This week sees the release of Agent Recon which is written, directed by and starring Derek Ting. What some may not know is that this is the third entry in a franchise with the two previous movies Agent Intelligence and Agent Revelation coming before it. Today I thought I would take a look back at the franchise while also giving my thoughts on Agent Recon.
Agent Intelligence (2017)
Plot: A group of friends go to the desert for a gun instruction course and accidentally unleash a power so great it overwhelms them where they must choose between family and friends versus the fate of the world.
This first entry in the series started off with Derek Ting hanging out with his friends in the desert but as he mentioned in our interview, he wondered “what if something happened and we got stuck here?” which is exactly the premise of this film. Now, bare in mind that this is a low budget movie and there isn’t much in the way of action until the final half hour, but I personally love the build up and there’s something immediately appealing about the character of Jim (Ting). He’s just a normal guy, but he gets these headaches a lot which may have ramifications later in the story.
The first half of the movie is getting to know the characters with Jim and Seth being best friends but there is an unspoken tension because Seth is now dating Angela who is essentially the love of Jim’s life. This pales into insignificance when the friends are exposed to a red dust which does strange things to all them… except Jim.
Considering this movie has a small budget there is something intriguing about it and there are some impressive stunts, especially the soldier falling off the rock which looked extremely painful. Jim being dragged across the desert after being kicked was also nicely done and by the end of the film it leaves you wondering what happens next.
Overall, Agent Intelligence may have a lower budget, but it’s interesting to see Jim before he essentially becomes a super-soldier and how he gets his powers.
Agent Revelation (2021)
Plot: An ancient dust that controls humans affects Jim Yung who gains superpowers. Jim is taken to an underground base where he’s trained to be an operative to take on an imminent alien threat and learn why aliens have returned to Earth.
The second movie in the series takes place shortly after the events of the first movie with Jim now joining a team of military operatives as he has been developing special powers since being exposed to the dust. Angela is now a Doctor working with them as they try discover the secrets of the dust and take on an alien threat.
This movie ups the action with Derek Ting getting to show off his martial arts skills and there are some impressive visual effects too considering the modest budget. Joining the cast this time is Star Trek legend Michael Dorn who plays Alistair who becomes a mentor to Jim and tries to help him understand his purpose.
Like I said, this has more action than the first movie and develops the characters with a few unexpected twists along the way too. The acting has been strong in these movies and Ting gives Jim an everyman persona that makes him someone to root for even when he questions himself.
Overall, Agent Revelation is a fun sequel that ups the action and develops the story and characters nicely, so we are ready for the next film in the series.
Agent Recon (2024)
Plot: A covert military task force tracks a mysterious energy disturbance at a secret base in New Mexico that is suspected of experimenting on alien technology. Once there, the team encounters an unknown being of extraordinary strength and speed, and the ability to control an army of mindless warriors. The trio must fight through the unstoppable hordes to prevent humanity’s demise.
Now we reach Agent Recon which is released this week and not only sees the return of Derek Ting as Jim, but the cast also adds legends like Marc Singer and Chuck Norris (who came out of retirement for this very movie). You don’t need to have seen the previous movies to understand what’s going on as Ting provides a voiceover at the beginning to catch us up on what’s happened so far. I recommend watching all three though just so you get to understand the characters more.
Agent Recon has the best action of the franchise and if you’re going to bring Chuck out of retirement then you want to see him kick some ass and that’s exactly what he does. The finale has him firing multiple guns while also having some fight scenes too. Obviously, he’s in his 80’s now and doesn’t move like he once did, but frankly he’s still in better shape than I am at half his age.
Marc Singer’s character Colonel Green is essentially the lead here as he takes the team into hostile territory to rescue his daughter who has been captured by the aliens. Singer is at is gravelly voiced best here and it’s great to see him in a role like this again.
Jim has grown into a total badass and once again Ting gets to really shine here with his own action scenes.
Overall, Agent Recon is the biggest and best entry in the franchise and it’s amazing to see Chuck Norris taking out the trash once again. I’m intrigued to see where the story goes for the fourth entry and how Jim’s tale will eventually end.