MOVIE REVIEW – This B-grade war adventure takes us on a genuine nostalgic trip to the ’80s VHS era, blending action and comedy while fully embracing its genre clichés. Russell Crowe enriches the film with his uniquely entertaining scenes. While Liam Hemsworth, soon to be seen as the Witcher, reliably meets expectations, Crowe once again exceeds them, delivering another memorable performance.

The clichéd statement that some actors are so captivating that people would pay just to watch them read a phone book becomes a reality in “Land of Bad.” The film features an extended sequence of Russell Crowe shopping, and this simple act turns out to be unexpectedly thrilling. Nothing extreme happens; nobody gets hit by a pie, and not a single can explodes, yet the sight of the former star of “Gladiator,” standing in front of a “dry-aged meat” sign, is absurdly comical. Who would have thought that 24 years later, we would see Crowe on the big screen shopping in a grocery store, checking his list, and doing everything we all do? This scene is simultaneously impressive, amusing, and memorable within the film.

Oh yes, I almost forgot: the main theme of the film is a tough and bloody military action in the Philippines.

Whose Land Is It Anyway?

The film’s initially somewhat childish original title, “Land of Bad,” probably raised a few eyebrows. (That’s likely why the Hungarian distributor renamed it to the fantastically unimaginative “Hell’s Own”). It’s possible that the creators originally wanted to call the film “World of Shit,” which is actually a military slang in the USA, but they ultimately chose a more audience-friendly version to avoid age rating issues. However, this title would have been more fitting because the main character, “Playboy” Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), an Air Force officer, finds himself in a “shitty” situation after a rescue operation goes disastrously wrong, and he is left alone in a jungle where everyone starts shooting at him. He can only rely on a remote-controlled drone operated by Captain “Reaper” Grimm (Russell Crowe) from Las Vegas, equipped with three rockets as if he were in a video game with limited resources. The film features two of the Hemsworth brothers, Liam Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth; only Chris is missing, who played a similar role in the two “Tyler Rake: Extraction” Netflix military action films.

Although allegedly based on real events that happened in Afghanistan and not in Southeast Asia, “Land of Bad” still reminds one of the B-grade films that Chuck Norris starred in during the ’80s, like “Missing in Action.” Back then, Vietnam was the favored film battlefield, often with evil Soviets pulling the strings; now, numerous unnamed Asian people die at the hands of a blue-eyed hero. As always, they are puppets of a higher power, in this case, a Yemeni terrorist. The creators must have felt the heat from today’s woke film production moguls, who would have strongly criticized them if they had viewed the events through such a undoubtedly racist lens, so they forced some “progressive” woke narrative elements into the film, such as Grimm’s slightly “plump,” super-sympathetic African-American female colleague, Major Nia Branson (Chika Ikogwe), or the only Asian-American soldier seen on screen, who Playboy is supposed to save.

Hemsworth Fights, Crowe Fusses Over the Coffee Maker

The setup is as follows: while in one scene Hemsworth ducks behind trees, rolls down slopes, and tries to dodge bullets, in another, Crowe messes around in a Las Vegas military facility in a Hawaiian shirt, fusses over shoddy coffee makers, complains about his phone ringer being muted, and worries about his fourth wife’s pregnancy and vegan diet. It seems strange that Crowe, at his age and not in the best shape (possibly weighing around 140 kg), is still in the army (while last year, when he was the Italian exorcist of the pope, that still went), the film somewhat explains this without suggesting that our honorable hero is particularly good at his job. Thus, when other officers scold him and threaten to take over the mission, not much tension permeates the film. It’s rare to see such rebellious types in military films, so this odd lone wolf portrayed by Crowe is at least a refreshing variety from this perspective.

The action scenes, however, initially almost border on boredom. When Playboy is left alone, it appears his life is not in danger, so the casual viewer – while likely scraping the bottom of the popcorn box and sipping the last drops of cola – might wonder where the throat-gripping excitement and drama are? Fortunately for the audience (though not for the character), the story takes an unexpected turn about halfway through the film, involving more characters, and the stakes significantly increase. When our hero dashes through the underworld base in his underwear, it’s no longer questionable that the film is aware of its genre, and it is certainly not a credible military story based on real events.

The dark filters and varied camera movements – combining handheld, drone, and stabilized shots – ensure the film doesn’t feel like a typical B-grade offering on streaming channels, unlike some ’80s imitations. (Actually, the other Hemsworth brother, Chris’s Tyler Rake films can also be categorized here: in terms of visuals, “Land of Bad” is more sophisticated, using “artistic” approaches.) Although primarily filmed in Australia, it’s not in the typical locations known from other films, such as the usual desert or rundown shack settings. Thus, credit is due to those who selected the locations, as they created a truly original, unique, and chilling (somewhat reminiscent of “Apocalypse Now”) enemy base.

“Land of Bad” is a nostalgic journey into the world of B-grade war adventure films, where the spirit of the ’80s action scenes and Russell Crowe’s unexpectedly entertaining shopping trip both find their place. The collaboration between director William Eubank and executive producer Jared Purrington has led to a film that, although lacking in irony and genre awareness, does not become a masterpiece but cannot deny its entertainment value. The unusual mix of military action and everyday comedy makes this film a unique experience worth watching for the performances and spectacular scenes.

Behind the Cameras: Zack Snyder’s Favorite Cinematographer

William Eubank, who previously directed films like “The Signal” and “Underwater,” seems to have settled into the role of a B-grade film director. It’s worth noting that the executive producer, Jared Purrington, has worked as a storyboard artist or illustrator on Zack Snyder’s films since “Man of Steel.” Although Eubank doesn’t use many slow-motion shots, it seems the directors may be kindred spirits. The biggest difference is that Eubank is aware of his limitations and is often somewhat self-ironic, which Zack Snyder is incapable of. Although “Land of Bad” is not a masterpiece despite this, if you get past the initially clunky and forced introduction, the occasionally absurd military action scenes are truly exciting, while we see the longest and most amusing shopping scene in film history with the now rundown but still great actor Russell Crowe. I’m not saying I want to see this from him in every film, but after the amnesiac and Alzheimer’s detective, this is another original performance worth watching “Land of Bad” for.

-Herpai Gergely (BadSector)-