Mile 22 (4 Stars)

I got a shock when I went to see this film in the cinema today. I was the only person in the room when the advertisements started. Minute after minute went by. Finally, after about ten minutes, four other people walked in. (The advertisements and trailers in the Stuttgart cinemas last about 15 minutes, less than I'm used to in England). This is the film's first week, only the fifth day, so I can safely say that the film has flopped in Germany. As for the rest of the world, let's wait and see. It was moderately successful in America, but it still hasn't been shown in most other countries.

Mark Wahlberg plays James Silva, a member of an elite American combat team called Overwatch. The team travels to Indocarr, a fictional East Asian country, to locate stolen caesium, enough to make six powerful atomic bombs. A local police office, Li Noor (played by Iko Uwais), says he knows where the caesium is stored, but he won't reveal the location until he's put on a plane to America. Indocarr's government officials try to negotiate for Li Noor's return, making it clear that their country is planning deadly attacks. Unknown to Overwatch a Russian secret service team has hacked into their communications and is attempting to kill Li Noor before he can leave the country.

Indocarr might not exist, but it's obvious that it represents North Korea. A Korean-Russian alliance is planning major terror attacks on six major western capitals.

This is a fast-paced thriller. Especially the fight scenes involving Iko Uwais are exciting. I wouldn't say it's a great story, but I enjoyed watching it in the almost empty cinema.