Customer Reviews

Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I've seen both movies and do not agree that the movie is "shaking". The movie's style is done in a ture to life style that reflects the energy of the time and place. The special effects are better than the first movie. One in particular is when a speeding bullet flying toward the screen. I have seen many directors try this effect before and Director, James Dodson gets it right.This is the first time I have ever felt that a bullet fired was really going to get ME. I kid you not - right between the eyes! No 3-D effect ever matched this shot in it's intensity.Simply unbeleiveable!

For all of you out there please consider that this movie had a 3 million budget not 10 million like the first. "A list" actors were used in the first, as opposed to lessor well known in the second. BEL2 had only a three million budget AND had a better effect and a better story line!

Don't be fooled by some reviewers here that exaggerate and can't see past the first movie-

I agree with reviewer M.G.Phillips, some of the camera action is in a style that depicts action/movement but it is certainly no Blair Witch Project.

Director James Dodson with a limited budget has done wonders with this movie. His cooperation with the writers and actors is laid out extremely well and the total overall effort, I believe is on par with the first movie .

Not every director with a 3 million dollar budget, has been able to give so much integrity and impact without sacrificing artistic merit. This movie is timely because of world politics and it is easily believable - the way Director James Dodson envisions. It is amazing to me when the first review of a movie gets a negative review and some reviewers jump on the band wagon and follow suit .

Behind Enemy lines II: Axis of Evil is not a bad film, it's just not a great film. It's entertaining to watch while eating or relaxing. I enjoyed it, but it's not the kind of film you have to think about what, why, or when while watching. After viewing, I went about my normal routine, not thinking about the film, but not upset that I watched it.

This is a action film for the die hard fans.
A very believable story line.
Well acted and produced.
Well worth a look see.
Edge of the seat action film.

US satellites discover what seems to be nuclear missiles in North Korea. A team of Navy Seals are sent in to sabotage the missile base, but the mission is aborted at the last minute, but not before a group of Seals have already parachuted out of the plane and are trapped behind enemy lines in North Korea. Meanwhile, the president tries to find the right course of action to avoid the Korean War to be resumed.

Behind Enemy Lines 2 has an interesting premise and some good political intrigue. Its weakness is the bad action scenes. They are filmed with a shaky camera, apparently to give the scenes a more "realistic" feeling, but succeeding only in making them hard to follow, and often annoying to watch. Shaking the camera that much doesn't make the action scenes more exciting or suspenseful, just less watchable. And this visual style (shaky camera, spastic editing, occasional weird optic "effects") is used not only in action scenes but other scenes as well, especially in the first half of the movie. Halfway through the movie I was annoyed by the movie and thought it would only get a two star rating, but the story became more interesting in the last half, although the bad camerawork continued.

Weak three star rating, would have been much stronger in the hands of a competent director, cameraman and editor.

Though it is a low-budget, in-name-only sequel to the Gene Hackman / Owen Wilson film made in 2001, "Behind Enemy Lines 2: Axis of Evil" has one new and bold idea that is certainly interesting. The newer film tries to employ the standard action flick formula against the recent political and historical background around and since the 1994 framework accord between North Korea and the United States. The film has even a neat twist in the story, which refers to the real-life event in 2004, a mushroom cloud that was allegedly witnessed in North Korea.

The story begins promisingly. It is about the mission of the Navy SEAL team to destroy a missile site found in North Korea. When they start to drop out of an airplane flying over the target area, however, the order to abort the mission arrives. The order came too late and four soldiers are left `behind enemy's line.' It is contrived, and considering the geography of Korea, jumping from the sky is too risky and highly implausible (going from the sea is much easier), but well, it is still OK.

Unfortunately the film goes downhill from there. The actions themselves are not bad, but they are poorly edited. Many reviewers (including me) are complaining about the shaky camera, but more problematic is the lack of suspense that was felt in the original "Behind Enemy Lines' or "BAT 21." Instead of giving the thrilling scenes of how US military headquarter communicate the isolated SEALS through the radio and other media, it shows us painful tortures, one old `taxi' and a bizarre car accident on the country road. Frankly I still don't see the point of the last two episodes.

The film also shows us the game of international politics in White House with Peter Coyote's US President and Bruce McGill's stereotyped general. During the discussion on the consequences of the attack on North Korea, Ambassador of South Korea shows up, but the names of Japan and China are not mentioned in this film, which is I think very strange.

Unlike other action flicks `like "Stealth," "Die Another Day" and, yes, "Team America: World Police," "Behind Enemy Lines 2: Axis of Evil" tries to incorporate real on-going events into action film. It's a bold step (especially when North Korea really announced its nuclear test in 2006), but still it must be said the film's story is weak, and actions need better choreography.

Like all movies the first one is the best same goes with the "Behind Enemy Lines" the first is the best the rest go down hill.

Movie was okay, but had different actors and characters. Didn't really have a tie in to the original movie, but it stands up fairly well on it's own.

When I received this movie I did not expect much as it's a sequel to an action movie. I was quite surprised that this movie was as good as the first. This movie didn't have the budget or the names the first one had but the action scenes were top notch and the acting was alot better then expected.A previous reviewer was correct in that the bullet scene was excellent and on the mark. This movie goes to prove that sequels are worth watching at times and can surprise you.

Rothman greenlighted lower budget films at Fox seeems to becoming more of a habit these days. This movie looks like it was put together on only a $3 million dollar budget, Not so much a feature film, more like a made for cable movie with very little to offer, some of the actors in this deserve better roles then this drek.