Land of Bad

There are a lot of movies based around the special forces do incredible things format. And, honestly, it's a genre that's a bit overcooked, IMHO. Land of Bad is an exception.

Land of Bad, while not pushing boundaries, delivering exceptional performances, or providing a particularly insightful look into this world, does deliver an engaging slice of entertainment. It's an action film that is devoid of melodrama.

Russell Crowe delivers a solid performance, as a passionate drone operator who battles against bureaucracy and for the special forces unit under his watchful gaze. But none of the actors have space to stretch their legs and deliver meaningful performances.

I was surprised this was a Cert 15, there are some scenes that are quite violent, beyond the to-be-expected shoot-them-up scenes.

If you like these kinds of action films, you will not be disappointed with this one. It's a solid piece of cinema that will keep you engaged.

The Land of Bad follows a.special ops rescue mission to its conclusion. The tone and feel of the movie is reminiscent of Sicario and Top Gun: Maverick. The story is good with some unexpected twists, thrills, and lessons.

All of the actors do a great job but Russell Crowe steals the screen through the character 'Reaper,' a civilian contractor working as a drone operator. Reaper cares deeply about his job and takes the mission seriously. The team in the field is his number one priority and that's what makes Reaper so darn likable.

All in all the action looked and felt great but that's not what makes Land of Bad a good movie. In fact, I wouldn't even call Land of Bad an action flick. At its heart, Land of Bad is drama about the difficulties surrounding modern combat and its effect on our psyche.

Don't get me wrong. It's not an Oscar winner or anything but it's a serious and entertaining movie that I enjoyed enough to write this review.

This movie is a kind of a blast from the past, when action movies like "Commando" or "Missing in Action" ruled the VHS rental stores. It has absolutely everything that fans of adult cinema appreciate and value - shootouts, swear words in the dialogues, simple motivations and quite good execution.

Liam Hemsworth may not be the king of acting, but he delivers a sufficiently interesting role to follow his fate with excitement on face. For me, it was a pleasant screening, although it lacks some clear and positive argument. It is a solid action movie in a modern edition, but without unnecessary corporate influences. It is worth watching, because such productions are basically not produced today.

This film isn't going to win any Oscars or be nominated by any stretch of the imagination but it's a solid action flick. It's an interesting take on a military action movie where the drone operator (Crowe) can be the difference between life and death for an American team behind enemy lines. Of course some Hollywood magic carries the movie through scenes that wouldn't otherwise happen in real life but that's to be expected.

Crowe does a great job as an aging drone operator who should be higher in rank by now but is held back by his own stubbornness. Without Crowe in this role I think the movie would fall far under the radar (pun intended) of most people looking for a decent action movie to watch. Hemsworth does a decent job in his role but it's Crowe that holds the film together. Worth a watch.

"How do you know when someone's a Vegan? They will tell you!"

'Land of Bad' is not bad, thanks to a very adult script by David Frigerio and William Eubank and very taut direction from the self-same William Eubank.

Liam Hemsworth (AF Sgt J. J. Kinney) does a nice job, but it's Russel Crowe, as an implausible Air Force Captain (AF Captain Eddie Grim aka 'Reaper'), who steals the show. The funny vegan references are dry and very funny. Crowe's trip to the supermarket should be taught in acting Master Classes!

Unlike many action films, this one doesn't require too much buy-in and the dialogue is not loaded up with cheesy cliches-vegan, or real!