Verdict
Summary
Operation Chromite has some spectacular action scenes and is at times incredibly tense. The characters aren’t particularly memorable and Liam Neeson provides unintentional humour but it’s still very entertaining.
Plot: Gen. Douglas MacArthur (Liam Neeson) conducts a covert operation behind enemy lines to infiltrate North Korean headquarters.
Review: I watched this a few months ago on Netflix just before the site died and to be honest I forgot to review it but better later than never. I wanted to see Operation Chromite in the theatre and I wished I had, as it has plenty of spectacle and epic action sequences.
It’s not a classic film but it is filled with some tense moments and impressive shoot-outs and chases keeping things exciting throughout.
There is not any real characterization but there’s enough for you to care about our eight operatives who are sent to gather military intelligence by impersonating North Korean officers then infiltrate their command.
Our main protagonist is Captain Jang Hak-soo (Lee Jung-jae), who leads said group of operatives and although he is quite a mysterious character, you still want him to succeed mostly so he can take down Commander Lim Gye-jin (Lee Bum-soo) who is utterly batshit crazy. Lee Bum-soo is incredibly entertaining to watch as the villain just to see what crazy thing he’ll do next as he clearly has massive trust issues.
The big selling point to North American audiences would be the addition of one Liam Neeson to the cast who plays the legendary General McArthur; I found his portrayal a little on the humorous side for all the wrong reasons. It felt too forced and he can’t hide his Ballymena accent but you still enjoy watching him simply because it’s Liam Neeson.
The action highlight for me is a shoot-out in a bar which is visceral and exciting where you don’t know who will live or die.
Overall, Operation Chromite is tense and packed with action; there isn’t much in the way of characterization but it should keep you on the edge of your seat for the duration.