Kandahar movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Kandahar

This military action thriller is now playing in theaters worldwide.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 59 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

This is another example of how film critics and audiences differ in opinion. Critics have awarded it a very low 47% on the Tomatometer, while audiences are getting a kick out of it with a 81% score.

The director is Ric Roman Waugh. Writing credits go to Mitchell LaFortune.

The story is about a CIA operative who flees with his translator while trying to evade Special Forces in Afghanistan after exposing a covert mission.

THINGS I LIKED:

If you love Gerard Butler like I do, you know you can expect some tension and grit. As always, he does a good job. He also helped produce the movie.
Other cast members include Tom Rhys Harries, Navid Negahban, Ali Fazal, Travis Fimmel, Elnaaz Norouzi, Bahador Foladi, and more.
Believe it or not, this is only the second American movie to shoot entirely in Saudi Arabia. There are scenes that make it look like you’re seeing the Dubai Airport and UK Airport, but they were all filmed in the Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia. I’m always amazed that vehicles can hold up driving through all that sand and clay.
Who knows why, but Regal Theaters was the first theater to screen the film back in May as a surprise, calling it “Mystery Movie Monday.”
Just to keep things confusing on set, Gerard Butler plays a character named Tom Harris. His partner in the movie in most of the scenes is played by Tom Harries.
Beautiful cinematography.
The story felt pretty realistic, not like a convoluted, preposterous scenario that could never happen.
The tension and danger build with each scene.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

Most people will expect a lot of action since Gerard Butler is in it. Sadly, nope.
There are too many nonessential characters. Sometimes, it’s hard to know where to invest your concern or attention.
There are quite a few night scenes that are very dark, so if you stream this movie on a small device, you won’t be able to see much at all.
A lot of conversations are spoken in hushed tones, so I couldn’t always hear what people said. I’m sure it was meant to be profound.
The story of a man’s family on the rocks is super cliched in the movies. Sadly, it’s not that uncommon in the military and with foreign service.
If I had seen this movie before watching The Covenant, I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately, that’s not the case because it just felt like a retread of The Covenant but not nearly as good. What about you? Which one did YOU enjoy more?