15 Minutes of War (2019) User Reviews

Good action film based on true events

[omendata · 7/10 · 1 July 2020]

Don't listen to the usual lefty libtard brigade reviews on this - this is a hostage action film and you get what you pay for on this one.

What is it with these reviewers; if you read the advertising and know its an action film, then why did you watch it and leave a bad review. The movie is "loosely" based on a true event; it even says that at the end of the film and of course it has been dramatised and has loads of action head shots because that is what the moviegoing punters want. They do not want some boring, sanitised, politically correct version of events like the recent dreadfully dull remake of Raid On Entebbe.

I rarely give a movie over a 6 these days but if you are into your action films, can put up with subtitles; as much of it is in French and enjoy a good romp then this will surely fulfill its remit!

Not so bad - enjoyable action film based on real events

[von_stauffenberg · 7/10 · 2 November 2019]

Reading the reviews I was expecting much worse... Solid & realistic action film describing a real event. Probably less explosions and pyrotechnics than in an American film of this genre but it did not take away anything in terms of suspense and drama. The seventies feel and a certain level of amateurism of policing is quite well depicted.

Out of touch with history

[vjmatinde · 5/10 · 18 November 2019]

Don't get me wrong, the movie is gripping, but seems the director/writer did not want to get into the muddy motivation of the bad guys. The hostage takers always cut short to state their experience with colonial "powers". We see the horror of children as hostages, but never shown the horrors of Djibouti children under occupation - which is the motive behind the saga. Welcome to 2019!

Lousy

[searchanddestroy-1 · 30 January 2019]

Good action sequences in this though tepid French war drama inspired from actual events. But acting and directing - except in action sequences - are forgettable, if not laughable. Those French militaries look too much like superheroes for some one like me. Look out on the way they can shoot one hundred hostiles as targets in a side show without even be hit themselves- excet in the foot for one of them. The overall topic is OK, only some directing flaws mess up the whole. The director Grivois had already made another film about marksmen.

whats more fun than watching terrorists get massacred?

[zathan-32848 · 7/10 · 17 June 2019]

I enjoyed this movie. The acting, production and story is great

Modern action thriller based in historical event

[redtiago · 7/10 · 8 May 2022]

Based on true events that took place in February 1976. Somali rebels hijack a school bus carrying 21 French children and their teacher in the city of Djibouti. Newly created elite French forces (GIGN) are sent. At date they were somewhat ridiculed and viewed with disbelief. With this mission they prove their value in tactical special missions and today they are one of the most reputable police forces in France.

The film is good, managing to escape the trap of being too documentary. With good cinematography, a humorous and not overly dramatic script.

It works well not only from a historical point of view, but also as a modern and actual action thriller.

I recommend.

Friend is not my job.

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 28 June 2019]

The movie is inspired by the 1976 terrorist abduction of a busload of school children by Somali rebels in the French colony of Djibouti. The bus ends up stranded near the Somali border as a group of special ops are called in to take out the terrorists.

The film was made interesting by making the special ops more akin to the Expendables with their own swagger music. I will admit this is an incident and country I didn't know existed. It was decently done with some light aspects of humor.

Guide; F-word. No sex or nudity.

fine

[JonanthanNewOrleans · 6/10 · 1 July 2019]

Its kind of ok , i enjoyed the story and the whole African atmosphere.

the acting was bad, and i felt as if all the actors were totally miscasted, i just feel they dont fit in, the teacher and the kids included.

Along the lines of "Argo" or "Munich".

[gregrroles · 9/10 · 24 June 2019]

If you are expecting a Marvel Movie then this isn't for you. This is a very "Munich" or " Argo" like movie with a long, slow buildup, and tells a story from another time along the lines of "siege of jadotville", all of which I was spellbound by. Probably won't be enough artificial sweetener CGI to entertain most people, but I certainly couldn't stop watching ( and reading - subtitles ). I rate it highly.

