The small-budget war movie Come Out Fighting looks so cheesy that at first it could be mistaken for one of the direct-to-video mockbusters produced by the somewhat infamous indie studio Asylum. There isn’t much to recommend other than “Wrath of the Ardennes” or “Operation Dunkirk” and its ludicrous, at worst, fervor. But while “Come Out Fighting” has an overt shoelace sheen, it doesn’t contain artistry or irony. In fact, the tone is very serious, but also very clichéd. In between dogfights, ambushes, maneuvers in minefields, and flamethrower attacks (all achieved with cut-rate visual effects), the film strikes a contemplative and sombre mood, exemplifying the men’s determination, courage, It muses on the steadfast themes of wartime, such as courage. Needless to say, there are no women in this film.
It’s no surprise either, telling the familiar story of a squad of brave soldiers struggling to rescue their commander trapped in enemy lines during World War II. Writer-director Stephen Luke, who is currently working on several such low-budget war films, relies heavily on the conventions of the genre, borrowing heavily from Saving Saving Ryan. His writing is thin and always tends to be banal, with characters spouting wisdom such as “cards must fall where they fall.”
Luke and his cast, especially Hiram A. Murray as the indomitable Lieutenant Hayes and Dolph Lundgren as the experienced and kind-hearted Major Anderson, approach their material with a sense of gamification and, at times, a sense of genuine gravity. It looks like there is It’s this impression of effort by all involved that makes Come Out Fighting strangely likeable, if at all bad. And it’s often bad.
come out fighting
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 25 minutes.theater or available on demand.
