Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Mike Gunther’s repertoire of working on action movies shines through in ‘Rogue Warfare,’ which does not ease up from start to finish. An elite team of soldiers from all around the world comes together to take down a new terrorist, who poses a threat and plans to use a dirty bomb. While the hotshots figure out how to get along with each other, they suffer heavy losses, since the cat and mouse game is already underway. However, teamwork ultimately saves the day in this gritty war film. As we unpack ‘Rogue Warfare’ for you, beware of spoilers ahead.
Rogue Warfare Plot:
The story starts by introducing us to the leader of the Black Masks, a deadly upcoming terrorist organization. Soon after we are acquainted with the leader’s ideology, we become familiar with his ruthless methods of recruiting fighters. Naturally, the man’s antics catch the watchful eyes of the world security and peacekeeping efforts. Soldiers from countries, which form the core security council, are sent to track and dismantle this organization.
They are the best at what they do, and a tough commander tries to keep them on the straight and narrow. The first mission, to extract a person of interest, is a disaster with a soldier getting killed in action. The team doesn’t gel well, due to one hotshot lone wolf who cannot follow orders. A brief altercation back at the base helps clear the air, and the team heads to the next mission. Here, they discover the plans to make the bomb. However, it is an ambush, and Daniel is captured while helping his team escape.
Though they are driven by revenge now, the team puts the mission first and decides to locate and deactivate the bomb, before going after Daniel. While they try to figure out the antagonist’s next move, we are treated to some exchanges between the leader of the Black Masks and Daniel, where the former’s hollow ideology becomes clearer. In a gripping climax, the soldiers dress up as locals and infiltrate the same village where the Black Masks plan to test their dirty bomb. A firefight ensues, scattering the villains, while the team manages to secure and deactivate the bomb in the nick of time. Even as they head back to base, they know that the mission is far from over.
Rogue Warfare Ending Explained:
‘Rogue Warfare’ makes no excuses about what it is. We have a straightforward military movie here, following a simple narrative structure. We are introduced to a villain. The heroes are called in to handle the job. However, by the end of the movie, only part of the job is over. They do not manage to apprehend or eliminate the leader of the Black Masks. With the villain still at large, the movie’s ending makes it clear that the team will return.
However, in setting up the sequel, ‘Rogue Warfare’ adds a few nice touches. The conflict between the two parties has escalated. The soldiers are in it for the vendetta. They have lost one man, and Daniel has been captured. Thus, they will stop at nothing to save him.
On the other hand, the leader’s grand plan has been thwarted, and he will be looking to get even with the team. Towards the movie’s end, we see how Daniel has been subjected to torture while imprisoned. The unit does not take it sitting down (literally, since quite a few of them stand up) and decides that immediate action is needed. Their commander okays it, saying that they are already rogue, and so they can take on the mission with no holds barred.
Daniel echoes their thoughts to the leader of the Black Masks, saying that the team will not stop coming. However, the leader is secure in his position to believe he can crush the opposition. One might liken the ending of ‘Rogue Warfare’ to pulling back a slingshot. The story has introduced a great deal of anticipation for an oncoming conflict, which forms the premise of the sequel as the foes lock heads again.
Rogue Warfare Review:
If you are not looking for anything more than action, then ‘Rogue Warfare’ is the perfect film. There’s not much to think about here. A typical good versus bad tale plays out. Introducing the terrorist’s perspective about Western persecution seems like a good start, but the film goes against it in the very instant by showing the man’s unnecessary ruthlessness.
In this by the book military movie, the dialogues are too curt and cliched, in some places, or they are rambling (when coming from the antagonist) and don’t have a particular point. While the buildup is quite spectacular, defusing the bomb becomes the same cliched affair where the correct wire is merely guessed at the last second. It seems strange that the best France has to offer is a soldier who luckily chooses the right wire for a dirty bomb on the battlefield.
The underwhelming sequence is saved by the little life infused at the end, as the team prepares to rescue Daniel. However, it seems like a tagged on portion merely to set up the sequel. ‘Rogue Warfare’ lacks a certain charm that’d make you want to revisit a movie, but it doesn’t hold back on the entertainment that will ensure you have a good time. We especially loved Galina, with the cocky confidence of an expert sniper, and Xu, whose hand to hand combat sequences are a delight. The bottom line – ‘Rogue Warfare’ jumps into the battle and gets gritty. However, it does not hit the mark.
Read More: Where Was Rogue Warfare Filmed?
