Shane Dax Taylor directs Jesse Mittelstadt’s script for Murder Company. The film is about a covert unit of soldiers undertaking a secret mission. Specifically, Southern (William Moseley), Smith (Joe Anderson), and Coolidge (Pooch Hall), under the command of General Haskel (Kelsey Grammer), need to rescue Daquin (Gilles Marini), who holds crucial information about the impending U.S. landing at Normandy. After the rescue mission, the soldiers must find and assassinate a high-ranking Nazi who is in charge of defending a crucial bridge. Both assignments have a lot of danger and low survival rates attached. Will the soldiers complete their mission, or are they on a suicide run?
The movie is populated with the most cliched soldiers imaginable. Southern, Smith, and Coolidge might all be the same person for as much they have going on. One of them has a wife and newborn baby awaiting him, but I am fairly certain that’s one of the soldiers killed earlier on. But maybe not? To be fair, Haskel and Dauqin are very interesting characters. Maybe it is what the actors bring to the role, or perhaps they are the characters Mittelstadt responded to the most. No matter, they are the only two with more than a single dimension.
“…need to rescue Daquin, who holds crucial information…”
Murder Company truly shines in its action sequences. The flick is packed with intense shootouts, gun battles, and combat, all of which keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its 86-minute runtime. Each scene is gritty, exciting, and filled with realistic and gory blood effects that perfectly match the overall aesthetic. The cinematography by Martin Chichov is a standout, capturing the trenches and wooded trails with a perfect balance of grime and natural beauty. The sense of geography is always clear, allowing the action to flow seamlessly.
The cast does decently. Grammer is excellent as the no-nonsense general, bringing a lot of gravitas to the role. Marini is dryly humorous but still sells the danger. Moseley’s performance, while understated, adds a layer of mystery to his character. Hall tries to be the life of the party, but there’s just not enough for him to grab on to character-wise. Despite this, the cast’s chemistry and their ability to bring their characters to life are some of the highlights.
There are much worse World War II titles than Murder Company, but there are also better ones. The motion picture skates just above average, thanks to the well-done action and cinematography. The cast tries to overcome their underwritten parts but succeeds only some of the time. Grammer and Dauqin are very compelling, and fans of theirs will be pleased.
"…truly shines in its action sequences."
