The collaboration between director Ric Roman Waugh and actor Gerard Butler continues in this high-on-action, low-on-emotion film. The plot is awfully similar to Guy Ritchie's The Covenant which released almost a month before. Here, an undercover operative and his Afghan translator are trying to head to an extraction point after their covers get blown. The first hour, especially, is emotionally flat though the action is solidly executed.
The only scene where the leading duo showcase their acting chops happens after a big, dimly lit set-piece in the desert (it's shot in Saudi Arabia). It's where the protagonists talk about what they miss the most in life, while treating their hard-boiled jobs as a means of "escape". Aside from that one scene, the screenplay is fully focused on being action-heavy, delivering chases and explosions in style. The overall impact, however, is not as much as Ritchie's & Gyllenhaal's flick.
