Battle Recon (2012) starring Robert Shannon, Adrian Bouchet, Jerome Aarts, Harold Gasnier, William Hartley, Paul Kelleher, Klemens Koehring, Les Loveday directed by Robert Shannon Movie Review

Battle Recon (2012)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Battle Recon (2012) starring Robert Shannon, Adrian Bouchet, Jerome Aarts, Harold Gasnier

In Need of Intel

A group of American soldiers are picked for a mission to head into Sicily. But it soon becomes apparent that they not only have the Nazis to contend with but also a traitor amongst them. I think that must be the shortest synopsis I have ever written but that is all that "Battle Recon" which is also known as "Battle Brigade" requires as it is a simple action and adventure WWII movie.

Now I don't mind simplistic war movies but "Battle Recon" is a little too simplistic and in a way reminds me of something I would have dreamt up as a young boy playing hero in my backyard. It makes it a less authentic movie and more about the action and excitement except done on a small budget and lacking the flair to make it really come to life. As such what we end up with is a movie which has a story which wouldn't have been out of place during the 60s but lacking the punch of big scenes to make it adrenalin filled excitement.

What it also lacks is a cast as whilst some of these actors, who I have to admit I had never heard of before, are reasonable some of them are childish in their characterisations. It is again why when you have one character that is childishly over the top that the whole thing reminds me of what I dreamt up as a child. But some of it is okay and the quieter performances are the ones which impress even if it is a struggle to connect to a single character or remember a name.

What this all boils down to is that "Battle Recon" is a modern attempt to make a 1960s style action and adventure war movie. Sadly the low budget, lack of stars, inconsistent acting as well as a general lack of authenticity leaves it coming up short with an end feeling of having watched a bunch of mates having fun playing war games in the woods.


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