Operation Chromite (2016) (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3

The film is set in 1950, with the North Korean army having taken over most of South Korea and with the rest of the country set to fall. Leading the U.S.-led UN coalition tasked with driving back the communist hordes is American general Douglas MacArthur (Liam Neeson), who formulates the top-secret Operation Chromite, a daring invasion of Incheon by sea. For the plan to succeed, intelligence is needed on the treacherous currents and mine filled waters off the coast of Incheon, and a team of eight operatives is gathered to carry out this deadly undercover mission, code-named 'X-Ray', headed up by navy Captain Jang Hak-soo (Lee Jung-jae). Disguised as North Korean officers, Jang and his men come up against the ruthless Commander Lim Gye-jin (Lee Bum-soo), who soon starts to suspect that some of his comrades are not what they seem.

Any viewers who have seen even just a couple of Korean military blockbusters from the last few years should have a very good idea what to expect with Operation Chromite, namely an overabundance of testosterone-soaked bellowing and blustering, grand CGI-heavy set pieces, a supporting cast which is inexorably whittled down towards the end (though with the unfortunates each having the time to give lengthy noble death speeches), and plenty of sappy flashbacks to simpler, happier times with mothers, spouses and families. John H. Lee really doesn't make any effort to diverge from the formula at all, and the film is reminiscent in feel to most others of its type, including his own 71 – Into the Fire – while the undercover and spy elements could have added something slightly different, these come across as having been lifted directly from Choi Dong-hoon's recent hit Assassination. There's nothing new here at all, and the film is predictable throughout, right down to its ever-present nationalism and last act melodrama, even going so far as to end with the usual flashback scene of cast members gathering for a tragic pre-mission photo.

The lack of originality aside, Operation Chromite does still have plenty to offer viewers who aren’t overly jaded with the form, chief amongst which is a solid cast of popular stars, all of whom give good value for money. While Lee Jung-jae doesn't stray far from the expected heroic stoicism, he manages to make Jang Hak-soo at least semi-human and likeable, though its Lee Bum-soo who steals the show as the villainous Lim Gye-jin, turning him into an amusingly over the top villain who simply seems hell-bent on causing carnage, his highly entertaining turn deservedly winning him the Popularity Awards at the 53rd Grand Bell Awards. Liam Neeson also does well, at least by the standards of western actors in Korean films, and seems to have had a fine old time chewing the scenery and his pipe, even if more than half his lines are groan-inducing platitudes. Certainly, his presence seems to have given the rest of the non-Korean cast a lift, and the film manages to avoid the usual trouble of having grating non-actors in the westerner roles.

The film also benefits from some top notch production values, looking every frame the big budget epic. As he showed with 71 – Into the Fire, Lee has real flair and talent when it comes to battle sequences which are both spectacular and gritty, and the film packs in plenty of blood and dirt as it puts its characters through the wringer. A few instances of substandard special effects notwithstanding, the film does impress visually and viscerally, something which helps considerably when it comes to overcoming what's unfortunately, if unsurprisingly, bloated running time. Though the original theatrical cut fares better in this regard than the half an hour longer extended edition, even it suffers from a meandering pace, and the film could certainly have done with the trimming of some of its flashbacks and scenes of teary melodrama, which do drag it down.

However, this is very much par for the course, and Operation Chromite is an above average offering, with what should be more than enough bombast to keep fans happy. Still, it's hard not to feel a little underwhelmed by the familiarity of it all, and though John H. Lee has crafted something perfectly respectable, many will yearn for the day when a director actually tries to do something different with the form instead of sticking to the same tried and tested path.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com