I always say that a good action movie needs to have a decent story to work. Otherwise it will be just a mindless violence that is quickly boring and forgettable. Dolph Lundgren movies not always seem to remember that. This one however despite being a little cliché is god enough to keep the viewer interested.
The story here is based on screenplay written by John Sayles ( nominated for Oscar for the screenplay for "The Lone star"). You could say that the story ere is generic , but it's really not badly written for a B-class action movie. The film's premise is effective in immediately engaging the viewer.
The characters here actually have some soul and different personalities. They aren't bland and uninteresting like in many bad action movies. Another good thing is that the dialogues between them are actually nice to listen. When you care about the characters it means that someone did his job right. All the time spent building the relationships and personalities pays off big time when it comes to the showdown. A real dramatic tension.
There are no Oscar worthy performances here , but the acting is definitely above average. Lundgren is likable and quite convincing as the troubled mercenary leader. B.D. Wong as the natives leader is really good. There are also some attractive women here – Catherine Bell and Charlotte Lewis. The rest of the cast also doesn't disappoint with one exception – Trevor Goddard . He is overacting so much in the role of the villain that he almost single handedly destroys the movie.
Most of the action is held off until the climax of the movie. There is some nice action before , but it's the last half-hour that really counts. It's true that sometimes the camera work isn't perfect as other viewers pointed out. Still the mayhem is just great with shootouts, explosions, knifings, and fist fights taking place all over the island. It's also interesting that while a direct to video release this movie actually looks and feels like a theatrical release. The production values are surprisingly high and in the end the scenery is quite gorgeous.
This is not Seven samurai", The magnificent seven" or even "Dogs of war". It is however a decent action movie with heart. It has message (anti-war and pro–ecological ) , likable characters , some excitement and overall "Men of war" is a nice movie that might apply even to those who don't like action movies. It's a solid action entertainment with some substance . I give it 6/10.
The story here is based on screenplay written by John Sayles ( nominated for Oscar for the screenplay for "The Lone star"). You could say that the story ere is generic , but it's really not badly written for a B-class action movie. The film's premise is effective in immediately engaging the viewer.
The characters here actually have some soul and different personalities. They aren't bland and uninteresting like in many bad action movies. Another good thing is that the dialogues between them are actually nice to listen. When you care about the characters it means that someone did his job right. All the time spent building the relationships and personalities pays off big time when it comes to the showdown. A real dramatic tension.
There are no Oscar worthy performances here , but the acting is definitely above average. Lundgren is likable and quite convincing as the troubled mercenary leader. B.D. Wong as the natives leader is really good. There are also some attractive women here – Catherine Bell and Charlotte Lewis. The rest of the cast also doesn't disappoint with one exception – Trevor Goddard . He is overacting so much in the role of the villain that he almost single handedly destroys the movie.
Most of the action is held off until the climax of the movie. There is some nice action before , but it's the last half-hour that really counts. It's true that sometimes the camera work isn't perfect as other viewers pointed out. Still the mayhem is just great with shootouts, explosions, knifings, and fist fights taking place all over the island. It's also interesting that while a direct to video release this movie actually looks and feels like a theatrical release. The production values are surprisingly high and in the end the scenery is quite gorgeous.
This is not Seven samurai", The magnificent seven" or even "Dogs of war". It is however a decent action movie with heart. It has message (anti-war and pro–ecological ) , likable characters , some excitement and overall "Men of war" is a nice movie that might apply even to those who don't like action movies. It's a solid action entertainment with some substance . I give it 6/10.