tenspearslong
There's nothing wrong with this movie that some budget wouldn't fix. The acting, dialogue and direction are fine -- the story is derivative of The Purple Plain, but that's 50 years ago and using it as a springboard is not a bad idea. We begin with a struggling pilot's fantasy that his world is exploding around him. When nobody else reacts he and we realize that it's in his mind... and we are supposed to wonder why. Having established him as a helicopter pilot (in a thin but story-forwarding action scene) we learn the reason for the pilot's internal struggle: he lost a son to a suicide bomber's madness. The story unfolds with the pilot being given a chance at salvation, a chance at finding a reason to live: when his chopper is shot down, he and the female reporter on board must find their way across Afghanistan to safety while bounty hunting bad guys pursue them.Yes, yes, there are never enough stunts or explosions -- but when our hero charges the bad guys, it isn't bad strategy, it's his suicidal side coming out. There are noble ideas at work here. It's a shame there wasn't enough dough to silence the idiots who care what the cockpit looks like more than they care what characters are feeling.
vitachiel
Of course this movie is bad. There were a few highlights for the one who likes to be entertained though. Another commenter spoke of a cheap-looking video game and he was right: just look at the fluorescent candy cockpit, wow! And then the imagery of the invented Afghan landscape: move your ass, Google Earth! All very trippingly futuristic and - unintentionally it may be - very cool. "Escape from Afghanistan" was the master of dark, here we have the master of light.The story, acting and direction are awful. The soundtrack is OK. And I keep wondering how our hero manages to keep his hair in such a good shape after an other rough 'n tumble fighting sequence...
hugheg
"This odd little" movie is so bad it's funny. Not as funny as other hilarious terrible movies such as SHAKEDOWN, and WHEN EAGLES STRIKE, but it is good for some laughs. There tends to be a little too much dialogue (and when your dialogue is god awful, thats not a good thing) and not enough hilariously pathetic action sequences.HIGHLIGHTS: unabashedly reused shots, terrible terrible acting, a bazooka that shoots fire, giant Afghan fighters, helicopters that defy the laws of physics, and a really really unnecessary rape scene, just to name a few things. Plus, the hero is a squirrelly little guy who could never pull off what he supposedly does. For those of you who enjoyed the dialogue and would like to see another more boring and actionless version of this film, check out Escape From Afghanistan which features 50% of the same camera shots and 100% less awesomely bad explosions. Also, for those of you who rent the DVD, be sure to watch the trailers for upcoming releases which seem to be promising one thing and one thing alone... if you watch these new movies, you will see boobies, lots and lots of boobies.
vanyalalyo
It's unusual to see people in a war movie who have lives and not just guns. These has heart and purpose. There was too much violence but there images that are heart breaking. My husband made me watch it because he knew how strongly I felt about that awful situation. The woman's performance was particularly compelling. It must be difficult to be a woman in a society so skewed as that area of the world is and she did a wonderful job making us experience it. Also the character of Massood; it's clear he was based on the real life individual whose life was cut short, and the sensitivity the actor brought to him echoes the loss of a man who was leader in a time of terrible crisis.