EXTREME OPS

US, 2003, 93 minutes, Colour.
Devon Sawa, Brigitte Wilson- Sampras, Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves, Joe Absolom.
Directed by Christian Duguay.

Extreme Ops is a rather mindless action adventure. It is an occasion for a whole deal of stunt works, firstly at a waterfall and rapids, mainly in the Austrian Alps.

The film focuses on a brash group making a commercial. Rupert Graves is (with an American accent) the producer, Rufus Sewell the director – a surprise with both of them in this kind of film. Devon Sawa (Final Destination films) is an innocuous hero. Mrs Sampras, Brigitte Wilson, is a ski champion. Joe Absolom has an opportunity to do all kinds of stunt work.

The film shows the group, without much characterisation, daring the rapids, squabbling amongst themselves, going to Austria to film a commercial for a Japanese camera manufacturer. There is a great deal of stunt work in the Alps, especially with skiing, with avalanches, with a helicopter pursuing the hapless group. This is because they encounter a group of Serbs who are taking refuge in a mountaintop eyrie. There is the inevitable shoot-out, a helicopter explosion – and a happy ending in New York. Christian Duguay has directed a number of action films including The Assignment.

1.The popularity of this kind of action film? On the big screen? Straight to video and DVD?

2.The title, expectations? Extreme operations in film-making, commercials, stunt work? Extreme operations in the Balkans and the aftermath of the 90s civil war?

3.The special effects, the action sequences, skydiving, the rapids, skateboarding, skiing, the avalanches?

4.The locations, the Canadian rapids, the Austrian mountains? The aerial shots (Steadicam by the director himself who also directed second unit)? The visual impact of the film? Musical score?

5.The commercials group: Will, self-indulgent, fearful on the plane, his parachute, his camera work? His interaction with Kitty, with Chloe? In the sauna? With the criminals? Skiing down the mountain, the parachuting, photographing? Ian as the director, trying to talk on the mobile phone, the clashes with Jeffrey? On the mountain, his antagonism towards Chloe, the final avalanche and his skiing with her, the success of the commercial? Jeffrey as the American producer, something of an idiot, prone to accidents, spoilt, people ridiculing him, the Serbs and their taking him? His achievement? Chloe, the ski champion, her fearfulness on the mountain, eventually skiing? Sylo and Kitty, the band, the daredevil work, Kitty and the drugs, the attraction towards Will, his getting her to promise a date? Sylo and his skills, stunts, the sauna? Being left on the mountain with Kitty, her trying to shoot the helicopter? The achievement of surviving and making the commercial?

6.The Serbs, the newspapers, the woman on the train – and her relationship with the refugee, with Jeffrey, going to New York and working with him? The plane crash, the parallels with the Bosnian and Serb leaders from the 90s, hiding in the mountains? Their henchmen, loyalties, clashes, shoot-outs, the helicopter? Desperation? The destruction of the helicopter?

7.The two strands of the plot combining – credibly or not?

8.The popularity of this kind of action adventure – mindless entertainment?