Operação Napoleão

Not very good film but sometimes almost ok. The best thing about this movie was the pace. The movie never stopped or slowed down to breath. The action was nonstop and that is a good thing because you never had time to think about all the things that are wrong with this movie.

The acting was typical "Icelandic" or wooden. Maybe not all the time but enough to bug me. The leading actress was the worst. Iain Glen and Olafur Darri not so bad. The cinematography was also funky or lackluster. Not sure why but the word amateurish comes to mind. I also didn't buy why some characters did what they did. The motivation was missing or wasn't shown.

There are some scenes that are actually very good or at least not terrible. The fighting scene in the airplane was ok, nothing fancy but did the job. Also one or two scenes with Jack Fox and Vivian. I almost believed they liked each other. But most of the time I was thinking there is something missing here. Maybe better director or more money or both could save this movie from five stars that I'm giving it.

If ever there was a 'foreign' film crying out for a Hollywood remake with a big director, star names and a decent budget, 'Operation Napoleon' is it.

The premise of a mysteriously long missing WW2 Nazi plane and its clandestine mission re-discovered in Iceland (thanks to global warming) is a damn good one.

However the low event feel, wooden cast and annoying crossover of Icelandic and English dialogue ultimately ruins it. Indeed, the film plays out more like a terrestrial tv show than a big screen movie. It even audaciously sets itself up for a sequel in an unneccesary tagged-on ending.

Plus points are the stunning widescreen vistas, good pacing and some reasonable action sequences, but these are outweighed by a clunky screenplay, lack of chemistry between the two leads and the aforementioned wooden acting. Brit actor Jack Fox (from the Fox acting dynasty) is especially bad as a bumbling professor come sidekick, while the sadistic pencil-loving female CIA agent is downright laughable.

I would suggest however, if you can get past all these obvious groans and gripes it's worth a watch, but don't expect a classic of the genre like The Odessa File, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or Marathon Man... this is more akin to a prime-time Netflix drama set in the snow.

This is a perfect example of how you completely fail at adapting a book into a movie. The only thing this film has in common with the book is its title.

The story, characters names; their backstory, age and even gender are different from the book in every way. I wonder how the book's author could have possibly greenlit this script. The result is a paper thin film, a typical cliché which brings nothing original or fresh to this genre of "made for Hollywood" film market.

The characters drive, ambitions and goals are never solidified in any believable way. Heck they're barely introduced to the viewer by name half of the time.

Just to top it all, the "plot" behind the movie is hastily explained after everything has transpired, followed by the lame "two weeks later" on a black screen. The tone of the film weirdly changes to an Indiana Jones movie, completely contradicting the vague character building we have been objected to throughout the film.

The ending then gives a hint at a sequel which is funny considering there is only one book. But hey, why not, the book has already been established as a mere formality at this point.

Operation Napoleon is a great film for fans of mysteries and international intrigue. Its interesting plot shines, thanks to stellar cinematography and despite a rough screenplay and sometimes wooden performances from the cast.

Operation Napoleon follows Icelandic lawyer Kristín (Vivian Ólafsdóttir), who is drawn into an international conspiracy and falsely implicated in a murder after her brother finds a Nazi plane atop the Vatnajokull Glacier. Now she must unravel the history behind the conspiracy, codenamed Operation Napoleon by the CIA, and escape U. S. agents tracking her down.

As with many Nordic films, the style of acting in Operation Napoleon is very understated. This does not do the film too many favors when it comes to scenes of life and death, in which the characters struggle to emote and to immerse the viewers in each scene. The editing and cinematography are highlights - sets are believable; the color correction is consistently cold (to do justice to Icelandic winters); and everything looks great. The film doesn't slow down to breathe too frequently, which helps keep the momentum of the action going. But the screenplay is a mixed bag; the script doesn't provide enough detail behind many characters' goals and ambitions, and the story waits until the end to explain the real motive behind Operation Napoleon, in a relatively awkward way. Iain Glen, who plays William Carr, and Olafur Darri, who plays Einar, are the best actors of the lot. Ólafsdóttir and her male lead counterpart Jack Fox (who plays researcher Steve Rush) both come across as one-note characters. Still, the premise of the film is interesting enough to keep you watching.

Operation Napoleon promotes honor and the pursuit of truth.

I give Operation Napoleon 3.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. Operation Napoleon releases in theaters and on demand on August 11, 2023. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!

I enjoy reading icelandic crime novels, and although i live in a mediterranean country, i am very attracted to the icy scenes, thick wool sweaters, snowmobiles, and aerial views of snowy forests. I also really like the detective erlendur series of arnaldur indraðsson, perhaps the greatest writer of icelandic detective fiction. The novel which the movie is based on is not one of them, but when i saw indraðsson's name, i was excited to watch it. But the result is a complete disappointment. I wish i had bought and read the book before. The movie is terrible, and now that i know the plot, i have no desire to read the book. The actors seem to have stepped out of a hollywood c-series movie. So, i was quite happy to see a familiar face in the second half of the movie: ólafur darri ólafsson. He did not surprise me again, he is perhaps the only good thing about this bad movie. With his big body, he makes you think how tired he was on the film set, but even if he was, he never shows any signs of tiredness in the films, he moves so easily within the story that for a moment, one can forget that he is watching something fictional. It can still be watched to kill time, but when you take away a few good things like ólafsson, there is almost nothing left...