• Directed by Ric Roman Waugh
• Written by Mitchell LaFortune
• Release Date: 05/26/2023
• Runtime: 120 Minutes

Spoiler free mini review – Butler convinces as a clandestine operative, with a balance of grounded and outlandish action that makes you wonder what liberties they took from the real events that inspired this “loosely based” rendition.

If you want nonstop action and Gerard Butler at the top of his game, Kandahar won’t disappoint. – Screen Rant

I feel like every “Middle East war movie” to come out in the last 25 years has tried to be the next Black Hawk Down, and this film is no exception. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Kandahar delivers on being a decent action movie, while not really breaking any new ground. It feels as much like the intel you’d receive in the briefing before a Rainbow Six video game, as it does any plausible real life events. In the slew of straight-to-DVD-esque movies that Gerard Butler has signed on for, this is certainly one of the better ones. I’m not sure that we’ll ever get enough of good “behind enemy lines” types of thrillers, even if they’re a bit over the top, like Kandahar.

The acting stands out and overcomes the, probably shoe-horned, plot line of the main character being an always-gone military Dad, on the verge of divorce, about to miss his only daughter’s graduation. Feels like Hollywood drama pump up, more than critical to the story. [Butler] is great and easy to root for, even in the blown out ridiculous situations concocted in the writer’s room. Additionally, a pre-Dune: Prophecy Travis Fimmel plays a tertiary role here, albeit a compelling one.

The cinematography in this film is something to note. More than once I was impressed at how proficiently the wide angle shots of the desert were framed and captured. The movie contrasts the characters perilous and arduous journey with the beautiful montane desert scenery. Lots of high sweeping shots of trucks kicking up dust across the erg or a lone black motorcycle traversing ridgelines. Kudos to the location scouts and the DP for this one. Interesting encounters also make for some standout moments in the film, most notable being the fight in the dark between Butler in a truck and his adversary in a helicopter, each navigating the battle only using night vision.

I would recommend Kandahar to fans of Gerard Butler, fans of military action movies, and fans of movies that are based on real events (even if loosely.)