Dir. Adrian Vitoria, UK, 2011, Dur. 90 mins
Cast: Sean Bean, Danny Dyer, James D’Arcy, Izabella Miko, Aksel Hennie
Review by Carlie Newman
Released on DVD/Blu-ray 13th June 2011
Set during World War 11, the film is based on the real-life activities of Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, and his 30 Commando Unit, set up in 1942, which led to the formation of the SAS. What should be an exciting all-action movie however comes across as a somewhat damp squib.
When Corporal Rains (Danny Dyer) hits the captain of a military police squad in order to follow his own instincts in leading his men home to England, he is arrested and sent to a military prison. However, Major Jones (Sean Bean), who sees his potential, recruits him for his commando unit and a very special mission. James D’Arcy plays Ian Fleming, who oversees the activities of this group.
The men receive harsh training for their first mission, which is to parachute secretly into occupied Norway to get hold of vital new radar technology from the Germans. Their little group is joined by local insurgent Steiner (Aksel Hennie) and a lovely female spy, Jensen (Izabella Miko). When they witness villagers in a little Norwegian town trying to resist the Nazis, they stay and help the locals in their battle. One of their number is a traitor and the group have to contend with that problem as well as attempt to fulfill the task they have been set, all in the harsh mountains of Norway.
This British thriller chugs along at a not terribly exciting pace, not helped by Miko’s perfect hairstyle and make-up, which remains so throughout the long walk through difficult terrain and all weathers, and the rather automaton style of acting by Bean and Dyer. A lot of little incidents as well as larger action–based episodes take place but the film just doesn’t lead to the nail-biting excitement which one should get from this type of movie. You may be interested to hear that two sequels are planned.
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