Green Zone is just another better-than-average Iraq war film in the company of Body of Lies, Traitor and The Kingdom. We’ve seen the covert missions, the terrorist agendas and the corrupt officials before and it’s getting a little old now…

The film’s main selling point is that it comes straight from the tag team that brought us The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass, who bring a similar flair to Green Zone with quick camera action shots and our hero’s rogue status as he delves deeper to the source of the corrupt intelligence reports on Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Catch the rest of the review and the trailer after the jump…

Roy Miller (Damon), a U.S. army officer, goes on a rogue mission to find Weapons of Mass Destruction after a series of corrupt and covert intelligence reports come back deliberately wrong. The WMD were the reason for America’s involvement in the Iraq War conflict in 2003 and Miller takes it upon himself to uncover the source of the faulty intelligence.

Matt Damon is perfect for the role of Miller, who could have been Jason Bourne a few years before the start of The Bourne Identity. Damon’s got that clean-shaven G.I. look and has proven he can wield the lead of an actioner with his performances from the Bourne series. He’s supported by Amy Ryan, Brendan Gleeson and Greg Kinnear in key roles, who assist Damon in leading the charge. There aren’t really any stand-out performances, just a good effort from the entire ensemble.

“Matt Damon. MATT DAMON!”

Green Zone has strong parallels with Body of Lies; the quick pacing, intense drama, gripping action and war espionage all resonate. However, Green Zone doesn’t stray down the A Mighty Heart avenue with torture on video. The enemy is divided as with most Iraq War-inspired films, targeting both Iraq and the United States, insinuating international back room deals and corruption. Green Zone doesn’t profess to be based on a true story, but encapsulates a narrative that holds some real intellectual weight, given the conspiracy theories surrounding the US’s involvement in Iraq in 2003.

Green Zone is part political thriller and part a thinking man’s actioner, entertaining for its quick pacing, riveting war story and accomplished performances. It’s not the best Iraq War movie out there, but shadows The Bourne Supremacy in its reality style camera work, direction and lead star. Moviegoers that enjoyed Body of Lies, Traitor and The Kingdom will find Green Zone entertaining. It’s nothing special, but gets the green light for its overall competence.

The bottom line: Decent.

Release Date: 28 May, 2010

Watch Green Zone Trailer

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