Shadow Force

3/5 STARS - Is this going down as the best movie of 2025? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes, despite its flaws. I liked the story and the characters, though at least one actor (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) was terribly miscast. Shadow Force tells the story of a married couple on the run from the secret agency they'd worked for and then escaped from. Now they're being hunted by the leader of the agency (played by Mark Strong). There's action, heartwarming moments, romance, and a touch of comedy. It doesn't break the mold, but it was a fun watch and the audience I was with seemed to enjoy it a lot. I'm happy it was something I could walk away from not feeling angry or hugely disappointed. Maybe it helped that I went into it with rather low expectations (based on the film's generic, uninspiring trailer). And maybe it also helped that it was directed by Joe Carnahan (Boss Level, The A-Team and other films I've liked a lot). Video review available on my YouTube channel.

Director Joe Carnahan opts for an action thriller that seeks to find its own path, which ends up being a much more serious film than it should be and becomes a very uncharismatic film, despite the good attempts of the cast to float everything.

The survival of this family of mercenaries has some good moments that largely keep the film afloat. However, we're left with a rather glaring lack of action, replaced by drama that's far more overused than the story really needed. Leading duo Kerry Washington and Omar Sy do a great job at this point, giving their all to their characters, and we as viewers can feel for them.

Then we have a group of supporting characters who have their moments, but don't really stand out. The same goes for the villain of the film, who, while he has his moments, doesn't feel as rounded as one would like.

The reality is that we're faced with a film that doesn't offer much new, and with that, we don't find anything that makes it stand out from other similar films. It has a cast that's engaged, but it's completely wasted. It has a story that didn't need to be so serious when it came to presenting us with the emotional depths of its protagonists, and in the end, we're left with a film that works as a momentary diversion. For those who enjoy this style of film, for those looking for something much more revolutionary, the truth is that Shadow Force falls far short of all that.

Revised Critique:

"This film is a staggering disappointment-a haphazard collage of clichés with no discernible vision or originality. From its wooden, over-the-top performances to its lifeless, predictable plot, it reeks of amateurish execution, more akin to a rough draft than a finished product. The story plods along with zero tension or surprises, anchored by dialogue so stilted it borders on self-parody. What a waste of Sy's talent, shackled here to a script devoid of depth or nuance!

Even the antagonist feels lifted from a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon-complete with bald man twirling theatrics and a script so hackneyed you half-expect him to growl "Well, well, well..." before monologuing about worldly revenge. The gratuitous multilingual flourishes add nothing but confusion, further exposing the film's tonal inconsistency.

Releasing this alongside Thunderbolts * (Marvel's New Avengers ) only magnifies its flaws all the way to its PR.

Every element-from the clunky direction to the shockingly inept pacing-screams of a rushed, passionless production. It's a Frankenstein's monster of studio notes and market-driven cynicism, lacking even the charm of a so-bad-it's-good flick.

Some films stumble; this one faceplants. A masterclass in how not to make a movie-shallow, tedious, and utterly forgettable." When its sucks... its sucks.

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Wow. This is bad. This is really, really bad.

Writing? Bad. Acting? Really bad.

This... movie...has reduced my ability to form complete sentences.

Did I mention this movie is really bad?

Maybe waterboarding is worse? Or an IRS tax audit?

But wait, maybe there's a silver lining. If 60 MILLION dollars can be wasted on a (say it with me, church) really bad movie, maybe I can have a career in Hollywood.

I can't act. But apparently, neither can Kerry Washington.

I didn't notice how bad an actor she was before now. Mainly because she was surrounded by more talented actors in her other projects.

Please don't see this movie.

