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

Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer (1955)

                   “Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer” is an Israeli film that was directed by Thorold Dickinson.  It was the first feature film produced in Israel.  It is a tale set in the last hours of the 1948 War for Independence.

                   The movie focuses on four people who are sent to occupy and defend a hill before the cease fire goes into effect.  The 24 refers to the height of the hill, which means the movie is making a mountain out of a molehill.  The story of the four is being told by James Finnegan (Edward Mulhare).  Finnegan was an Irish policeman who fell in love with a Jewish woman.  His flashback shows how he came to be a fighter for Israeli independence.  Each of the other four get their own flashbacks to explain why they are willing to die for Israel.  Finnegan’s is by far the longest back-story.  The movie is more about Finnegan than the group. 

                   This is a boring movie.  Finnegan’s tale is about an incompetent policeman who falls in love with a woman he is surveilling.  It does include some action that is realistic street-fighting, although  they do pull the grenade pins with their teeth.  The cinematography reminds of “Rome, Open City”, but the screenplay doesn’t.  It is Israeli propaganda, which doesn’t disqualify it.  It’s simply not an entertaining war movie.  The cast does not make it more interesting.  Mulhare is the only recognizable actor and he is just as week as the rest.  It had the making of a good film.  The flashback structure is nothing new, but it is botched.  One of the four is not even given a flashback!  And although you might have sensed the outcome, the movie foolishly leads with the results of the hill battle. 

                   I had “Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer” on my watch list because I had seen it on some best-of lists.  I have no idea what those critics were thinking.  This is not even a good movie, much less great.  When it comes calling, don’t answer.

GRADE  =  D

Jarhead 2: Field of Fire (2014)

               “Jarhead 2” is a straight to DVD sequel to “Jarhead”. It was directed by Don Michael Paul (who also directed Jarhead 4).  The movie sets the tone as it starts with a pompous, macho bull shit voiceover. The setting is Patrol Base Cobra in Afghanistan. It is under heavy fire. It doesn’t help that is is located in a valley with the enemy controlling the high ground. (This is a similarly ludicrous strategic situation that we get in “The Outpost”.) But this is not an Alamo movie, it is a lost patrol movie. A convoy of four trucks and Humvees is ambushed and all of the vehicles are destroyed. As  is typical for this type of combat porn, the Americans never miss when they fire at jihadists and every shot is a kill. Navy SEAL Fox (Cole Hauser) takes command as they attempt to reach a village. Included in the group is an Afghan collaborator and an educated Afghani woman named Anoosh. Being educated makes her a target for the Taliban. Along the way, the have a duel with a sniper and take on two technicals (pickup trucks with machine guns in the bed).  When they reach the village, they hold up in the police station. (So, I guess there is an Alamo after all.)  And a rescue mission as Anoosh gets taken and has to be saved. I have to credit the movie for having a variety of scenarios.

       If you saw “Jarhead” and complained about the lack of action, you might actually like this sequel better. It certainly has more combat in it. It is basically a series of set pieces connected by walking. But while the lack of killing in “Jarhead” is realistic, “Jarhead 2” is laughably implausible. The tactics are ridiculous, but it is entertaining fluff. It definitely fits into the combat porn subgenre. But you should have guessed that the moment you read that it was straight to DVD.  It is set apart from the usual sequel that plays off the success of the original because it has surprisingly good acting. The cast is not well known, except for Hauser who was a good casting. No one embarrasses themself. You may not know the actor, but you will recognize all the stereotypical characters. Their deaths are predictable and the movie is not afraid to kill off heroes.

            “Jarhead 2” is mindless entertainment. If you prefer violence over talking, it might fit the bill for rainy day where your mind does not want to do any heavy lifting.

GRADE  =  C