In 2012 a Spanish medical team were sent to provide support to American soldiers injured during a Taliban ambush. As their rescue helicopter touched down, it pitched onto its side and crashed. The crew, medics and a small detachment of Spanish soldiers were left in a precarious position.
If they abandoned the crashed helicopter, it will become a PR coup for the Taliban. Yet, any attempt to salvage the machine will mean waiting at the crash site until morning. Deep inside enemy territory, the Spaniards must tend to the injured soldiers, secure the perimeter and figure a way out – before their position is overrun by insurgents.
While the film might sound similar to Black Hawk Down, it's not in that league. However, director Adolfo Martínez Pérez has done a fantastic job with this low budget war movie. The tempo is great, the dialogue isn't too clichéd and the action scenes convincing.
In many ways, ‘Rescue Under Fire' reminds me of the British movie ‘Kajaki'. Afganistan is the backdrop for both, and neither had a massive budget. However, both films are very watchable.
Before this film, Adolfo Martínez Pérez had directed just a couple of features. He's better known for this artistic contribution on films such as Terminator Salvation, Superman Returns and Alien Resurrection. He's currently working on a new mini-series ‘El Cid', and I can't wait to see how he handles that story. Judging by his work on ‘Rescue Under Fire' it should be in safe hands.
*Interesting facts: The “Superpuma” helicopter used in this film is the actual chopper that crashed in Afghanistan.
War Movie fans might be wondering why the Spanish Army is still using World War Two MG42 machine guns? The gun featured in the movie is actually a Spanish CETME Ameli, externally it looks very similar to the German MG42. However, the CETME Ameli was developed by the Spanish Army in the early 1980s.
