Reviewed by EWAN MCDONALD
Herald rating: * *
Bruce Willis wouldn't get on board a plane inside America after September 11 (no, we don't know whether this is because he doesn't like to stand in line to use the bathroom), let alone travel overseas, so the tough guy made this movie about
the Nigerian civil war in Hawaii "where," a critic wisecracked, "life has been relatively safe since Pearl Harbour."
It tells of a US Navy Seals unit dropped into an area where Islamic rebels are raping, slaughtering and burning, to fly four American civilians to safety from a mission hospital. The priest and two nuns won't leave. Lena Hendricks, the doctor, widow of an American, is also hostile but agrees to go if she can bring her patients. There is no room on the helicopters. Lieutenant Waters (Willis) wrestles her aboard the helicopter.
As they go, they see rebel troops arrive, bent on massacre. Willis returns and gathers 20 patients who are well enough to walk, and calls for the helicopters to pick them up. No way: he has disobeyed orders and they will have to walk through the jungle to Cameroon and safety.
It's like a kid's Christmas present: follow the instructions to assemble the Bruce Willis action toy with gun battles, explosions and machine-gun bursts, plus press the button for a range of pre-programmed phrases.
DVD features: movie (121min); commentary by director Antoine Fuqua; writer's observations; Making Of; Voices of Africa; deleted scenes; Africa fact track and interactive map.
