Director: Iko Uwais
Year: 2025
Country: Indonesia
Rating: 5.0
It is almost better if you don't
know the true background of this Indonesian film and just accept it as a
solid action film in which an elite army squad goes deep into the jungle
of Papua, New Guinea to rescue hostages held by terrorists. But like the
proverb goes, your terrorists are my freedom fighters and vice versa. The
film is based with some exaggeration and melodrama on a true event in 1996
when a large group of researchers were kidnapped by the Free Papua Movement
(OPM). The Indonesian army was sent in to rescue them. The man in charge
of the operation Brigadier General Prabowo Subianto is now the President
of Indonesia. Which perhaps explains why this film was made. And why the
army is portrayed so positively. But history is never so simple.
Papua New Guinea had been under Dutch control
as the Dutch Indies from 1640 to 1949 with the Japanese in control from 1942
to 1944. When the Netherlands gave the land its independence it was with
the intention of it becoming a separate nation. Indonesia under Suharto had
a different idea and forced Papua to join Indonesia. Not at all what the
people wanted and the OPM sprung up as a rebel military guerilla force. That
is who the "bad guys" in the film are. The freedom fighters. But we are meant
to cheer for the overwhelming power of the army.
This was the first directorial effort by
Iko Uwais, the amazing Indonesian martial artist who has become a global
force. He also plays the leader of the elite squad. There is an abundance
of action once it gets rolling, but for much of it, the well-armed soldiers
are combating men with only knives, cleavers and bows and arrows. It is like
the Zulus charging the British. In the second half it gets more physical
as the army has to go toe to toe. Some nice fighting in there. Uwais adds
melodrama by having three childhood friends involved - two in the army, one
among the OPM. You know, at some point they will have to face each other.
The narrative kind of plods along when they aren't fighting; flashbacks to
their childhood, the plight of the hostages, saying goodbye to your wife.
Uwais will hopefully stay away from nationalistic propaganda in the future
and get back to what he does best, action.
