s plan was to make a daring landing behind enemy lines to change the momentum of the war.  The port of Inchon was a particularly difficult location for an amphibious landing.  Part of the problem was the tides and the mines.  To recon the harbor and gather intelligence information, a crack squad of eight South Korean soldiers are sent behind enemy lines.  They are led by Capt. Jang Hak-soo (Lee Jong-jae).   Plausibility gets off to a rough start when the men kill eight North Korean soldiers on a train and take their identities.  As per the war movie cliché, the uniforms fit perfectly.  They masquerade as an inspection team, but the local villain Lim Gye-jin (Lee Beom-soo) is suspicious because apparently some North Koreans had brains.  The clock is ticking.  Ticking toward when the crazy ass Korean combat kicks in.  Meanwhile, we intercut to the pompous MacArthur discussing his plan.

 

                   “Operation Chromite” is not among the better Korean war movies.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the worst ones have American involvement.  There certainly is a huge gap between a movie like this and movies like “Tae Guk Gi”.  You get the kick-ass combat cinematography Korean war films are noted for, but unfortunately the script and acting do not match the fireworks.  In this case, the plot starts off ridiculous and spirals to bonkers quickly.  There is very little resemblance to the actual invasion.  You will learn nothing historical from it. 

 

                   The acting is wooden, with Neeson leading the way.  It’s an embarrassing performance, but it gets forgotten in the lunacy that surrounds it.  There is little resemblance to reality and the poor CGI does not help.  The naval bombardment is straight out of a video game.  There is no character development other than Jang and Lim.  Jang is an action hero and Lim is a cartoonish villain.  The movie becomes a series of confrontations between the two.  Lim is one tough dude to kill.  It comes down to a tank duel, so try not to drink yourself into a stupor before the big finish. 

 

GRADE  =  D

 

BINGEWORTHY? The Attackers (Istrebiteli) (2013)

 

                   I like to watch Amazon Prime Russian television series while walking on the treadmill.  Concentrating on the subtitles takes my mind off the walking.  Amazon has a surprising number of Russian series set in WWII.  The first series I watched was “Night Swallows”.  The series are similar in that they both cover air warfare on the Eastern Front.  “Night Swallows” is the story of a squadron of female bomber pilots and “The Attackers” is about a fighter squadron that includes female pilots. 

                   “The Attackers” is set in 1943 during the period when the situation was in flux.  The squadron of Yaks is based near the front line and is mainly tasked with determining and thwarting German intentions.  They occasionally tangle with “Messerschmitts” (Me. 109s).   The characters include the pilots, their commanders, and the ground crew.  The main characters are a count who is an excellent pilot but suspected of being a German supporter, two brash young male pilots, a no-nonsense female veteran pilot, her friend who is more feminine, a slimy political commissar, and their gruff, but empathetic boss.  The twelve episodes play out as an extended soap opera with the pilot’s lives intermixing and some romances ensuing.  The soap opera scenes are leavened with some action, usually brief missions to locate enemy bases or downed pilots.  Some of the missions are carried out by biplanes.  This all leads to a German assault on their airfield which forces them to defend themselves and it will not end well for several of the main characters. 

                   “The Attackers” is pretty typical for a Star Media production.  You can expect competent acting by a decent cast.  Usually  there are photogenic female actors and in this case, a particularly cute pilot who is worth watching while walking on a treadmill.  The characters are distinctive and appealing.  They are not as stereotypical as you would expect.  Noteworthy is the commander who goes to bat for his men and women and often stands up to his superiors (although not successfully).  The villain is the political commissar, but he is not totally evil and gets a bit of a redemption arc.  The Germans are faceless and not demonized.  The series is not particularly propagandistic.  It does have an interesting episode where the count is captured and put in a camp with Soviet collaborators who are treated well by the Germans, but it turns out to just be for propaganda purposes.

                   The weakness comes in the quantity and quality of the air combat.  The CGI is inferior.  The dogfights are too rudimentary and sometimes don’t fit the scenario.  However, at least the Yaks are not made to do things they were not capable of.  For a series about a fighter squadron, there is a surprising lack of action.  The missions are abbreviated and sometimes end abruptly.  And they tend to be repetitive.  Speaking of abruptly, the final episode is a major letdown.  It appears the producers ran out of time and had to rush the conclusion, which is decidedly unsatisfying and blew a clear opportunity to end with a bang.  Kudos for being willing to kill off major characters.

                   “The Attackers” is a decent watch.  It should be near the end of your to-be-binged list. I would watch “Night Swallows” before it.

GRADE  =  C