Extreme Ops (2002)

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

An extreme sports advertising firm travels to snowy Eastern Europe to shoot an advert featuring snow-boarding in the middle of an avalanche. Despite the danger, all the thrill-seekers see it as a bit of fun but, when they accidentally get film of a "dead" war criminal very much alive, they find themselves in very real danger.Perhaps unfortunately also known as The Extremists, this film is an European attempt to do what xXx did in regards making an action film out of extreme sports. Now, to many viewers this may feel like a particularly bad overall aim but bear in mind that, instead of American muscle-man Vin Diesel, we've got Rufus Sewell in the lead – "oh sh1111111t boy....it's on now kid, we bringing the C-WELL" etc. You get my point – from the start you cannot shake the feeling that this is a product made without a lot of money sloshing around. With that in mind I did expect it to be awful and it was a weirdly nice surprise to find that it is only "not that good". The plot about terrorists in a remote location is not reached for two-thirds and up till then we just have lots of noisy "extreme sports" action. This snow-boarding stuff is all very well but, without any plotting or characters to speak of, you'd be better off just watching it on one of those channel 4 sports programmes instead.In the final thirty minutes we suddenly have an action movie as one would expect but this is too quick and lacking in tension or the sort of internal realism required to engage the viewer. It pootles along OK I suppose but it never shakes the feeling of being basic mainly because Duguay can't inject action and thrills into it, he does his best but the material is the root of the problem and the film never did anything for me other than distract. The cast don't help the feeling of this being done on the cheap but the bigger problem is that nobody really has a lot of presence or charisma. The only exception to this is Pallaske, who is cute and energetic enough to stick in the mind. Otherwise though we are left with Sewell being too bland for this film, Graves doing a "comedy" character, Wilson being blonde and tall, Sawa (better known as Eminem's Stan) doing not that much and then lots of Eastern European boiler-plates.Extreme Ops offers a mix of so-so extreme sports action, so-so narrative, so-so performances and so-so action. It is no surprise then that the overall film at its best is "so-so" and other than a very lazy Friday night watching cable, I don't think many viewers will find that this meets their needs. "Here we go again" is the final line of the film – extremely unlikely I'd say.

I'm actually watching it as i type this, thats how bored i am. Not much happens at all. It's too drawn out with no buildup for the first half, so when it gets to the main encounter, you don't really care.There is some OK "extreme" skiing and snowboarding, which looks alright, but thats about it. The stunts are good when they are climbing on stuff, and has potential but there's not enough at to keep you engaged. I think it's confused about what it's trying to be.The characters and acting is alright, the camera work and getting some good visual shots is good.Overall, it just doesn't work for me. if it was bad to the point of tacky, then i'd be fine with that.If you want to watch snowboarders, then get a snowboarding DVD. if u want to watch an action movie set in snow environment, better of getting cliff hanger or such.the only thing i like about this movie is Jana Pallaske

What didn't work and things i learned: 1. If you are a director or group leader, don't worry about your group's health or the safety of your job because constant drinking, unprofessional ism, snowboarding on the back of trains are what make a director Extreme.2. If you are a gold medalist,that is not "respectable" or Extreme. Thus you should hang out with a bunch of amateurs to become Extreme. Also, drinking and falling under peer pressure is OK if you want to be Extreme. 3. I don't know about you, but if your going to set up a love story, at least let it come to it's conclusion. No date or kiss scene? Weak.4. Silo's entrance and character was just ridiculous and laughable. The whole skateboarding scene on the train is the first example of how Extreme ops tries to be too "Extreme". Good job dude, that's one Extreme dumb ass right there. 5. Every Extreme person has rock entrance music to show he is more Extreme than others.6. A good camera man SHOULD ALWAYS hang upside down beneath a moving train for the best camera shot. 7. A snowboarder SHOULD ALWAYS grind their board on their train tracks while chanting like an Indian if they want to be Extreme. 8. Snowboarding off the top of a roof and doing back flips onto the bar was just complete BS. Why would you fill up alcohol in glasses when you know there just going to knock them down? It's either: A. There's a dumb ass bartender B. There dumb ass customers who spent money to fill the glasses up to look "Extreme". Take your pick.9. Snowball fight inside the resort was really misplaced, especially after meeting a creepy guy10. The dog escape scene was really misplaced. It felt like a fight scene but then it didn't. Especially with the garbage can lid slide scene down the mountain. Also, that's the best time to videotape. Dumb ass.11. The night time snowboard/ski scene was misplaced. What did it accomplish? Nothing at the end since it's accomplished in the hot tube scene.12. Director trademark: Why not throw some sexy panty action at the cliff "over the edge" scene where Kittie is about to fall to her death?13. Always say bastard and smile when your being shot at.14. You SHOULD NOT fill a helicopter up before taking off. 15. Shotguns are the best long range weapons for killing. 16. Uzi and AK-47 ammunition is rare. So use a shotgun as directed.17. Generals do not have good shooting skills. 18. Throwing rope down onto helicopter blades is not Extreme. Instead you must jump across the blades and throw the rope down. 19. Always throw hot coal into a hot tube with people in it. 20. Terrorist generals only have 4 men under the control at best. 21. Being shot in the arm by a shotgun will have no effect, if you are Extreme.22. Being dropped on by a girl who weighs 105 pounds when you yourself are 6 ft about 250 will instantly knock you out. (Note: If you are the girl dropping on the guy, you will not be hurt if you say words like "totally" "radical" "narly" after wards) 23. What information did the helicopter pilot trade? What else was there to learn? 24. If 2 people need to ride on 1 snowboard, you will still move at the same speed, and your maneuverability and control will be crisp clean accurate.25. When your a inexperienced amateur, listen to your buddy who tells you to cut the rope if your about to fall. 26. Cameras are now made with bullet proof covers. 27. Being shot at in the chest will also have no effect if you are Extreme. 28. Trying to plow your snowboard into a helicopter to hit someone is your best weapon.29. As an adult it's a good idea to let one of the kids sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the team. 30. As an adult, leave a kid to watch someone wounded while you get help with 2 other adults. 31. When you return to the states, DON'T notify the press of the ordeal you went through. Instead go get your money 32. Cell phones will have good reception in mountains when enemies are nearby but will have poor reception when there is no threat. 33. Make sure to videotape when you just got out of a life or death situation and are followed by a avalanche.Overall not a great movie but at least the casting (exception of a few) was alright.

If action sequences were given more weight than a script, then "Extreme Ops" would take the grand prize; however, each are given the same amount and one cannot survive without the other. It seemed the plot was hidden underneath the snow and scattered along the only redeeming quality: the setting."Extreme Ops" follows a film crew who must capture footage of three extreme sports enthusiasts being chased by an avalanche for a television commercial. During some late-night fun, inadvertent footage captures a secret rendezvous between a Serbian war criminal and his girlfriend on a remote mountain hideaway. This leads to a game of cat and mouse as the extremists attempt to escape with their lives.On the surface, it may seem slightly interesting and filled with excitement, but "Extreme Ops" is a 93-minute film that takes half of that time to establish itself and failed to convince me of becoming anything other than a group of actors and their director having some fun in the snow.Only two redeeming qualities survived "Extreme Ops": the setting and action scenes. With chase scenes through the scenic mountain backdrop involving skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, white water rafting, helicopters, motorcycles, and base-jumping, it's easy to overlook that "Extreme Ops" is extremely awful.