It succeeds on its own terms: as a lean, mean, 88-minute dose of red-blooded, uncomplicated heroism. It asks nothing of its audience except to root for the Navy SEALs and boo the North Korean colonel. In that, it delivers exactly what it promises. For fans of B-movie action and military buffs with low expectations, Axis of Evil offers a nostalgic, if not entirely guilty, pleasure. Just don’t expect the Bosnian snow, the sleek direction, or the chemistry of Hackman and Wilson. This is a different war, a different era, and a decidedly different league of filmmaking.
Bruce McGill is the reliable veteran anchor. His Admiral Wheeler is gruff, intelligent, and morally resolute. He sells the frustration of a commander watching his men die on a screen while politicians deliberate. Keith David, as always, is a scene-stealer. His Master Chief has only a handful of scenes, but his booming voice and weary authority give the command-center sequences a weight they wouldn’t otherwise have. behind enemy lines 2 axis of evil
Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil was followed by a third film, Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia (2009), which moved the setting to South America and starred Joe Manganiello. The franchise continued to spiral into lower-budget, plot-by-numbers affairs. It succeeds on its own terms: as a
The budget constraints are visible. The North Korean landscape is clearly a Southern California desert or forest dressed with Korean-language signage. The CGI for missile launches and explosions is functional but far from photorealistic. However, the film compensates with a relentless pace. At 88 minutes, it rarely drags, moving from one firefight to the next with efficient, if unremarkable, direction. For fans of B-movie action and military buffs
Peter Jae’s Colonel Song is perhaps the film’s most interesting element. While not deep, Song is given a modicum of motivation: he believes the U.S. is a paper tiger and that only through violent confrontation can Korea be free of foreign influence. He is a warrior who respects his enemy’s skill, even as he plots their destruction.