The Ambush Review : A telling portrait of a dramatic rescue mission in Yemen

Story: A handful of Emirati soldiers pull off a daring rescue mission when their patrol vehicle is suddenly ambushed by a hostile enemy in Yemen.

Review: War films are always difficult to make and watch, because they are a depiction of the real events and as a viewer you know that the death and destruction on the screen is all too real. Director Pierre Morel’s elaborate and intricate film transports you into the war-torn Yemen’s Mocha where a bunch of Emirati soldiers have been ambushed by a very hostile enemy, who knows the harsh terrain only too well. They have a definite advantage over the Emiratis, who are holed up inside their super strong combat vehicle which is the only thing standing between them and certain death. It’s a hopeless situation with depleting ammo and injured soldiers but their team isn’t ready to give up on them. As the enemy fires from all sides and adopts every treacherous means possible to attack the Emirati soldiers, the United Arab Emirates army pulls out all stops to rescue its men.

The film begins with a short explainer voice-over that puts the war situation into perspective. And very soon, writers Brandon Birtell and Kurtis Birtell up the ante with the narrative jumping into all the action that seems extremely well-coordinated, deftly picturised and truly convincing. The entire screenplay is pretty much based in a single location – the arid mountains of Yemen with an unforgiving sun beating down, making the operation even more difficult. As a viewer, you feel the urgency and the conviction in Morel’s storytelling that remains focused on the events of the day without digressing into any unnecessary distractions.

The makers pull off a brilliant feat by recreating the rescue operation with amazing detail. The production values shine through depicting the high-tech and extremely sturdy combat vehicles and state of the art operations of the UAE army that is fully equipped to deal with any kind of eventuality on the enemy land. This lends the film its credibility that is further enhanced with honest and retrained performances from the lead cast. The background score is equally effective in emotional as well as high-octane action scenes.

Pierre Morel successfully recreates a telling portrait of war depicting a day in the life of the soldiers, who are in the war-torn Yemen for providing aid to the innocent civilians. ‘The Ambush’ grips your attention from the word go and never lets it slip.