‘Land of Bad’ great war movie with a twist

Film Review

Tinashe Kusema

WHILE the year is just beginning, it would be safe to say “Land of Bad” will not be the best movie of 2024, but the war action thriller will be one of those flicks we will have fond memories of.

This year seems to have some promising movies, from the hugely anticipated “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, sequels “Dune: Part Two”, “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”, right up to the much-hyped “Deadpool and Wolverine”.

“The Beekeeper” and “Iron Claw” are two great movies that have come out already and I have more faith in them lasting the next 10 months than “Land of Bad”.

I also recently came across the trailer for the video game-inspired “Borderlands”, which is seriously giving off “Guardian of the Galaxy” vibes.

Normally, I would have included the action comedy on the list but with Kevin Hart in it, it becomes another issue.

The 44-year-old is known for some hits and misses for me to raise my expectations.

Terrible title aside, “Land of Bad” is nowhere near being a terrible movie.

The flick is a refreshing take on the war-themed movie genre and is a good way to start the year.

The film stars Liam Hemsworth as Sergeant JJ “Playboy” Kinney, who gets sent on his first mission — a “smash-and-grab” operation in which his crew is ordered to retrieve a CIA agent who has been captured by extremists operating in the Philippines jungle.

The four-man crew consists of leader Sugar (Milo Ventimiglia), Bishop (Ricky White), Sergeant Abel (Luke Hemsworth) and, of course, Kinney.

The duo of drone pilots Captain Eddie “Reaper” Grimm (Russel Crowe) and Nia Branson (Chika Ikogwe) acts as the team’s backup as they survey the enemy terrain and warn of any impending danger.

As to be expected, the mission goes south, as members of Kinney’s crew are presumed dead, leaving the rookie soldier to fend for himself as Reaper and Branson provide tactical assistance.

The film scores in several departments, with the biggest being that, unlike in most war movies, there are no hidden messages, lessons and commentaries on war and human life.

The film’s plot mostly sticks to action and stunts. Additionally, the movie is marked by great cinematography, scintillating dialogue and character development.

Here, the writers — David Frigerio and William Eubank — take most of the credit as they pen a near-perfect script that leans heavily on its strengths and glosses over its few weaknesses.

Crowe and Hemsworth steal the show, as the former demonstrates a true understanding and mastery of his character.

He is the grumpy and straight-laced veteran drone pilot and Crowe is almost unrecognisable by his scruffy appearance, beard and weight.

The 59-year-old Kiwi is a master of his art and delivers one of the best performances of his long and esteemed career.

Watching these two strangers, who never actually meet in the movie, develop a relationship over telecoms is awesome.

Hemsworth is no slouch either, as the younger brother of Chris Hemsworth goes pound for pound with Crowe.

Now that we have seen all three Hemsworth brothers as soldiers, Hollywood needs to get them together for one movie.

The film uses drone technology for some of the camera shots and it is a marvel to watch.

While not the ‘best movie’, some have taken to social media to preach: “‘Land of Bad’ is a great watch and one of those flicks I would definitely refer to a friend.”

While not the compliment most would love, for me, this is high praise.