Kandahar

Strong plot and promising action but falls short. Worth viewing if you like this type of film or Butler in general.

Butler's 'Tom Harris' and Fimmel's 'Roman' were strong, they provided high points. Bagheri's 'Parshand' didn't hit the mark.

Action scenes had moments of awesome. But odd timing of starts/stops during sequences made them confusing. Particularly when Roman rolls out of the vehicle during a pursuit scene.

Parshand pursuing main characters endlessly through the desert on a low range motorcycle was odd and not believable enough. Character did not seem ruthless. His scenes subtracted from the overall concept I was expecting and hoping for.

The film's strengths lie in its action sequences and Butler's performance. The action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting, and Butler gives a strong performance as the CIA operative. However, the film's weaknesses are its predictability and lack of originality. The plot is very predictable, and the film relies heavily on clichés and stereotypes. Overall, Kandahar is an average action thriller film that is worth watching for Butler's performance, but it is not a must-see film.

Here are some of the pros and cons of the film:

Pros:

Gerard Butler gives a strong performance.

The action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting.

The film is shot beautifully, capturing the harsh beauty of the Afghan landscape.

Cons:

The plot is predictable.

The film relies heavily on clichés and stereotypes.

The film is slow-paced at times.

Overall, Kandahar is an average action thriller film that is worth watching for Butler's performance, but it is not a must-see film.

Kandahar is the second action-drama about Afghanistan I've seen in the last month. Guy Ritchie's The Covenant is about the same subject matter. It's different but also very similar. I find it amusing to see the return of very similar movies released in the same year (think Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down). Fortunately, in this case both movies turned out great.

I enjoyed Kandahar and found it entertaining throughout. It has some cool action scenes that seem to emphasize realism. There is an action scene at night which had me complaining at first because I couldn't see much. I wondered why they didn't use some kind of lighting trick. But as I watched, I realized this is how it would look if I was in that situation, something I've never seen.

The action is only a small portion of this movie. But I was still invested because of the story and characters. There were scenes of suspense as well as slower character moments, but I was never bored. It does a good job of balancing many moving parts (different groups, races and motivations).

Watching this movie, I couldn't help but notice how far we've come regarding Islamophobia in action movies. I grew up watching action movies where brown skin = bad guy. And even worse, they were usually portrayed as gross and barbaric. Kandahar does a much better job of illustrating the complexity of the situation, how not everything is black and white, and how there are people within those communities trying to fight against what's wrong.

I think The Covenant does a better job of holding all sides (including our own) accountable, whereas Kandahar shows sympathy without ever asking for accountability. Even the main character does some bad things that are never addressed. I wish they went that extra step to show how detrimental the outside influences can be on these situations.

Nevertheless, I had a good time with this movie and am happy with how fairly and not one-sided things are portrayed.

(1 viewing, early screening Mystery Movie Monday 5/15/2023)

This is an interesting movie, the storyline is pretty normal, CIA operative is exposed and must make it to friendly lines while being hunted by a bunch of evil people.

Its Afghanistan so there are more twists and turns than a roller coaster ride. The usual explosions, killings and destruction you would expect from a thriller movie.

Gerard Butler gives an awesome gritty performance and manages to pull out an otherwise predictable movie and provide the same determination of the "... Has Fallen" movies.

It displays the multiple players in that area of the country. And shows the various players in what is a very complicated part of the world.

This is a good war thriller with lots of action, impressive scenes and strong violence. A gripping and exciting story that keeps you tense throughout the entire film. Thriller with noisy action, shootouts, excessively shaky camera in some places and the special effects are quite brilliant. After sabotaging an Iranian nuclear reactor, Agent Tom Harris: Gerard Butler discovers that his identity has been revealed by a detained journalist, Nina Toussaint-White, and that the CIA's involvement in the destruction of the nuclear reactor has been made public. Gerard Butler plays Tom Harris, and his partner in the film, Oliver, is performed by Tom Harries. Harris has 30 hours to get to the airport in Kandahar, Afghanistan, along with his translator Mohammad 'Mo' Doud: Navid Negahban. To fight the tumultuous escape, he reteams with mercurial and skilled operative Roman Chalmers: Travis Fimmel. The only thing more dangerous than the mission is escape!

This exciting film contains loudy action, full of suspense, tension, crossfire, chases and adrenaline. Financed by the head of the "John Wick" saga, as producer Alan Siegel explains: "Not everything revolves around shooting and chases: the key is humanity", so the most dangerous thing is not the mission, it is the escape... and that is what the character of Gerard Butler, (The Pilot, 300), who is the true protagonist of this intricate and fast-paced action thriller, is very clear about.

Operation Kandahar (2023) contains colorful cinematography by cameraman David Buckley filmed in several locations: Al-'Ula, Saudi Arabia, and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As well as a moving and intriguing musical score by composer MacGregor. The film was competently directed by Ric Roman Waugh and filmed from December 2, 2021 to January 28, 2022. Roman has a long career as a stuntman and later became a prestigious writer and filmmaker. Waugh is a good director and writer, known for National Champions, Shot Caller (2017), Target: Washington D. C. or Angel Has Fallen (2019), Greenland (2020), In the Shadows and especially for his first big hit, Felon. He has been married to Tanya Ballinger, who often appears in his films. Rating: 6.5/10. It's worth seeing. Better than average. Essential and indispensable viewing for Gerard Butler fans and action thriller enthusiasts.