[yasr_overall_rating]
A squad of soldiers fight in the Korean War’s crucial Battle of Incheon.
I know very little about the Korean War. High school determined the cut-off for U.S. History was World War II. As long as we came out understanding that Hitler was not a pleasant man and did monstrous things, that (unfortunately) was good enough. But, as a lover of history, I’ll take knowledge in any forms available, including “suspect” war epics and sift out the frivolous flourishes as needed. With John H. Lee’s “Battle For Incheon: Operation Chromite,” I figured I didn’t have much to lose. It couldn’t possibly be as bad as the worst movie I’ve seen in recent memory, that cringe-worthy Disney hero flick (based on true events) “The Finest Hours.” A film so bad you could hardly find reason to laugh at it. It skips laughable and moves head-on into the deadpan quiet contemplation of “What did I do to deserve this?” Thankfully “Battle For Incheon: Operation Chromite” fairs better, but then again that isn’t really saying much.
It is 1950 and North Korean forces have a strong hold on South Korea. The UN, with the United States at the helm, has decided to come to the aid of South Korea. General Douglas MacArthur (Liam Neeson) decides Incheon is the best method to get a foothold. Despite doubts by many, MacArthur proceeds with the help of a group of South Koreans lead by Jang Hak-soo (Lee Jung-jae). Jang and his crew are to infiltrate North Korean operations disguised as an inspection unit and find out what they can about the security and tactical forces of the Incheon harbor. The mission’s success determines the outcome of the infamous Operation Chromite.
They are, of course, met with suspicion by the scrupulous Senior North Korean Colonel Lim Gye-jin (Lee Bum-Soo). The end result is lots of bloodshed and explosions, an intense stand-off with the bad guy that just won’t die, and of course victory for Gen. MacArthur.
“Battle For Incheon: Operation Chromite,” is thoroughly entertaining as part war epic and soap opera but fails to allow itself to be taken seriously. I think that 2 things would have made this film more solid: the elimination of Liam Neeson as MacArthur, and the overly sentimental/saccharine musical score. The score itself was more or less the killer for me than Liam Neeson, although Neeson was reminiscent of an old Bugs Bunny cartoon character playing a General. You just can’t help but laugh at this caricature with a corn-cob pipe and gag-worthy one-liner wisps of wisdom.
Available on Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday, January 24th