LIKES: Okay Pace Good Acting Great Music Use Decent Dramatic Elements Some Good Comedy Sweet Elements Dialogue DISLIKES: Mostly Predictable A Bit Too Sappy More Drama Than Action Way Too Much Set Up Perhaps A Little More Music Variety The Weaker Pacing Moments The Action Is Mediocre At Best

Summary Shadow Force is a film that gets a lot of things condensed into one film and tries to do it with a pace that will curtail an ever-shrinking attention span. The pace is okay for much of the film, generating what feels like a three-part special of a classic cable series at the end of the season. It has enough details to give us some character insight, but still finds a way to add that espionage acting that the modern era has become accustomed to. It's heavy in dramatic elements, many of them sincere, as this small family bonds in some very odd circumstances. How do they bond? One part is a sweet and sentimental bundle of connections that dive into the modern drama elements like Grey's Anatomy. Emotional bursts of joy and sadness are interlaced with in-your-face dialogue that is repetitive, but hits the point hard. That commitment is heartwarming, and I enjoyed some moments as the relationship was established. Another part of the bonding has to do with the dialogue, a collection of scenes filled with all types of discussion that ranges from discussion of music to banter about which of our leads is the better shot. It feels very realistic, if not a tad corny, but I felt it helped establish the direction of familial drama they were trying to achieve, and it integrates enough humor to help lighten up the over-the-top mushy factor. Some great comedic moments come from this banter, especially from the character Auntie, whose sass, attitude, and blunt humor are as deadly as the Shadow Force itself. Yet, the component that was the biggest thing to piece together was music. Yes, Shadow Force integrates a lot of music into its story, using the power of Marvin Gaye to tell a tale, while sneaking some other tunes into the mix. You'll get plenty of time with these hits, and many of them are cute and funny when the well-written dialogue assists in enhancing the inclusion of the music. Finally, the acting brings it all together for me. Shadow Force's strongest elements are the great performances by the cast, at least in terms of the parenting and dramatic flair. Washington is a wonderful lead that brings the tough, but caring, mother to life as she balances sass, that stalwart edge, and her challenging love with her husband. Omar Sy is a little more heavy-handed and repetitive, but the loving father role and dutiful husband come off very believable, and when he gets his action gloves on, he has some decent potential to make exciting fight scenes if given a bit more time. As for Jahleel, the kid has got props. He's smooth, he's cute, he's not too annoying, and is the epitome of a lynchpin keeping everything held together, especially when the musical aspects kick in and he just has to sing. It's an endearing element, and the chemistry is rather impressive amongst all the cast, including the many other characters/actors I did not include.

However, the movie's limitations for me have me thinking this is another example of exaggeration and generous labeling with the genres again. Shadow Force holds great potential for mixing elements of drama and action, but fails to execute them to the fullest degree. It's a very drama-heavy movie focusing more on the world-building and family aspect than the thriller elements that the poster suggests. In fact, I think it might have spent too much time on the family aspect. Shadow Force puts so much time on family members talking about music, loving each other, and how they have to accomplish their mission than actually fighting, which feels a bit tiring after some time. This elite team seems deadly, but I didn't feel they were fully integrated into the plot, nor specialized to give them all a unique look. It needed more time and spacing to appreciate this force, a bit more bite and originality to help support the Shadow Force name. Instead, I got more ways for the family to express their love, several odd stories, musical sing-a-longs, and pointless details that cut into the thriller time and offset the pace to give us a blander feeling movie. It's not that I don't appreciate such storytelling avenues, but waiting for the action to come can be hard when the action never lives up to the potential. Shadow Force's action is mediocre compared to other scenes. I found the stakes to be low, the choreography somehow more dramatic/realistic than exciting, and outside of a few moments, quite forgettable and monotone. A little more planning, maybe some of that specialty element, and perhaps taking the direction they suggested at the start could have helped this element and brought the spectacle full circle. At least the acting and that satisfying character arcs help to soften the boring blow.

The VERDICT: Shadow Force is a fine spectacle of character-driven drama wrapped up in an Action-Thriller wrapper. The acting brings so much to life with crisp delivery, authentic bonding, a clever use (if limited) of musical track list, and several comedic elements to support a sappy familial tale. There are elements that I liked about how these characters were shaped and the world they all shared, each minute forming a potential for the action to captivate. Yet, I never felt the thriller aspect arrive, the excitement was often toned down and very generic, not matching the dialogue, the promise, and the reputation that each exchange let on it would. As such, the movie loses that alluring element for the theaters, feeling like it has a home better suited for the streaming platforms (like Apple+, Paramount, or Amazon). My scores for Shadow Force are: Action/Drama/Thriller: 6.0-6.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.