Operation Chromite Review: A Hidden Gem Like Train to Busan Marrying Descendants of the Sun

I won’t blame you if you’ve not heard of Operation Chromite: Just like Train to Busan, it doesn’t seem to be marketed extensively to movie-goers. I’ve watched so many movies in the last few weeks but never have I come across the trailer in cinemas.

In case you’re itching for the trailer, here’s it.

In fact, the only reason why I stumbled across it is that there was no nice movie last weekend (Blair Witch? Watched and it sucks), so seeing that it’s a war movie with a Hollywood star, I gave it a try.

Boy, did I not regret that decision.

Here’s some context: Korea make lots of movies, but not all of them reach the shores of Singapore. This, together with Train of Busan, is one of the few that found its way here, and I’m glad it does. Unlike Train of Busan, this is a war movie that is based on a true event during the Korean War. It retells the story of the UN making an invasion of Incheon that has been occupied by North Korea: a battle that is commonly known as the Battle of Incheon. In Korea’s textbook, this is one of the defining moments that leads to the recapture of our beloved Seoul.

The battle itself involved over 75,000 troops having to make a landing and invasion in an area as small as a hall—it was an ambitious effort, which was often referred to having a chance of 1:5000 success rate. However, the key premise of the movie is the espionage mission by eight members of the Korean Liaison Office in the North Korea-occupied area to gather useful information for the invasion.

Just like Train to Busan, it’s an action-packed film but this time, with an engaging plot. Two high-ranking officers from opposite ends have a battle of wits in the comfort of their office as they predict each other’s move while the reconnaissance team sacrifice everything to gather information.

While set in 1950s, you can still find traces of Descendants of the Sun—that army uniform, and the supposedly special force soldiers (but up till now, I’m not sure whether the spies were from the special forces). Gunfights with Koreans’ screams just remind you of Big Boss, minus the corny love story.

But to truly enjoy the movie, you’ll have to know that this is based on real events—in other words, General Douglas MacArthur (from the UN) did start the invasion knowing that the odds of victory is 1 is to 5,000. That’s one bold move that will stay in the history books for a long time.

With a mixture of English and Korean, it’s like a blend of Hollywood’s action and Korea drama’s melodramatic scenes. Whether it’s a patriotic effort or simply a retell of the heroics of the Korean War soldiers, it serves it purpose well: audience will walk off knowing how much they should love their country and how many unsung heroes were lost during the forgotten war.

If you dislike Train to Busan’s plotless premise but like its action, then this movie is for you. And with Train to Busan being a sleeper hit that only garnered attention after being released for a few weeks, I believe Operation Chromite will achieve the same results.

Featured Image: imovies.vn

This article was first published on Goodyfeed.com