“Operation Hadal” exhibits all the tried-and-true elements of the classic war movie; bad guys, good guys, the old warriors, the young boastful bucks, blood, guts, tension, suspense, bravery, sacrifice for country and fellow warriors and hand to hand combat…and that schmaltzy over the top Top Gunish type music. Let’s not forget the patriotism and pride doffing our hats to the Chinese navy and commando units!
As the film was made for the Chinese audience, a Chinese Navy submarine, its crew and commando units on board are the good guys and the bad guys (all English speaking) are from some fictious country named Siekerman. The bad guys are constantly challenging the supremacy of the Chinese in the Asia Pacific. At one point in time the bad guys from Siekerman had developed powerful nuclear weapons which they then stored in undersea bases (Project Stella) later abandoning their evil efforts ratcheting down their bad boy behaviour by suspending the project but Siekerman rebels became the new bad boys hijacking the bad guys super advanced submarine with the goal of reactivating Project Stella, triggering massive nuclear destruction inflicting heavy damage in the Asia Pacific region including China.
A newly developed Chinese submarine springs into action to hunt down the rebel bad guys and ensure they do not detonate the Project Stella nuclear devices. Chinese audiences will be happy with the results!
Be prepared for a submarine war movie not yet seen on the screen. Not a Gregory Peck, Richard Basehart or Lloyd Bridges manoeuvring a tin can but ultra sophisticated submarines and mini submarines. Tech is king and the Chinese are portrayed as having a good handle on it and defeating the rebel bad guys. What astounding sets portraying the interior of the Chinese submarine!
What underwater action with awesome torpedo scenes, explosions and a tsunami of suspense and tension. You like action here then you have it all including extensive hand to hand combat between rival commando units. For some the action is just too much!
Most war movies of the 1940-1970 era have a heavy propaganda slant to them perhaps broken by such films as “Apocalypse Now” or “Platoon” but one may certainly detect a patriotic effort here praising the military prowess of China defeating an English-speaking nation. No finger pointing please as perhaps it is time China’s military kicks some ass in a fictious adventure. How well this film does in the United States in an era of “Make America Great Again” where Trumpian belligerence accusing China (and Canada for that matter) of “ripping off” America remains to be seen. And if the Chinese don’t give a damn bravo to them.
A simplistic plot with heavy duty action and brilliant cinematography make this a good watch but its traditional and perhaps even American inspired war movie traditional elements do not make it a great watch but how many war movies are really a good watch?
Watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiwzDwDZ7sY
Directed by Dante Lam.
Available on Blu-Ray and DVD exclusively on Amazon 29September2026.
RKS CHINESE FILM RATING 72/100.
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