Chase Stokes and Lana Condor star on this stable, if unspectacular, army thriller.
PLOT: With tensions between North and South Korea, a US helicopter crashes on the North Korean facet, now the survivors should work collectively to guard a civilian tech specialist and discover their manner out with out the assistance of US army assist.
REVIEW: A battle movie starring two actors who seem in widespread teen dramas from Netflix doesn’t precisely scream top quality. And given the time of the 12 months, it’s simple to enter Valiant One with rock-bottom expectations. And I feel that mindset will solely assist the movie because it’s surprisingly competent in almost all elements. As evidenced all through indie motion, it’s actually onerous to perform plausible motion on a funds. And seeing as how that’s the principle draw for most individuals, it must be dealt with competently. So I used to be very impressed with how a lot Valiant One was capable of preserve its actuality by its motion.
This Chase Stokes and Lana Condor automobile follows a squad of US troopers, crashing into the North Korean mountains whereas on a mission. Unable to get any correct army help, they’ve to succeed in a landmark that can hopefully cause them to salvation. The use of North Korea as a nasty man is ballsy and the “inspired by a true story” moniker helps to floor this one additional. No one is ever going Rambo mode or taking a bunch of bullet hits and surviving. These are often the precise trappings that indie motion typically falls into in an effort to face out.
I used to be frightened the youth of Stokes and Condor would deliver an unbelievability to those troopers however they’re absolutely dedicated to their roles and convincing. It additionally served as a reminder of how younger our troopers are usually. There are instances when it will possibly really feel a bit like children enjoying fake however the shootouts are likely to floor the scenes. The non-shootout motion isn’t very impactful, first signaled by the extraordinarily weak helicopter crash. I often hate CGI blood hits however for some cause, they’re dealt with very nicely right here. They really feel like they really exist within the setting, which is usually an enormous mark in opposition to them.
Lana Condor is sweet because the medic of the group. I went into this with low expectations given her common style of movie isn’t motion, however she matches in properly. She nails the heavier moments. Stokes additionally does a superb job, even when his character doesn’t prolong previous “generic good guy.” Valiant One doesn’t do an ideal job with any of the characters who aren’t Stokes or Condor, and so they’re roughly fodder for the story. But even then, I used to be impressed with the emotional affect of a number of of the deaths. I simply want we may have gotten extra pure interactions previous to the shit hitting the fan.
At one level, the colour temperature of a scene shifts so drastically, that it’s virtually a night-to-day transition. The film is consistently at odds with itself with the presentation. There are some eye-roll-inducing title playing cards one second and a few well-executed motion the subsequent, adopted by some tacky dialogue. They hit almost each stereotype you’ll be able to think about. Can we please retire having the Lord’s Prayer being recited in intense moments? It’s performed out by now.
Valiant One is the form of motion film that your dad and mom will love, however these demanding extra from their motion will possible dismiss it. With competent performing, an intriguing story, and well-executed shootouts, I discovered myself actually having fun with my time with the movie regardless of its flaws. It will be very stereotypical and the fabric isn’t precisely difficult, however everybody concerned actually impressed. This is a straightforward story that units a transparent objective to perform and does so in an entertaining manner. And I’ll all the time root for impartial movies that, in opposition to all odds, really options plausible motion. It’s a rarity.
VALIANT ONE RELEASES TO THEATERS ON JANUARY 31ST, 2025.
