Land of Bad review
Land of Bad proves that Chris Hemsworth doesn’t have the market cornered on Hemsworth survival thrillers. Liam Hemsworth is more than up to the challenge of headlining an action film with bombs bursting, bullets firing and drones flying in air. And for good measure, he brings in brother Luke Hemsworth for a sibling advantage.
It might lack the ‘plug it into my veins!’ adrenaline rush of Extraction or Extraction 2, but Land of Bad certainly scratches the itch for an intense, thrilling action ride.
Liam Hemsworth stars as JJ Kinney, assigned to a mission with a veteran special forces unit on a retrieval mission from an overwhelming amount of enemy forces. JJ is nervous and the teasing from Bishop (Ricky Whittle, Nappily Ever After), he’s got strong support from Abell (Luke Hemsworth) and commanding officer ‘Sugar’ Sweet (Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us).
The initial squad bonding sequences are quick but do the job of establishing the characters and their distinct personalities. JJ plays an important role on the squad as he’s the one in communication with drone pilot Eddie Grimm aka Reaper (Russell Crowe, Thor: Love and Thunder).
Director/co-writer William Eubank (The Signal) and co-writer David Frigerio see the beaten path of all the tropes this genre requires. Thankfully they add enough fresh wrinkles into the mix that there’s a freshness to Land of Bad that it doesn’t come off like a warmed-over retread. It’d be great to avoid the torture scenes altogether, but how else would viewers know who to root against?
The first attack leaves JJ scrambling to survive on his own. His only help comes from Reaper providing a bird’s eye view and the occasional dazzling salvo of bomb strikes.
Eubank doesn’t overindulge on the action sequences finding the right balance to show the danger of these perilous situations and just being gratuitous with the bloodshed. That approach works very well as the action is more intense and thrilling than awkward moments of Eubank just ‘getting his gun off.’
The action sequences are wonderfully shot as Eubank puts viewers right in the midst of the fray. Whether bullets or rockets coming to the screen or following the drone’s bomb strikes. There’s a tangible feeling of being immersed in the action as opposed to just watching it.
Land of Bad marks a strong return to form for Crowe, who a few decades ago would have been starring as the action hero in the jungle. While he’s still got an action hero name as Reaper, Crowe is asked to play against type.
Crowe is fantastic playing up Reaper’s idiosyncrasies in a moody manner to the chagrin of his beleaguered visual observer Nia (a charming Chika Ikogwe). As temperamental as Reaper can be, he’s also got a kinder, gentler side. Crowe seemed to enjoy tackling the duality of the character such as his friendly banter with JJ over their native Ohio.
Hemsworth is also very strong. He gives JJ more than enough layers so his evolution from nervous fourth wheel to full-scale survivor hero doesn’t come off abrupt. It’s a well-earned character shift. The film’s supporting cast are all exceptional. Ventimiglia was a bit of a revelation as a hard-edged action hero.
Land of Bad was a very pleasant surprise with stellar performances, sensible writing and thrilling action.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Photo Credit: The Avenue
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