Writer: Syahida Kamarudin

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Watch this if you liked: “Alone In The Dark”, “Bloodrayne”

Uwe Boll is a brilliant director! This receives a standing ovation! Okay, that's just a joke.
It's easy to bash Boll as his directorial performance has not been anywhere near satisfactory let alone excellent. However, one must agree that this is one of his better works (if to compare with his other flops like "Bloodrayne"). Having said that, this reviewer is not saying that it is as great as its German PC game franchise - Uwe Boll being Uwe Boll always seems to make everything more dramatic and over the top.

Let's just say that if you substitute all the actors to Bollywood stars - the dramatic hero being Akshay Kumar, the hopeless damsel-in-distress being Mallika Sherawat, the invincible soldier being Sunjay Dutt, the comic relief Emilio being Johnny Lever and Amitabh Bacchan as the antagonist, you might find that it makes more sense and you can actually understand what's inside Boll's ludicrous mind.

As it is, for Hollywood standards, this movie is too tacky to even begin with. The opening action sequence does not attract, the humour is too daft, the background score is boring and uninspiring (and Dr Krigger's obsession with Wagner's composition does not translate well on screen) and the actors are just so and so. Except for Til Schweiger (who was last seen in "Inglorious Basterds") who gave a little bit of colour to the main role Jack Carver, most of the other roles are easily forgotten. Emmanuelle Vaugier (most famous in a role of Detective Angel in "CSI New York") as journalist Valerie Cardinal seems lost at times and her typical American sarcasm only annoys rather than amuses.

The only interesting part of the whole experience is the Yamakazi-like action between Carver and the genetically engineered soldier. The freerunning/parkour show that lasted five minutes between the two would be the highlight of this film.

Watch out for the annoying whale lady at the start and end of the movie. If you want to know how you would feel watching this film as a whole, well, the whole movie feels like that whale lady - whiny, overdramatic but fail to excite. Boll should stop wasting German government's fund and act like a serious director for once. Stop ruining every single video game out there!

Cinema Online, 16 September 2009