Kandahar (aka Mission Kandahar) is a 2023 action film directed by Ric Roman Waugh (National Champions, Greenland, Angel Has Fallen, Snitch, and Felon). It was written and produced by Mitchell Lafortune (Last Breath). It was produced by Gerard Butler (Machine Gun Preacher, Chasing Mavericks, The Vanishing, Hunter Killer, and Copshop). It grossed $9.1 million at the box office!!!! Tom Harris (played by: Gerard Butler from The Fallen Trilogy, Gamer, 300, Greenland, Den of Thieves, Law Abiding Citizen, and RockNRolla) is a freelance undercover operative working for the CIA to insert malware into an Iranian nuclear research facility.
Tom's cover is a field technician for a Swiss communications contractor. His mission is successful, and the malware causes the facility to self destruct, preventing the Iranians from acquiring more nuclear bombs. The Iranian government has been monitoring a British journalist in Iran named Luna (played by: Nina Toussaint-White from The Feed, Bodyguard, The Sister, and GameFace). She receives evidence from a whistle blower of the CIA's ongoing sabotage of Iran's nuclear programs. After the facility is destroyed, she is arrested by an Iranian security agency. She tells the Iranians she suspects a link between the facility's destruction and the Swiss contractor because their contracts are next to government sites. The next day, Harris's partner is murdered by the Iranian Special Force after they are compromised. Tom visits his CIA handler, Roman Chalmers (played by: Travis Fimmel from Vikings, The Baytown Outlaws, Warcraft, Dreamland, and Raised by Wolves). Roman is a Muslim convert, living under the outward pretense of a Dubai socialite. Tom accepts Roman's lucrative CIA contract for a job in Afghanistan. Due to an intelligence leak, the news names Tom as the operative responsible for the destruction of the nuclear facility.
With his cover now blown, the mission in Herat is aborted. Roman directs Tom and his translator Mohammad "Mo" Doud (played by: Navid Negahban from Homeland, 12 Strong, and Aladdin) to an extraction point in Kandahar. Pakistan wants to ransom Tom to the highest bidder. They are chased by the Iranians and a Pakistani agent Kahil Nassir (played by: Ali Fazal from Death on the Nile, Furious 7, and House Arrest) in Herat. They elude Kahil and the Iranian pursuers in escape to the desert. Tom and Mo seek aid from Tom's friend, an Afghan warlord not associated with the governing Taliban. Mo reveals to Tom and the warlord that the warlord killed Mo's son years ago. This sets up a dangerous and awkward situation. The two men must find a way to get through all the back stabbing and everyone that's trying to eliminate them for good during the mission. Can they get through this chaos and follow through on their plan to complete the mission????
Kandahar is another entertaining collaboration between director Ric Roman Waugh and action star Gerard Butler. You can't go wrong when these two work together. This is a nice mix of action, drama, thriller, and war. Gerard Butler gives a solid performance as the lead here, he knows exactly what to do with these type of movies. It's loaded with action and this one has a nice script with suspense filled story. It has a decent supporting cast which includes Vikings star Travis Fimmel. Kandahar kinda reminded me of The Covenant from the same year. Both films were released really close to each other which is interesting. It has great locations, quality production design, and attention grabbing score. It's one of the better action releases and it has some strong replay value. RECOMMENDED!
Tom's cover is a field technician for a Swiss communications contractor. His mission is successful, and the malware causes the facility to self destruct, preventing the Iranians from acquiring more nuclear bombs. The Iranian government has been monitoring a British journalist in Iran named Luna (played by: Nina Toussaint-White from The Feed, Bodyguard, The Sister, and GameFace). She receives evidence from a whistle blower of the CIA's ongoing sabotage of Iran's nuclear programs. After the facility is destroyed, she is arrested by an Iranian security agency. She tells the Iranians she suspects a link between the facility's destruction and the Swiss contractor because their contracts are next to government sites. The next day, Harris's partner is murdered by the Iranian Special Force after they are compromised. Tom visits his CIA handler, Roman Chalmers (played by: Travis Fimmel from Vikings, The Baytown Outlaws, Warcraft, Dreamland, and Raised by Wolves). Roman is a Muslim convert, living under the outward pretense of a Dubai socialite. Tom accepts Roman's lucrative CIA contract for a job in Afghanistan. Due to an intelligence leak, the news names Tom as the operative responsible for the destruction of the nuclear facility.
With his cover now blown, the mission in Herat is aborted. Roman directs Tom and his translator Mohammad "Mo" Doud (played by: Navid Negahban from Homeland, 12 Strong, and Aladdin) to an extraction point in Kandahar. Pakistan wants to ransom Tom to the highest bidder. They are chased by the Iranians and a Pakistani agent Kahil Nassir (played by: Ali Fazal from Death on the Nile, Furious 7, and House Arrest) in Herat. They elude Kahil and the Iranian pursuers in escape to the desert. Tom and Mo seek aid from Tom's friend, an Afghan warlord not associated with the governing Taliban. Mo reveals to Tom and the warlord that the warlord killed Mo's son years ago. This sets up a dangerous and awkward situation. The two men must find a way to get through all the back stabbing and everyone that's trying to eliminate them for good during the mission. Can they get through this chaos and follow through on their plan to complete the mission????
Kandahar is another entertaining collaboration between director Ric Roman Waugh and action star Gerard Butler. You can't go wrong when these two work together. This is a nice mix of action, drama, thriller, and war. Gerard Butler gives a solid performance as the lead here, he knows exactly what to do with these type of movies. It's loaded with action and this one has a nice script with suspense filled story. It has a decent supporting cast which includes Vikings star Travis Fimmel. Kandahar kinda reminded me of The Covenant from the same year. Both films were released really close to each other which is interesting. It has great locations, quality production design, and attention grabbing score. It's one of the better action releases and it has some strong replay value. RECOMMENDED!