Rating 5/10
Netflix is the graveyard for mid-movies. The streaming service has the unique ability to resurrect forgotten releases and turn them into hits. Back in February, Land of Bad flopped in theaters, grossing $4.6 million domestically and $6.9 million worldwide. However, since its debut on July 18, it has found a new life on the streaming platform, appealing particularly to fans of war films who have never seen Black Hawk Down, We Were Soldiers, or Lone Survivor.
Sergeant JJ Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) is a US Tactical Air Control Party Airman on a mission in the Philippines sent to rescue a CIA spy. Codenamed “Playboy,” he is accompanied by a group of sergeants, including Abell (Luke Hemsworth ), Bishop (Ricky Whittle), and John “Sugar” Sweet (Milo Ventimiglia). Concurrently watching over them is Captain Eddie Grimm (Russell Crowe). The drone pilot, nicknamed “Reaper,” supports them remotely from a Nevada base. After a firefight with Abu Sayyaf rebels led by Saeed Hashimi (Robert Rabiah), Kinney and his team must navigate hostile territory. One event leads to another, culminating in a daring rescue operation where Kinney’s resilience and bravery shine as the rookie fights to save the day.
Land of Bad is a macho war picture directed by William Eubank (The Signal, Underwater) from a screenplay he wrote with David Frigerio (The Signal). The saga juxtaposes superficial action with a lack of narrative depth. Yet its pervasive gore makes it difficult to forget. Ironically, it manages to be both an anemic and bloody cinematic experience. At one juncture Hashimi takes out a huge knife and chops off a woman’s head in front of her husband. It’s the first disturbing segment in a production filled with them. Defenders will argue that the horrors of battle necessitates these scenes. Interestingly, All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), The Bridge on the River Kwai, and Paths of Glory all conveyed that theme far more effectively without resorting to graphic killings.
There’s not much to distinguish this release besides the presence of Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator). Twelve years ago, he was still getting plum roles like Javert in the screen adaption of Les Miserables. There have been some bright spots (The Nice Guys, Boy Erased) since, but overall, the last decade hasn’t been kind. At this juncture in his career, he seems willing to act in literally anything. This includes two recent horror movies (The Pope’s Exorcist and The Exorcism) which, despite their titles, have nothing to do with the 1973 classic starring Linda Blair.
I’m not ridiculing a legend. Russell Crowe remains a charismatic movie star. His comically exaggerated portrayal here is the most captivating personality in the picture; “Reaper” doesn’t see any combat action. Instead, he spends most of his time sitting in a chair, controlling a drone from thousands of miles away. Meanwhile, the physically fit young men handle the shooting in the field. Later Reaper, relieved of his duties, shops for vegan cheese in a health food store under his pregnant wife’s orders.
Nevertheless, Crowe gets the best moment in the production. The crew at Nellis Air Force Base are more concerned with a March Madness game than the lives of their fellow soldiers. He lets them have it in the end, and I gave this an extra point for that scene alone. Meh, it still wasn’t enough for me to recommend this utterly generic film.
07-30-24