15 Minutos de Guerra

Don't get me wrong, the movie is gripping, but seems the director/writer did not want to get into the muddy motivation of the bad guys. The hostage takers always cut short to state their experience with colonial "powers". We see the horror of children as hostages, but never shown the horrors of Djibouti children under occupation - which is the motive behind the saga. Welcome to 2019!

Reading the reviews I was expecting much worse... Solid & realistic action film describing a real event. Probably less explosions and pyrotechnics than in an American film of this genre but it did not take away anything in terms of suspense and drama. The seventies feel and a certain level of amateurism of policing is quite well depicted.

Don't listen to the usual lefty libtard brigade reviews on this - this is a hostage action film and you get what you pay for on this one.

What is it with these reviewers; if you read the advertising and know its an action film, then why did you watch it and leave a bad review. The movie is "loosely" based on a true event; it even says that at the end of the film and of course it has been dramatised and has loads of action head shots because that is what the moviegoing punters want. They do not want some boring, sanitised, politically correct version of events like the recent dreadfully dull remake of Raid On Entebbe.

I rarely give a movie over a 6 these days but if you are into your action films, can put up with subtitles; as much of it is in French and enjoy a good romp then this will surely fulfill its remit!

Based on true events that took place in February 1976. Somali rebels hijack a school bus carrying 21 French children and their teacher in the city of Djibouti. Newly created elite French forces (GIGN) are sent. At date they were somewhat ridiculed and viewed with disbelief. With this mission they prove their value in tactical special missions and today they are one of the most reputable police forces in France.

The film is good, managing to escape the trap of being too documentary. With good cinematography, a humorous and not overly dramatic script.

It works well not only from a historical point of view, but also as a modern and actual action thriller.

I recommend.

I would have love to give this film a higher rating as I am a fan of elite and special forces movies. However the movie gets off to a very slow start and really only the last 15 minutes of the movie justify the rating it received. But the last 15 minutes are so fast and so furious and so gripping that it actually made watching the rest of the film worthwhile.