Special Forces (2012)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Just so...so bad

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

A reporter is kidnapped by the Taliban resulting in the Special Forces taking a trip to Afghanistan to get her out. Things don't go as planned forcing them to survive on foot crossing the desert, always under attack.This was well done. The film is French but the version I seen was dubbed in English. I think it would be better watched in the original language. It was a French Behind Enemy Lines or Courage Under Fire. The cinematography was stunning as you went from the snow to the deserts. The sound was amazing as you could hear the bullets flying by and sometimes even see them when they slowed down some shots. They go all out with the helicopters, guns and major explosions.There are lame scenes like when someone dies another person will clutch onto the body, then look up to the sky as dramatic music starts to play and gets gradually louder as the camera pans around them. You know the ones. Other than that quite an enjoyable film.

PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE, do not let the name of this movie put you off. I say this because it put me of for nearly a year...I kept seeing it scroll past on my Amazon prime...eventually I noticed Djimon Hounson was in it and he is someone I think is such an under-rated actor (nominated for two Oscars for your information). If you've never see Blood Diamond, watch it, his performance is incredible and should have won him the Oscar in my opinion. Anyway the name of the film and the DVD image give the impression of a Chuck Norris 'Delta Force' clone. Well, it couldn't be further from the truth. This is a 'believable' war movie. A believable story with believable characters in believable action scenes. Some don't get as much characterisation as others but that can't be helped due the type of story it is. A squad of Commandos being hunted by the Taliban. You become invested in their lives when things start to go wrong; with a couple scenes so well filmed and edited (sound as well) that I found myself tearing up. Please give it a try if you like your war movies believable...

There is little positive that can be said about this movie, to be precise, NOTHING.With contemporary movies orientated more towards realism this movie tends to take you back in time to the 80's; "Nothing like the real world"; a shame. SPOILER!!!!To sum it up, a French reporter get's taken by the Taliban after insisting that she can save a girl who is to be killed by them.France acts like the US, "we can not allow that French citizens be treated like this in the world", and dispatches a unit of French SF to save the girl; all this before the President even gives the go.And here it is where it starts to get bad. French SF parachute during plane daylight into the drop zone; who cares that anyone could see them. The SF have a easy time taking out the Taliban holding the girl and start heading towards the pickup zone. Problem starts when the ONE communication device that the unit had with them gets destroyed by a bullet, yes they carried only one, and they miss their ride. The French SF are portrayed as complete inept by director to Stéphane Rybojad, as they just didn't bother to plan ahead an alternative pull out plan "Do you have a Plan B? NO". Also according to him the Taliban seem to living under the rocks in the mountains, as they just keep popping up and killed by the dozens a la Storm Trooper's throughout the entire movie; not to mention that they do not need to rest or anything like that. The French unit enters a escape that last 10 days, going over mountain chains a la Lord of the Rings. The only reason why the French Unit makes it so long is because the Taliban's are just more inept then them. But of course, as a bad movie is, after surviving a face of battle against the Taliban where the French didn't even bother to take any kind over cover, of course defeating the Taliban, they start to get killed one after an other.I love movies and I always watch them till the end, but this movie was SO bad, I started writing this review when there where still 20 min left of it; believe me, in those 20 min it got only worse like a cliché like final face off battle between the hero and the villain.Eventually the girls survives, of course, the hero does as well, of course, and we have a bad cliché ending.If I can recommend anything it would be to not wast your time and watch it, unless it's for a cinematic class where you want to put is as an example of a bad movie and director.

In Afghanistan, French journalist Elsa (Diane Kruger) want to cover the story of Maina, a woman sold to a man when she was a child. Taliban leader Ahmed Zaief abducts Elsa and her colleague Amen. The French president sends six Special Force members to rescue Elsa who's been transferred to Pakistan. The team is led by Commander Kovax (Djimon Hounsou). They were able to free the journalists, but lose their radio. Without any backup, they must walk all the way back to Afghanistan.Stéphane Rybojad writes and directs this french action film. It is good enough as a Rambo action movie, but there is too many things that felt wrong if this was to be realistic. There isn't much imagination in this movie. The action is done without much style. And the basic premise that the group had one radio is questionable. Apparently they did this without air support or even drones. Once they lose their one radio, they are lost to the allies. Is it out of the realm of possibilities? I guess not. It just doesn't feel right.