A slow start but very fast ending.

[deanocware · 7/10 · 19 September 2020]

I would have love to give this film a higher rating as I am a fan of elite and special forces movies. However the movie gets off to a very slow start and really only the last 15 minutes of the movie justify the rating it received. But the last 15 minutes are so fast and so furious and so gripping that it actually made watching the rest of the film worthwhile.

disapointing

[cretzulegionaru · 4/10 · 1 June 2019]

The real events were much more captivating and interesting than those depicted in the movie , very bad script a lot of cliches which do not match with the time that took place the event (plus too many headshots like in a videogame) , however I give 4/10 for the historical truth of the creation of the GIGN and their good deployment on the field at that time, but otherwise the creators of this movie missed a good chance to make a very great movie

This is a terrific film.

[jackjolisjack · 10/10 · 16 February 2019]

What a good surprise this movie was -- I didn't think they made 'em like this anymore. It's a kind of French "Raid On Entebbe", but even better for having been based on a hitherto unknown real event.

Except for Perez and Balasko, the cast are unknowns (at least to me), but the acting -- especially Alban Lenoir (Gérval), Olga Kurylenko (the teacher) and David Murgia (Lorca) -- is excellent.

See this movie -- it's poignant, thrilling and inspiring. Bravo to all involved.

Inspired by, rather than based on

[blrnani · 7/10 · 23 April 2021]

So don't kid yourself you're going to be seeing some kind of documentary - the story strays too far from the facts of the case for that.

Nevertheless, for those who enjoy a tense action movie this gets the job done.

You have innocent children (6-12) on a school bus. You have violent kidnappers on a political mission. And you have the skilled professionals sent in to resolve the situation, in spite of numerous bureaucratic hurdles. And the real hero is the courageous teacher who puts her life on the line on behalf of the terrified children.

This is very a un-PC view, but the subsequent history of the area cannot help making one question the wisdom of the UK and French withdrawal from the countries dominating access to the vital global trade conduit of the Suez Canal. Instead of remaining and nurturing those peoples into becoming 21stC societies, they granted independence and moved out. The resulting mess led to seriously failed states where the actual people are far worse off today than they were 50 years ago. Sadly, revolutionaries rarely want liberty for their people, as it's power and privilege they're really after. And while they fight over the spoils,the people suffer!

Zero Dark 30 budget knock-off

[SuperbuddhaPunk · 3/10 · 26 March 2020]

A waste of a good story.

If the facts of this high risk mission are indeed riveting, this film misses the mark completely with insipid dialogues and inept actors. Cinematography and direction are uninspired as well but what really sinks the movie is the writing, the introduction of the characters is really clunky and formulaic, the pacing has long boring lull for exposition, and again the dialogue are never natural, believable or realistic.

The action sequences are the only part of the film that rises to an average level but as the title says it's only a 15 minutes war.

Not good except the ending firefight

[MovieIQTest · 7 June 2019]

The 5 members the GIGN in this film were like a bunch of amateurs. The team leader wore glasses covered in dust. The most part of this film was wasted in small talks, jokes, insults among them. The so-called General was an arrogant jerk. Non-stop blah, blah and blah. The five member team carried one aluminum water bottle without any food when they sneaked out into the wildness, and these morons drank up their limited water supply without any idea how to only sip their water periodically instead of gulping down. These morons just made me sick. There was only one guy who was quite and looked more serious to carry out the mission, and he was the only one kept cleaning his weapons anytime available. Love the female actor, a very talented one, not just pretty. All the roles she'd played were great and quite believable.

This is a loosely scripted lousy film, not just insulted the GIGN but also the audiences. I pity those kids who had to play the hostage under the harsh desert sun in a metal bus.

Quite good

[elgrampo77 · 7/10 · 10 May 2020]

Although some of the acting was a bit off, still quite good movie with nice suspense building up and then then offloading in the last 10-15 mins.

