Covert Operation

A colleague of mine, which is a friend of one of the producers asked me to watch and review this film. I didn't really know what to expect coming into the movie as I'm more of a sci-fi kinda guy. To my surprise I was quite entertained...Solid story line, very good action scenes and a believable cast. What stood out the most was the lead actor...charismatic, sincere in his role and quite skillful for the action genre. For what it is (a non-Hollywood controlled-budget movie), I'm giving it a perfect mark. Keep up the good work...I would definitely like to see more from the lead actor and this creative group.

Great action and acting from Seydina Baldé (5 times world karate champion). Nice twists and turns and I had to hide behind my hands a few times when it got bloody!! A bit shocked when you think about women actually being treated that way, and there are so many stories that exist like this in the world. So even if this is fictional it reminds you that it does actually happen. The colours of the film bring in originality and depth. It's surprisingly high quality when you know how low the budget was. Loved seeing Richard Sammel again (from Inglorious Basterds) Hoping that there will be a sequel and that it will show more about the relationships between Gabriel, Witaker and Joan...

... you are ever likely to see.

The genre is ... confused.

It is has simultaneously elements of a martial arts film, a spy film, a comedy, and a horror film.

For example, there is a lot of humor around and about the topic of North Korea. Being from the west, I was not even aware that this was a bountiful source of material for comedy, but the screenwriter clearly saw the matter differently, and wrote jokes accordingly.

The shifts in mood & tone are unpredictable, and that is not necessarily a good thing.

A North Korean officer runs into the barracks only to find one of the soldiers reading a porn magazine. So he takes out a gun and shoots him in the head. In an adjoining scene a captured spy is being tortured by having his intestines removed while he is still alive.

Not quite as funny, that second bit..

All this takes getting some used to.

Nor does it help that the protagonist, the hero, speaks English with an odd accent. Now, in fairness, Jean Claude Van Damme did the same thing at the beginning of HIS career but I somehow doubt that Sedina Balde is about to follow in Van Damme's footsteps. More likely, he is simply going to be a bottom-tier action hero with an annoying accent.

The director TRIES. Boy does he try. There is a scene where simultaneous fights are taking place on two contiguous floors of the same building and I swear the camera angle actually inverts (goes upside down) to prepare the viewer for what comes next.

That is a very cool scene, perhaps the highlight of the film. Seriously cool.

Other directors will see it and copy it. It's THAT good.

Unfortunately, it comes near the half way point and its is all downhill from there.

------------------------------------------------------- PS added 11-12-14. Noticed 4 new reviews added, all rating this film at the level of THE MATRIX or GODFATHER, all by reviewers with only one single review in their IMDb profile. Make of this what you will.

This picture is really weird. Filmed in France? I think it was supposed to be an action packed thriller. For me it was also a comedy. I laughed out loud several times. The plot has so many holes, worse than a Swiss cheese. The acting was meh, the dialogue was written by Yogi Berra sitting on the toilet and eating crackers. The main bad guy was also always uptight. He was a caricature of what a western person might think of an Asian evil dude. You could tell the hero was a professional martial artist. He was really good, the fight scenes were OK, but also contributed to the comedy. You know, the unwritten law that only one man at a time can attack the hero even though he is surrounded by 16 martial arts guys.

Yet still I liked it. I gave it a seven.. I'm easy

I am not normally a follower of these types of films, though this one is unlike anything I had expected. The genre is an interesting blend of action, thriller, adventure, martial art, and even some comedy. If you are expecting something in particular, then you may not get the full appreciation of this film. I came in not knowing what to expect and I was very impressed. The action scenes are professionally done (for once!) and some of the camera work is also quite beautiful. Immediately after watching the film I wanted to watch it again. Even simply the visuals of the scenery and exotic setting were captivating. I simply loved this film.