Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Python Hyena Extreme Ops (2002): Dir: Christian Duguay / Cast: Rufus Sewell, Bridgette Wilson, Devon Sawa, Rupert Graves, Heino Ferch: Had Britney Spears directed this film, it might have been called Extreme Oops...I Did It Again. All jokes aside the film is a complete snowstorm disaster that should be buried underneath an avalanche. Preposterous plot has a group of misfits shooting a commercial in the snowy mountains but terrorists wreck their plans. Remainder of film consists of them doing massive stunts on skies and snowboards to outwit the enemy. Results are predictable, dull and pathetic with stunts duplicating for plot. It is about as much fun as having a bowel movement in my pants. Christian Duguay previously made another stupid action film called The Art of War. He can handle action but the screenplay needs much to be desired. It consists of a bunch of airheads whom we do not care about who nearly meet death due too stupidity. Among the actors with the misfortune of appearing in this sh*t storm are Bridgette Wilson who had won a gold mettle and got rewarded with a script this idiotic. Others include Rufus Sewell, Devon Sawa and Rupert Graves, and this is likely not going to earn any bragging rights by any of them. Film exists for its action but for extra entertainment why not bury it in the deep cold Atlantic in hopes that it isn't discovered. Score: 2 / 10

MaximumMadness (Note: Given the subject matter of the film, this review will contain copious uses of the word "extreme." It really can't be helped.)This is a film I have been seeking out for some time.I saw previews of it back in 2002 on several VHS tapes and DVD's I owned. And whenever the trailer would pop-up, a big, goofy smile would creep across my face and I'd let out an laugh. Because it looked bad. Really bad. Yet it also looked like it might have a hint of brilliance. Not in an intended way, mind you... but rather unintentional brilliance. It looked like it had the potential to be one of those "so bad, it's good" classics. One of those movies that's just so poorly put together, you can't help but enjoy it.Yet the film was also enigmatic when it came to trying to find it. For several years, I'd make an effort to seek it out. Whenever I was at our local Circuit City, Hollywood Video, Target... I'd inevitably take a quick peak to see if they had it. And I could never find it. And not only that- nobody I talked to had heard about it. Nor could they understand how amusingly bad it looked when I would try to describe it.So you can imagine my surprise when now, years after I eventually forgot about the film, I happened upon a random copy by chance at the home of someone I know.Remembering how interested I was in checking it out, I borrowed the copy and finally gave it a watch.... ... ...it wasn't worth the wait.Not only is it not a good film on its own, "Extreme Ops" isn't even good in an unintentional "so bad, it's good" kind-of way as I'd hoped. It's just a poorly put-together mish-mash of actors giving bad performances, portraying bland characters with occasional spurts of some of the most boring action I've ever seen.We follow a group of extreme sports fanatics and their director as they take a trip to the Alps to shoot "extreme" stunts and have "chill sessions" in between. However, they are unaware that a Serbian warlord is coincidentally in the same area, and he decides the kill off the extreme sports fanatics in an attempt to make sure nobody witnessed he or his plans. And so our heroes must attempt stay alive and thwart his schemes the only way they know how- displays of their extreme sporting talents.The performances are of literally no consequence. Save from a decent- enough performance by the underrated and criminally under-recognized Rufus Sewell, and the absolutely adorable Jana Pallaske making for a fun, spunky rocker/punk chick that I found endlessly likable. Everyone else completely blends into the background, being stock- beyond- belief.Directorial duties are handled by Christian Duguay, probably best known as the director of the first two "Scanners" sequels. And I can't help but feel Duguay was lost in making this film. (I'm guessing because of a lack of experience with "extreme" action) Performances and handling of the material often feels forced, coming off more as an out-of-touch director's attempts to be "extreme" than actually being extreme. It feels like a film made by someone who doesn't understand the material.I also have to comment that I found the camera-work to be quite poor in terms of composition and movement. Perhaps it was an issue with the copy I viewed, but I felt the framing of many shots (particularly during the climax) was very "low." (As in things would often go off the top of the frame a little bit.) And it was distracting. It felt like the actors were always about to bump their head on the top of the frame to me, and I found myself instinctively ducking my head slightly while looking up during my viewing as though I was trying to look up and see more of the picture.A major part of the failing of this film is that it doesn't do anything truly interesting with the characters or storyline. Nor does it do anything truly interesting with the stunt-work. I understand the idea of a film based around extreme-sports fanatics from a studio standpoint- extreme sports were popular at the time and had the potential to support a lot of good action- but this film doesn't do anything with the idea. The plot is among the thinnest you'll find, the characters very stock, and the displays of action are often boring and honestly are about as thrilling as anything you'd see on a cable- sports channel for free. It doesn't work for a feature-film, and there's no real draw for the audience to invest their time or money in seeing this film. Heck, the same year this was released, the original Vin Diesel vehicle "xXx" came out, and while not a great film, it more properly and interestingly utilized the concept of focusing the film around extreme sports. (In that film's case, by being a tribute and subversion of spy genre movies like the Bond series.) It just shows how lazy and haphazard this film was, when around the same time, other films more fully explored a similar concept.That being said, this isn't a total loss. As stated above, Sewell and Pallaske do well in their roles. And I did find a few scenes effective. Particularly a well-done effects sequence where characters have to out-race an avalanche. While it wasn't particularly showy, the scene did give an accurate depiction of what an avalanche looks like, especially for its relatively meager budget. (Although some laughable green-screen shots nearly ruin it.)I'm going to have to give "Extreme Ops" a poor 3 out of 10. It has its moments, but it feels too much like a lazy cash-in on trends of the time, particularly "extreme" sports, and is quite shoddily assembled. Definitely one to avoid.

momewraith I'm actually watching it as i type this, thats how bored i am. Not much happens at all. It's too drawn out with no buildup for the first half, so when it gets to the main encounter, you don't really care.There is some OK "extreme" skiing and snowboarding, which looks alright, but thats about it. The stunts are good when they are climbing on stuff, and has potential but there's not enough at to keep you engaged. I think it's confused about what it's trying to be.The characters and acting is alright, the camera work and getting some good visual shots is good.Overall, it just doesn't work for me. if it was bad to the point of tacky, then i'd be fine with that.If you want to watch snowboarders, then get a snowboarding DVD. if u want to watch an action movie set in snow environment, better of getting cliff hanger or such.the only thing i like about this movie is Jana Pallaske

Nick Damian Unless you are really into skiing and watching people ski and snowboard for a good part of an hour and a half and watching people run around in white cold fluffy stuff, just go to bed.It's not a very entertaining movie and the dialog is lame.There's snow and lots of it...and a few nice shots - actually quite a few, but that's the highlight.Take away the gangster scenes and basically what you have is a documentary about skiing and snowboarding.The Olympics skier is told she can't ski...yet she's on a dangerous mountain melting the snow - even though she takes a flip...she's doing some pretty awesome moves.