LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – After his covert mission in Afghanistan is exposed, a CIA agent finds himself trapped in hostile territory.
He must engage enemy combatants while being accompanied by his translator as he fights his way to a Kandahar extraction site.
Directed by Ric Roman Waugh, with Gerard Butler, Travis Fimmel, Navid Negahban
“Kandahar” is in the center of the human right and geopolitical issues plaguing the Middle East. The plot has a CIA agent trying to escape Afghanistan with his translator after their cover was exposed. As several groups attempts to capture American CIA agents, various perspectives are seen. An intricate plot grows and becomes frustrated at various stages. The plot occasionally lulls, but slick action moments, particularly a stunning nighttime helicopter chase, save it. It’s a conflict-filled story that respectably addresses Islamic religious beliefs.
Tom Harris played by Gerard Butler, an undercover CIA agent, is joined by his field partner Oliver Altman (Tom Rhys Harries) as they enter Iran pretending to be construction workers. They claim to be upgrading Internet transmissions, but their real mission is to sabotage Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Tom Harris talks secretly with a CIA command center in the US while whispering. While the Revolutionary Guards wonder why it is taking so long, Oliver (Tom Rhys Harries) keeps them at bay. Tom attaches a device that monitors and installs a virus that targets Iranian nuclear facilities. By playing a soccer match on his phone, he relieves tension. Now, everyone will have improved internet access.
The success of that operation prompts Tom to take a second mission in Afghanistan, which he initially rejects but quickly reconsiders after seeing the amount of cash his boss (Travis Fimmel) has thrown at him. Given that his daughter is about to graduate from high school, it’s a valuable money. His family just wants him back in one piece for the special occasion. He arrives at the Kabul airport and eventually partnered up with Mo (Navid Negahban), a stateside translator returning to Afghanistan to grieve his dead son and search for the sister he left behind, which gives an otherwise familiar story a strong emotional core. Mo isn’t a soldier or spy.
For such treachery, the furious Iranian regime demands blood. The task is assigned to Farzad (Bahador Foladi) to hunt down the saboteurs. When the Ministry of Intelligence listens in on a phone call to a British reporter (Nina Toussaint-White), his job becomes easier. Her mole in the Pentagon leaked the agents’ identities to the international press. Roman Waugh informs Tom that they must flee immediately or risk execution. Meanwhile, Pakistani ISI officer Kahil (Ali Fazal) issues a stern order while meeting with Taliban warlords. The CIA will extract its team from Afghanistan. He wants them caught and taken prisoner alive.
Ric Roman Waugh (Felon, Angel Has Fallen) and Mitchell LaFortune, to their credit, attempt to fill this story with opposing viewpoints and characters that deliberately explore gray areas. Farzad is not portrayed as being on the same level as the motorcycle-riding, badass Kahil. They have equal loyalty to their respective countries and causes. Iran and Pakistan are players in the deadly nuclear proliferation game. They engage with the oppressive Taliban to further their own agendas.
An amazing action scenario earns Waugh and Butler major cool points. In a helicopter, Farzad pursues Tom. In the pitch-dark desert, they engage in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase. Tom’s night vision goggles cast an unsettling green light on the surroundings. The chopper lights up the ground below using FLIR thermographic imaging. An impressive gunfight breaks out between them. Your heart will race as there are quick cuts between Tom’s retaliation and the airborne assault which leads to its grand climax, through the use of everything from airstrikes to mortars to rocket launchers.
Under the guise of Islam, the Taliban suppress criticism and women’s rights. Roman and Mohamed are depicted as devoted Muslims. In difficult moments, we see them praying and calling upon Allah. They are dedicated to battling extremism and that attempts to subvert their faith. Such nuance is rarely seen in Hollywood. Kandahar gets credit for being brilliant in the midst of gunfire and explosions.
“I’ve lost count of the number of Gerard Butler movies I’ve seen, let alone action flicks where the plot revolves around hoping the hero returns to his family.”
Title: Kandahar
Release date: May 26, 2023
Distributor: Open Road Films
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Screenwriters: Mitchell LaFortune
Cast: Gerard Butler, Travis Fimmel, Navid Negahban, Ali Fazal, and Bahador Foladi
Rating: R
Running time: 120 min