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The Reel Review

B-

When a covert U.S. military Delta Force rescue operation in a rebel-held part of the southern Philippines goes awry, an inexperienced Air Force sergeant finds himself at the mercy of a drone captain back in the U.S. to get him evacuated to safety. Liam Hemsworth, his brother Luke Hemsworth, Russell Crowe and Milo Ventimiglia (This is Us) star in this military action thriller.

Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth in Land of Bad

As mindless war movies go, Land of Bad is a serviceable yet predictable shoot-em-up action thriller, its corny dialogue and many story inaccuracies (did they not have a military fact checker?) offset by a surprisingly solid production featuring compelling fight scenes. Hemsworth does well enough as the Air Force officer in peril, with Crowe as the cantankerous, laser-focused drone captain trying to guide him to a successful extraction point as the bad guys close in.

Russell Crowe and Gunner Wright in Land of Bad

Incorporating modern warfare tactics into a fairly standard shoot-’em-up action/thriller, co-writer/director William Eubank (Underwater) also manages to slip in a moral message in the third act – when Crowe scolds officers for watching basketball games in the mess hall instead of manning the phone for an urgent phone call from the stranded airman.

REEL FACTS

• Liam and Chris are the only two Hemsworth brothers who have not yet starred in a film together. Luke is Sgt. Abell in this film and appeared with Chris in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok and 2022’s Thor: Love and Thunder.

• The U.S. military has five publicly acknowledged, elite, Tier One units: Delta Force (Army), SEAL Team Six (Navy), the 24th Special Tactics Squadron (Air Force), Army Rangers (Army) and the Intelligence Support Activity (Army).

• Although set in the Philippines, Land of Bad was filmed along Australia’s Gold Coast.

 

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