Operation Napoleon

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 film was part of a festival package for me (films based on books), but I delayed it until the last moment, because I read "action" and "conspiracy". I find American action thrillers extremely dull and dumb - I should have guessed that an Icelandic movie based on a renowned crime author would be completely different. It's captivating, refreshing, unpretentious, humorous, and fully rewarding. Anyone who's a fan of big budgets and larger-than-life "realism" would feel cheated - which already makes me chuckle. I'm glad this author has been filmed, and I'll look forward to both his books and more adaptations.

The film begins in April 1945, days before the Nazi surrender, when a bomber flies over Iceland in the middle of a terrible storm. Almost 80 years later, some hikers find remains of the plane on the Vatjanokull glacier, remains that hide a secret that could change the course of history and that the deputy director of the CIA wants to obtain before anyone else. Then a lawyer is sucked into an international conspiracy after being accused of a murder she didn't commit. Her only chance of survival lies in uncovering the secret of an old German WWII airplane, discovered on Iceland's largest glacier.

An old and dark Nazi secret, the deputy director of the CIA, some inopportune witnesses and a young woman forced to rescue her brother and trying to solve the enigma to save her life come together in this murky and dangerous thriller. Being based on the crime novel of the same name by the Nordic writer (Reikavik Nights, Hypothermia¨). Starring Icelandic actress Vivian Ólafsdóttir , Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones) and Jack Fox (series ¨Sandition, ¨Riviera¨). As tense as it is exciting, the film is the most expensive in the history of Icelandic cinema. The historical part of the film Operation Napoleon is inspired by one of the biggest secrets of World War II, surrounding a long-mysterious train about which there are doubts whether it really existed, and revolving around a persistent rumor of exile that is probably true but never verified, however, the intrigue part of the film dedicated to contemporary American espionage is fiction. Thus, following in the footsteps of Arnaldur Indridason's book from which it is well adapted, the film Operation Napoleon romanticizes a true story to bring it to the screen with a certain power, containing enough intrigue and tension throughout until a surprising ending that is left open for a possible second part.

The film mixes theories of Hitler's last days, in which he had allegedly signed a pact with the allies in order to escape to Argentina, along with so-called Nazi gold. The Nazi Gold Train is an urban legend about a train loaded with gold and treasure that was hidden by the Nazis in southwestern Poland during the final days of World War II. The apocryphal story claims that the train full of valuables, including works of art, was hidden in a sealed railway tunnel or mine in the central Sudetenland by the retreating Nazis. Despite numerous searches since 1945, including by the Polish army during the Cold War, no evidence of the train, its tracks or its treasure has ever been found. Historians believe the train never existed. However, some people believe it to be true. Between 2015 and 2018, the train received renewed interest from global media when two Poles claimed to have discovered it using ground-penetrating radar. The search culminated in an excavation involving the Polish military, state officials and privately funded individuals.

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!