Operation Red Sea

A great action ride from Hong Kong from a great director Dante Lam, who hasn't disappointed me so far (The Beast Stalker, Unbeatable, Demon Cop, Operation Mekong, The Viral Factor, all of which I liked). This time he got a solid budget of 70 million and made one of the best action movies of the year (but not for long, because there’s a Mission Impossible around the corner). Story-wise, the film didn't really grab me that much and was even slightly boring at the beginning. That said, a Chinese special commando is tasked with rescuing hostages held by rebels and terrorists, but as it happens nothing goes according to plan. The film has phenomenal action scenes, perhaps some of the best I've ever seen. The finale lasts maybe an hour and it focuses on 8 special commandos fighting 150 rebels and it's carnage! It has almost all the action. There's a duel between two professional snipers who go at each other's throats (it made me remember the legendary Zaitsev), shootouts with all kinds of weapons (machine guns, rocket launchers, grenades and there's even drones), strategic tank battles, explosions at every corner that would make even Michael Bay jealous – well, pure action joy. The only thing I missed were close-range fights. A big plus is the violence in the film. There are scenes with burnt bodies, the explosion of a bus with civilians and the subsequent shot of severed limbs, even heads, a soldier who has his whole arm blown off by a grenade and is still fighting for his life, everyone is covered in blood and you believes the cruel and harsh war zone they are all experiencing there. The whole thing feels realistic and professional, without pathos and cheesy scenes, so for me a lot of satisfaction. One of the best military action movies I've seen. 85% (20.07.2018)