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★★
Directed by: #DJKamalMustafa
Starring: Some animated people
I never knew that upon becoming a film critic I would have to Google so much stuff, and you may sit there and be thinking, “what like? Movie stats? Actor’s names? That's all on IMDB’’ and to you I say: I wish’.
No I have had to learn about Bitcoin [again, what the hell is bitcoin?] Danish Fjords, Vietnam communism and now, this week I am here googling...Operation Swift Retort.
In short it’s something about India, Pakistan, birds and trees are we all on board? Good, I’m not, so let’s crack on with the ‘’review’’ or me being confused for some time, same thing I guess.
So in early 2019 Indian fighter pilots bombed a forest in Pakistan and killed a bunch of birds [sad times, leave the birds alone India] people got mad, meetings and retaliation ensued and through all this one patriotic man, a man who has some slick knowledge of Google sketch up, decided to make a short animated piece about this tragedy.
Remember Team America, that film by the sexy dudes who made South Park? Remember how bad [on purpose I might add] they made it look, and we all laughed the safe laughter of knowing it was a joke? Remember those times? Yeah well that’s not happening here, this as I said appears to be animated in some kind of Google sketch program, like playing Red Alert on Windows 95, stuff is out of proportion, people are the same size as jets, clips just repeat over and over, people walk through walls etc, it’s a mad, crazy world out there apparently, one where we can just lift fighter jets up like packets of custard creams.
The #shortfilm is also without any kind of narration or dialogue, occasionally we are treated to some news clips from the event, press conferences held, and that gives Operation Swift Retort a little direction, but mainly this feels like a lot of GIF’s spliced together. Time saving I guess.
Now you may be thinking I’m being a real negative Nancy up in here, and that is true to an extent so on a positive note, let's think about how much hard work DJ Kamal Mustafa [not sure of his actual DJ status, does he moonlight in the clubs after making movies?] had put into this.
Operation Swift Retort was made entirely in 2 months, by a team of one, our beloved DJ, and not only that but he displays a clear love of his country and military force, no one asked him to make this film, no one paid him a million dollars, he wanted to do this for the love of his work and his home country, and while I can sit here and say, as a film it lacks a lot, I can't deny the effort and passion that has gone into it...and so I say well done.
With time and practice our DJ Kamal Mustafa could start to produce something which packs a little more punch, and hey we all have to start somewhere, but if you’re looking for some army action and animation...stick to Team America.
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