Director Steven Luke continues his admiration for war films in his latest feature, Come Out Fighting from Red Box Entertainment. Set during WWII, in this military adventure, a small, specialized squad of U.S. Army African American soldiers are sent on an unofficial rescue mission behind enemy lines to locate their missing commanding officer.
In the film’s opening moments, we meet American pilot Ross (Kellan Lutz) is shot down by a German jet during a mission over Europe, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Major Anderson (Dolph Lundgren) is at the nearby mine disposal unit with a group of black soldiers when the Germans launch an attack and blame Hayes (Hiram A. Murray). Frustrated at the Army’s decision to send Hayes away to face charges, Red (Michael Jai White) assembles his team, Salty (Rich Lowe), Crecy (Tyrese Gibson), and Ross, to go on an unauthorized mission to bring Hayes back home safely. This daring group must brave dangerous Nazi forces to reunite their friend with his peers and restore justice.
Come Out Fighting” has some difficulties getting and developing momentum. Red, the determined protagonist, encounters challenges in his mission to find Hayes and comes up against Anderson’s interference. Meanwhile, Ross finds Hayes in the wilderness, resulting in a plotline involving the strangers learning to trust one another and understanding their different military backgrounds as they try to avoid German forces.
After 50 minutes of flat banter and little drama before finally launching into Red’s mission for his long-lost friend, viewers could be forgiven for feeling a little bored or underwhelmed; with Gibson’s onscreen energy not entirely summoning the cinematic impact Luke desires. Furthermore, while Michael Jai White and Dolph Lundgren try to elevate the film, they deserve better. At least we get a fight scene for White.
It hurts my heart as a Veteran, and on Memorial Day, to give a film like this a bad review. On the one hand, I didn’t expect much, considering the studio involved, but I was hoping to get proven wrong. The one positive thing about the film is the short run time.
Final Grade: D+
Come Out Fighting is available for rent at your local Redbox.
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