Evacuation is often the most crucial part of any mission. There cannot be any mistake, as it can compromise the escape plan. And when enemies have already been alerted, vigilance becomes the key to survival. In “Air Force The Movie: Danger Close,” it is upto a group of stranded soldiers to protect themselves as well as a group of civilians from being casualties in a civil war while waiting for their extraction. Danger is everywhere, and the crucial question is: will they be able to hold on for long?
Spoilers Ahead
‘Air Force The Movie: Danger Close’ Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Movie?
The two parts of Namburi country, North and South, have been waging war against each other for the last five years. Four months have passed since the ceasefire that is now about to end. A group of PASKAU (Royal Malaysian Air Force Special Force) soldiers who were sent by the Malaysian government to Namburi to maintain peace, along with a doctor, a reporter, and a cameraman, have to now evacuate before the civil war resumes. After all of them board the A400 military aircraft, it takes off safely. However, soon a missile hits the aircraft and brings it down, killing many of them. Only a handful survive, and among them are Commanding Officer Lejen, Hujan (Combat Signaller), Gaban (Designated Marksman), Tuai (point man), Paco (Combat Medic), and Adib (Force Protection Team Leader). The civilians include Susan (doctor), Natrah (news reporter), and Matno (Cameraman). All are wounded, but not heavily, so they can move to find cover. They also have to reach out to the Royal Malaysian Air Force for an evacuation as soon as possible. Commanding Officer Lejen has a GPS tracker through which he can share their location. Care needs to be taken by the Air Force while chalking a plan out because the Namburi militants have access to not just surface-to-air rockets but also jets. Mission Hornbill is put into effect headed by fighter pilot Zafran (Call Sign Mantis), who has been Adib’s best friend since childhood, as well as Adib’s sister Hana’s boyfriend. A group of jets will clear the area, following which three helicopters with armed men will pick up the stranded group. Will PASKAU survive till then? Will Mission Hornbill be carried out successfully? The Malaysian film gives us a long take on the answers.
A Civil War
Civil wars have taken place for millennia and have been depicted in countless films. In “Air Force The Movie: Danger Close,” we see the country of Namburi in such a state that the North and South are fighting to gain control of the country. The South controls more than half of it, while the North is trying to capture the rest of it. We can see glimpses of the outcome of the war in the form of the South Namburi camp, where the stranded soldiers and civilians reach, and the people living there are deprived of proper food and shelter. Life has lost its value, and blood is everywhere. We see the Southerners killing captured Northerners with guns and even chopping them up with machetes. We can only imagine that the Northerners must be doing the same. They have been bent on killing each other for the last five years, and there seems to be no end to it. The events of the film take place during the final moments of a 4-month-running ceasefire. This seems to say the war will never end in Namburi until either one of the sides will have to surrender or be eradicated. As much as the film shows the bravery of the soldiers who protect the civilians, as well as the Air Force, it also reminds us of the harsh reality of war and how it just mitigates the value of life to the point where a human being turns into rubble. “Air Force The Movie: Danger Close” could have had a larger impact if it had explored the war better in the form of visuals. The creators probably didn’t want to let the audience divert their attention from the plot. Be that as it may, “Air Force The Movie: Danger Close” makes us want for more, be it due to such kind of films that we have already been subjected to or due to the mere execution that seems bleak. Some relationships are left unexplored, which thus fail to have an emotional impact on us. Lejen’s autistic son, Paco’s parents, Adib’s girlfriend Hana (also Zafrn’s sister), and the friendship between Adib and Zafran—all these are merely mentioned and nothing more. In this way, it fails the Chekhov’s Gun dramatic principle that states that a film should only have those elements that are vital to it. If the creators had used these relationships and brought them face-to-face with those of the civil war victims, the emotional impact would have been greater.
Ending Explained – Are The PASKAU Soldiers And Civilians Rescued?
At the end of the film, only Natra, Matno, Gaban, Tuai, and Adib are rescued by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Zafran too misses death by an inch after taking down an enemy fighter jet and almost losing control of his aircraft. Adib returns the bracelet that Lejen carried with him (as a reminder of his son) back to his son. The film ends with the symbol of the Malaysian Armed Forces and their motto, “Service Before Self.” While the film is a good watch, it does leave a lot of ground to cover. It is dedicated to the Malaysian Air Force, but we don’t get to see much of the Air Force until the latter part of the second half. It won’t be correct to address the film as an “extraction” film. It is a military action film that is more of a tribute to the Malaysian Armed Forces and their valor. Overall, “Air Force The Movie: Danger Close” is just what the title means: “danger close.” We get a group of soldiers risking their lives for civilians as danger closes in on them; a one-time watch
“Air Force The Movie: Danger Close” is a 2023 Malaysian military action film available on Netflix.
