“Operation Rogue is a well-made action movie”
by Nav Qateel
From the man who’s produced more movies than you can shake a fully-loaded M16 at, Roger Corman has bankrolled yet another successful little straight-to-DVD flick. The generically-titled Operation Rogue brings back together director Brian Clyde and actor Mark Dacascos, who had previously worked in 2006 on The Hunt for Eagle One, another straight-to-DVD war picture from Mr Corman.
Set in the Philippines, a radical Islamic terrorist group hijack a consignment of explosives and it’s thought it will be used to make a dirty bomb. With an international conference about to start soon, the Marines are tasked with getting the stolen materials back and capturing the terrorist leaders. Tipped off about where the insurgents will be later that day, the Marines raid a warehouse but it doesn’t go quite as planned. The bad guys escape but they eventually kidnap the general’s daughter and make demands with threats of beheading her. It’s up to the Marines to get her back and to make sure the conference goes ahead without a hitch … or a loud bang.
- Operation Rogue
- Directed by
Brian Clyde - Cast
Mark Dacascos, Sofia Pernas, Treat Williams - Release Date
5 September 2014 - Nav’s Grade: C+
*****
Operation Rogue isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but it’s only meant as a piece of entertainment aimed directly between the eyes of us men. Especially with the stunning Sofia Pernas in a supporting role, playing the general’s daughter. Make no mistake, though, Pernas is far from just a pretty face, as she fights just as hard as the boys, and acts as well as, if not better than, the more experienced of them. The actress has certainly came a long way since I last saw her perform in the 2011 horror, Underground. Here, she plays Jenna Wallace, daughter of General Wallace (Treat Williams), and a highly-trained contractor who’s in charge of security at the conference.
Mark Dacascos plays Marine Captain Max Randall, and Jenna’s latest flame. But the general doesn’t yet know the pair are an item. Near the opening of Operation Rogue, we get to see Max training in a boxing ring, demonstrating his martial arts skills. And those skills get put to very good use throughout the film, as he kicks, elbows and headbuts, ploughing his way through the baddies. The popular Dacascos has appeared in a ton of films and TV shows since getting his start on General Hospital in 1986. As well as being a good actor, his skill at jumping and kicking is where the Hawaiian really shines. It’s hard to believe the agile and very physical actor is a half-century old.
I was impressed by all the performances in Operation Rogue, and can’t say a bad word about any of the actors, from the tiny bit-parts, right on up. The effects-people handling the many explosions were also good, and provided some spectacular pyrotechnics. Operation Rogue is a well-made action movie that doesn’t miss its mark and never really slows down. And for my money, that’s exactly the way an action film should be. If I had a problem with anything it would be the uninspired story, but this is the type of genre film that has an inbuilt audience that know exactly what to expect and know what they want. Guns, bullets, explosions, and a smokin’ hot chick that can fight. Oorah!
