Operation Seawolf review
It was definitely a choice to have Operation Seawolf largely focus on the Nazi side of a late-stage World War II film. Not only is the spotlight on the losing side, but it’s a big ask to hope viewers will find either sympathy or root for the Germans to destroy New York City.
Writer/Director Steven Luke is up for the challenge, but only truly succeeds in showing why this was an ill-conceived effort in the first place.
Dolph Lundgren (Section 8) stars as Hans Kessler, a German captain who’s clearly grown weary of the Nazi propaganda machine. By April 1945, Kessler has properly read the tea leaves — the Germans aren’t winning this one — but he agrees to head a mission that could potentially turn the tide.
Kessler will lead a fleet of submarines armed with rockets to destroy New York City. But with the war having raged on for years, Kessler’s crew is largely comprised of young soldiers with little if any real combat experience. That doesn’t stop one, Lt. Reinhart (Andrew Stecker), from trying to lead a low-key mutiny.
Like most aspects of the film, Luke doesn’t truly let this develop to any extent so it can become an interesting subplot.
While Kessler and his crew is the focus, Operation Seawolf has two other “key” characters. Commander Race Ingram (Frank Grillo, Copshop) is leading a U.S. operation to find and stop Kessler from completing his mission. Capt. Samuel L Gravely Jr. (Hiram A. Murray) is leading his submarine on an escort mission and gets dispatched to join the hunt for Kessler’s fleet.
MORE:
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – Ribbit and Rip It review S1 E8
- Werewolf by Night review
- Hellraiser (2022) review
- WWE Ultimate Edition Fan TakeOver Shawn Michaels review
Character development would be the one area that could possibly help the film stand out, but Luke isn’t overly interested in providing much insight into the characters.
Early on, Kessler is hocking and wheezing so much while barely able to walk around it seems just a matter of time before he confides to someone he’s dying. Maybe it’s from all the hard liquor, cigarette or young women keeping his bed warm with him? But no, that never comes around.
Ingram is stuck in a war room going over maps and devising strategies. It’s a curious use of Grillo, who’s known for playing harder, rougher characters — not the stern, but fair desk jockey coming up with the master plans.
Of all the characters the film could have devoted more time to developing it would have been Gravely. YouTube commentors frantically scream-typed “WOKE!!!” at his inclusion in the trailer, but this isn’t for mythical brownie points.
Gravely actually was an officer among the predominantly black submarine chaser USS PC-1264. Gravely offered the opportunity to tell a different story from the standard WWII combat film as one of the trailblazers that helped shift the mentality of blacks in the Navy.
Instead, Luke whiffs on attempting to make Kessler and his crew’s efforts seem noble and heroic. The overblown, grandiose score doesn’t help with this perception either. Maybe this wouldn’t be so dull if Kessler or any of his crew were remotely interesting, but they’re cardboard cutouts with little personality or purpose.
Authenticity isn’t a priority here. German accents come and go depending on the scene and if the actors remember. Sets are fairly barebone whether it’s a war room or a sub’s engine room. The CGI work isn’t spectacular, but it’s reasonably decent.
The combat scenes that do play out on camera are brief. One highlight is a pair of U.S. fighter jets attacking Kessler’s sub. Luke stages this confrontation well and it’s unfortunate this is the exception instead of the norm.
Too often Operation Seawolf feels dead in the water just waiting for some pockets of excitement and intrigue that never come. There’s some potential with the story, but it washes away far too quickly.
Rating: 4 out of 10
Photo Credit: KWPR