Suspenseful French sniper movie.

[imseeg · 7/10 · 9 May 2023]

Not a true story, but INSPIRED by a true story of a hostage taking of a schoolbus of French school children by African terrorists.

The bad: this movie takes some time to get really suspenseful, but your patience will be rewarded because this story gets more and more vicious and thrilling towards the end.

More bad: the acting performances are solid, but not extraordinary, which is why I only rate it with 7 stars.

It's a solid war movie about snipers trying to kill terrorists, but it doesnt go places other movies havent gone before as well, although the French do know how to give this story more humanlike characters than one would see in the usual American war movie.

The good: this is one heck of a slowburning, suspenseful sniper movie, with a very long build up BEFORE the actual shooting starts, but that long pause before the storm, only ENHANCES the SUSPENSE.

Really good movie

[alexandredaune · 9/10 · 9 July 2019]

Love it and everything inside. More kills would be better. But already not bad. Except red head fat guy not credible.

What a great french army propaganda movie!

[sinobad-91-663020 · 1/10 · 23 June 2019]

I hope everyone detected the sarcazam. Its ridicilous when an invading colonizing force such as the french army is promoted as angelic heroes.

Very good

[yankeedoo · 8/10 · 7 September 2019]

Dramatic movie based on fact. Sad and a few comic moments befall decent sat night movie

What a joke!

[sallywoof · 1/10 · 20 February 2019]

The film is more based on previous commando films (and better ones) than on real events! It felt like watching a bad film from the 80's with Chuck Norris.

Simply remarkable....

[s3276169 · 10/10 · 1 April 2020]

L'Intervention is a simple but remarkable film. At its heart, is the early genesis of one of the challenging specialisms associated with modern elite fighting units. The other is a story of salvation, trying to save the lives of children under seemingly impossible conditions.

This story is engaging from beginning to end. From one point of view its fascinating to see the kind of precisely synchronised military action, depicted in this film. Its also harrowing, hoping that the children held by armed captors can be freed. This is as much a human story as it is a tale of war.. A consideration that's sensitively presented in this film.

Acting is excellent and the sense of cinematic tension and drama, that's developed is a credit to all involved including writers, directors and producers.

A rather unique film I consider a must watch. 10/10.

7 for entertainment value, 1 for political premise

[bevinchu-1 · 5/10 · 26 June 2019]

7 for entertainment value, 1 for political premise

15 Minutes of War reminds me of a couple of other war films with similar titles, namely 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and 12 Strong.

Like these films and some others, such as Olympus Has Fallen, or Munich, the film is undeniably entertaining, but simultaneously politically reprehensible for lionizing colonialist/imperialists and caricaturing their victims.

Timing is everything

[Left_back · 9/10 · 13 September 2020]

The '70s were a bonanza for terrorist action in the colonies, and at home.

The introduction of an elite, early definition, police unit to a hostage incident was one of the firsts for the French. At the beginning the GIGN was very small and developing their procedures on the fly. They have become, today, one of the premier special anti-terrorist forces today.

Hollywood would have emphasized motivation, action, and conflict (especially the bad guys); the French, simplicity, emotion, and courage.

Admittedly the story took several liberties with the facts of the true events for dramatic license. The rescue was more cohesive (the Legion was very proactive), and the results were more or less the same (no spoilers here) except for one hostage.

The acting was very good, the portrayals in character and the emphasis on the team was apt and enjoyable.

If you're wondering about the title, it was how long the firefight took. Short, but in the moment likely forever.

Boring...just Boring!!

[Rena24 · 3/10 · 18 January 2021]

It's Boring as hell!. 1hr 15 mins of slow lousy and unnecessary stuff. You will not miss anything if you just watch the last 15min of this movie. Terrible direction, screen play and awful acting makes this movie one of the all time worst movies on my list. It's so boring that I fell asleep after 53 mins into the movie. What a waste time.