Mercenaries

After having had a sneak-preview of Mercenaries, i must admit it just wasn't very good, even for a Balkaneze guy like me.

The plot seems rushed, the actors are mediocre at best, and there just isn't any substance to get you hooked on the story. The only character you can sympathize a little with, is Andy Marlow(played by Robert Fucilla). Along with Kirsty Mitchell, they did a decent job acting.

But having watched it, i was like "was that it?", and i started wondering if it was worth the time in the first place.

I hope somebody out there enjoys it...

because i didn't.

"No Andy...they are wrong." After a military coup occurs in the Balkins the U.S. ambassador is in trouble. An ex S.A.S. serviceman is picked by Colonel Tourida (Zane) to lead a rescue mission. I have to admit that I like war movies, but like the new batch of western movies lately they seem to be either really good or really bad. It seems that some people assume that if you put a guy in cameo with a gun in a movie people will flock to it regardless of plot. I am not one of those people. To me just because it's a war movie doesn't automatically make it good. This one was very slow and didn't seem to have a point. I lost interest quickly and started to forget what I saw. By the end I was just glad it was over. But on the other hand not everyone thinks like me and many will like this. I just couldn't get into it. Overall, compared to the recent war movies like "Beneath Hill 60" and "Age Of Heroes" this is not nearly as good. I give it a C-.

So .. the American military (ie Billy Zane) entrust the rescue of a US ambassador somewhere in Serbia (where else !) to a rag bag of British mercenaries (we mustn't forget the word "elite" here !) led by an investment manager from Brixton , London !

They walk around somewhere in a wooded area at night talking loudly ... knowing that only the cameraman and soundman are listening .

We know who the top bad guy is because he wears an eye patch , of course ! More walking in illuminated woods at night follows , while the bad guys are torturing everyone they can find !!

Now this is where it gets exciting ... the investment manager (turned actor / cameraman & producer) from Brixton , decides to attack the bad guys , based in a shabby building ... not to be confused with the American Embassy say , and liberate the hostages . Armed only with Kalashnikovs (don't ask !) the good guys liberate the American hostages including the one-eyed bandit.

Here , excitement reaches a zenith ! After firing many blank bullets and more flashing lights , the liberators go back to the woods with the Americans and a captured bad guy ! Surprisingly, the woods are very well lit .

Anyway , the producer / actor investment manager tries to hit on the only female with them . But eventually Billy Zane is there with the obligatory coffee to welcome what is left of the rescuers !

There is a lot of trees in this film , but little daylight.

Breathtaking , don't yo think ??

This movie fell apart within the first 10 minutes of the viewing. If you are going to make a military film, at least research it before production. ACU patterns were wrong, and weaponry were not standard issue. For an example, the Humvee shown in the film is actually a cameo painted Hummer h1, the civilian version of the Humvee. Silly, silly movie that I highly discourage.

The acting was a discouragement to see. Awkward prone positions and shooting positions made actors look like they were playing a game of air soft. There "marines" were not properly shown how to shoulder their weapon nor how to properly engage targets using their iron sights.

Overall, this military thriller looked like an amateur film that any 12 year old with a Sony camcorder could re-enact. This film at best belongs in a high school film festival. What a shame.

I am about 5 minutes into the movie and very disappointed... First of all you have a Full Bird Col. wearing the uniform all wrong. Then people calling him Colonal... You don't call them by their rank.. Sir... Ma'am.. Then went even further with the Major wearing his head gear inside, and then someone calling a soldier they worked with private. So aside from everyone being all jacked up.. and people getting called by rank this movies script is lacking too. The president is under attack and doesn't realize until they get to his house?? Then they say they have to leave quickly but get caught at the top of their stairs waiting... Who does that? This isn't one of them scary movie plots where the girl runs up the stairs instead of out the door. there is my ten lines.