Age Of Heroes (2011)

The true story of the formation of Ian Fleming's 30 Commando unit, a precursor for the elite forces in the U.K.

Didn't have high hopes in the beginning, but in the end... it wasn't so bad.

But it wasn't great either. It's a war movie, plain and simple. Gritty and classy like only WW2 times seemed to merit. Yet though it's filmed well it also feels a lot like propaganda. It doesn't have much substance - more one story among many war stories than one specially selected one, and it ends inconclusively, with just three peeps on a mountain.

Sean Bean is a real highlight when it comes to the cast, but the main character's played by Danny Dyer, and I'm just not a fan of him.

At least not here. He doesn't fit in. He has that slimy kind of demeanor where he's looking at you with this head slightly tilted, his mouth slightly open, and his brow slightly angled, and articulating things with a heavy, overly accentuated kind of if-I-was-from-the-UK-I-could-probably-place-the-region accent... did I say slimy? Blimey. I mean no offence. I'm just... not a fan. Not of his being cast here, or in many another movie I've seen him in.

His persona works better in criminal circuits, I feel. Gangster movies. Present time. Not so much here. He seems malplaced.

Though sometimes he is alright, and gets emotional, and I kinda feel bad about cracking down on him like this, yet that is my main issue with this film. However good an actor he may be he just doesn't seem the one for this role. And it's the lead one.

The movie's done nicely though. It feels authentic to the time. And it's cool there are Norwegian/Swedish ties and locations too (heeey Izabella Miko!) but... it feels aimless overall.

Missing substance, depth and/or ideal cast. Or just way more action.

 rated 3/5: not bad