Land of Bad

A lot of people are gonna hate this movie or give a so-so rating because Hollywood has lied to you into thinking every soldier/officer in the service is a uberman killing machine.

They are not. The movie serves as a stark difference between techs at bases and field units. And how even the lifestyles and air/atmosphere for these different operatives is.

How drone operators like Eddie are in a more office environment of detached, relative low stress, short shift situation while field operators like Kinney are in high intensity, high stress, extreme hours situation.

Even their personal life priorities are completely different as shown in the last minutes of the movie.

Land of Bad is not there for you to hate on one group or another just to enlighten you that if you haven't walked in either person's shoes you could never understand what they are going through as you the audience in your comfy chair with a cold drink and snack in your hands.

I don't review many movies but I felt obligated when I saw how poorly this is doing in the box office. It's unfair for how well this movie does while watching it.

When I first saw this film on a list of movies to watch on a...non reputable website for movies...I thought it was a Netflix or Amazon flick because I've never heard of it before, let alone seen a trailer. Here I come to find out that this movie was not only released in theaters but it was released TWO DAYS AGO (2/15). The marketing team completely dropped the ball on this movie. The major reason that I believe it failed is because there was zero reaching out to potential audiences.

This movie has your basic covert jungle style warfare with enemies who can't aim but it kept me entertained and into it the entire time. The acting is decent, and Russell Crowe is great as an 'in your ear drone operator'. The way they used technical equipment in this movie is better than I've seen of late in any modern movie with drone warfare.

If you want to see a jungle shooting movie with American good guys shooting at random bad guys then this movie is for you. It's very entertaining and I felt into it the entire time.

7/10.

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.

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.

Good movie. Good characters. Good actors. Cinematography is top notch. I just don't understand how a Black Hawk turns into a Huey (back and forth) in mid air. :D Fun errors apart, I say again: a very good movie.

It reminds me of the good war action movies of the eighties and nineties. The action is there, for sure, but I appreciate when the story is based on characters and not the action.

It reminds me a little bit of the vibes I got when I watched Triple Frontier. Once again, character driven storyline.

Russell Crowe is a bit on the chubby side but delivers a fantastic performance. Milo Ventimiglia's Master Sgt. John 'Sugar' Sweet is a character to remember.