Review of Land of Bad (2024)

General Information

• Director: William Eubank
• Main Cast:
  • Russell Crowe (Reaper)
  • Liam Hemsworth (Kip)
  • Milo Ventimiglia (Torres)
  • Ricky Whittle (Simms)
  • Daniel MacPherson (Seeger)
• Genre: Action, Thriller
• Runtime: Approximately 105 minutes

Plot

Land of Bad is a gritty action-thriller that follows a team of Air Force drone operators and field agents on a covert mission in the remote jungles of the Philippines. Tasked with taking out a high-value target, the mission quickly spirals out of control when their drone support fails, leaving the team stranded and vulnerable to hostile forces. Led by seasoned operative Reaper (Russell Crowe) and rookie drone pilot Kip (Liam Hemsworth), the team must navigate an unforgiving environment, hostile combatants, and their own personal conflicts to survive.

Highlights

1. Russell Crowe as Reaper
   • Crowe delivers a commanding performance as the grizzled leader, Reaper. His portrayal of a hardened operative balancing strategic precision and moral dilemmas adds depth to the film. Crowe’s charisma anchors the narrative, making him a standout even in action-heavy sequences.
2. Liam Hemsworth as Kip
   • Hemsworth’s role as the inexperienced but determined drone pilot, Kip, serves as the audience’s perspective into the chaotic mission. His character arc, from a tech-savvy operator to a field-tested survivor, brings emotional weight and relatability to the story.
3. Intense Action and Realistic Combat
   • The film excels in creating high-stakes action sequences that are both thrilling and grounded in realism. The use of tactical combat, drone technology, and guerrilla-style warfare immerses viewers in the team’s perilous situation, with heart-pounding shootouts and tense moments of survival.
4. Atmospheric Setting
   • The Philippine jungle serves as a visually striking and menacing backdrop, amplifying the tension and sense of isolation. The environment is almost a character itself, with its dense foliage, treacherous terrain, and unpredictable dangers adding to the stakes.
5. Themes of Technology vs. Human Judgment
   • The film explores the reliance on drone technology in modern warfare and the consequences when it fails. The interplay between the cold precision of technology and the messy, instinct-driven nature of human decision-making is a recurring theme, driving much of the film’s tension and character dynamics.
6. Direction and Cinematography
   • William Eubank’s direction ensures a relentless pace, blending tight, chaotic action with quieter moments of reflection. The cinematography captures the raw beauty of the jungle while emphasizing the claustrophobia and peril of the characters’ predicament.

Criticisms

1. Familiar Plot Elements
   • The storyline, while engaging, leans on familiar tropes of military survival thrillers, such as the rookie-veteran dynamic and the “mission gone wrong” setup. While well-executed, it lacks significant innovation in the genre.
2. Character Development
   • Secondary characters, despite strong performances, are somewhat underdeveloped, making their motivations and sacrifices less impactful than they could have been.
3. Short Runtime
   • At approximately 105 minutes, the film’s runtime feels tight, leaving little room to explore deeper emotional or thematic layers beyond the central action and survival plot.

Verdict

Land of Bad is a gripping action-thriller that delivers intense combat sequences, strong lead performances, and a compelling exploration of survival in extreme circumstances. While it doesn’t reinvent the military thriller genre, the film’s fast pace, atmospheric setting, and moral undertones make it an engaging watch for fans of action-packed narratives.

Rating: 8,5/10