WarHorse One review by Bobby Blakey
War action drama films are released all the time, but more often than not they tend to veer their focus in one direction or another to meet the genre classifications the public have grown accustomed too. Actor Johnny Strong has had his share of moments in the action spotlight in flicks such as the original Fast and Furious, Sinners and Saints and Invincible. Now he is bringing everything he has to his latest film, Warhorse One that he not only stars in, but also wrote and directed alongside William Kaufman, co-starring Athena Durner and Raj Kala. Could this film find its footing in something special or will it fail to make it to the top?
War Horse One follows the lone surviving operator after a SEAL team helicopter is downed during a rescue mission in Afghanistan, who must evade hostile insurgents and navigate rough terrain to guide the one living civilian—a traumatized child—to safety.
I have to admit going into this film I didn’t know much about it other than Strong’s involvement which was enough to get me interested. At the same time when I realized it was yet another film featuring a young girl being rescued I was worried it was going to get lost in itself trying to balance everything for it to work, but I am so glad I was wrong. This movie is filled with action, drama, heart and sadness all while coming together with a sense of redemption.
The story is pretty simple in its idea, but in execution it is way more complex than you might think. The attention to detail seems to be spot on in regards to the military operations and Strong’s role. Despite wearing so many hats in this
production he is still able to give a layered strong performance that you not only believe, but get invested in and quickly care about the both of them. Young Athena Durner is outstanding here. She often says so much without uttering a word and the two of them together is clearly destiny.
Stories like this with rescued or protected kids can often get lost in the typical kids making bad decisions and endangering everyone else, but here she is written and acted so well it blends to perfection. She is visually cute, but behind the eyes you see the sadness and loss her character has endured.
Strong carries the action like a pro coming off as a believable operative as well as a protector and mentor to this young girl. Once the action gets going in rarely lets up until the very end in the best way possible. I thought this movies was great and offered up a story that was simple yet powerful.
Decide for yourself and check out Warhorse One when it hits Blu-ray and DVD on November 7th from Well Go USA.
