Extreme Ops (2002) User Reviews (85)

Extremely Op ..... Oops!

[Jawad Daud PK · 3/10 · 17 April 2008]

Will (Devon Sawa) is a Hollywood producer who excels at making commercials with some extreme sports fanatics on centre stage. When an opportunity arises to do a big-league advertisement, he decides to film it against an actual avalanche. He hires Jeffrey (Rupert Graves) as the director and heads for the Austrian Alps near the Yugoslavian border to film the spot.

His team consists of Ian (Rufus Sewell), Chloe (Bridgette Wilson) and Kittie (Jana Pallaske), three extreme sports connoisseurs who love staring the storm right in the eye. To film such a daring and precarious commercial they need an equally adventurous cinematographer, who turns out to be Mark (Heino Ferch). Together, these six individuals land up in an under construction resort. They start filming, unaware that the place is also the secret hideout of Slobodan Pavle (Klaus Lvwitsch), a Serbian war criminal who is believed to have died in a plane crash. Mark erroneously catches Pavle on tape who believes the six are actually CIA operatives. Pavle orders their execution lest they should blow the whistle on his whereabouts and his latest plans to wreak havoc. Thus begins a battle of survival as the protagonists use every trick and ploy they know to survive and bring down the evil Pavle.

From the story and the trailers, Extreme ops may sound like a flick for a selected audience. Although the movie does not have much of a plot or situations that are aesthetically appealing, the numerous incredible and ingenious action sequences ensure that one stays glued to the couch. The film can be enjoyed only if one watches it without any expectations!—

Go to bed for an hour and a half

[vampyrecowboy · 4/10 · 18 October 2006]

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.

kind of a waste of time

[arusan · 3/10 · 19 April 2007]

well, this movie is really some waste of time... maybe they put a lot of effort into it, but don't watch it if you have better things you can watch :)

it's not all that bad, the stunts are sometimes good, but the whole thing is just not credible, the action is coming and going, the plot is not good, the facts are wrong... Yugoslavia has no border with Austria, the Austrian after-ski parties aren't like that at all, you would actually get you as* kicked if you do that kind of thing in Tirol... lots of things don't add up... then the characters are badly built up - no personality... no idea why Ian talks to his g/f all the time... well, you'll see for yourself...

Oh, and if there's someone doing the stuff these guys do, and succeeding every time on the first try... well, I quit snowboarding :)

Extreme tries to be too Extreme and fails partially...

[axopnk · 2/10 · 19 November 2007]

What didn't work and things i learned:

1. If you are a director or group leader, don't worry about your group's health or the safety of your job because constant drinking, unprofessional ism, snowboarding on the back of trains are what make a director Extreme.

2. If you are a gold medalist,that is not "respectable" or Extreme. Thus you should hang out with a bunch of amateurs to become Extreme. Also, drinking and falling under peer pressure is OK if you want to be Extreme.

3. I don't know about you, but if your going to set up a love story, at least let it come to it's conclusion. No date or kiss scene? Weak.

4. Silo's entrance and character was just ridiculous and laughable. The whole skateboarding scene on the train is the first example of how Extreme ops tries to be too "Extreme". Good job dude, that's one Extreme dumb ass right there.

5. Every Extreme person has rock entrance music to show he is more Extreme than others.

6. A good camera man SHOULD ALWAYS hang upside down beneath a moving train for the best camera shot.

7. A snowboarder SHOULD ALWAYS grind their board on their train tracks while chanting like an Indian if they want to be Extreme.

8. Snowboarding off the top of a roof and doing back flips onto the bar was just complete BS. Why would you fill up alcohol in glasses when you know there just going to knock them down? It's either: A. There's a dumb ass bartender B. There dumb ass customers who spent money to fill the glasses up to look "Extreme". Take your pick.

9. Snowball fight inside the resort was really misplaced, especially after meeting a creepy guy

10. The dog escape scene was really misplaced. It felt like a fight scene but then it didn't. Especially with the garbage can lid slide scene down the mountain. Also, that's the best time to videotape. Dumb ass.

11. The night time snowboard/ski scene was misplaced. What did it accomplish? Nothing at the end since it's accomplished in the hot tube scene.

12. Director trademark: Why not throw some sexy panty action at the cliff "over the edge" scene where Kittie is about to fall to her death?

13. Always say bastard and smile when your being shot at.

14. You SHOULD NOT fill a helicopter up before taking off.

15. Shotguns are the best long range weapons for killing.

16. Uzi and AK-47 ammunition is rare. So use a shotgun as directed.

17. Generals do not have good shooting skills.

18. Throwing rope down onto helicopter blades is not Extreme. Instead you must jump across the blades and throw the rope down.

19. Always throw hot coal into a hot tube with people in it.

20. Terrorist generals only have 4 men under the control at best.

21. Being shot in the arm by a shotgun will have no effect, if you are Extreme.

22. Being dropped on by a girl who weighs 105 pounds when you yourself are 6 ft about 250 will instantly knock you out. (Note: If you are the girl dropping on the guy, you will not be hurt if you say words like "totally" "radical" "narly" after wards)

23. What information did the helicopter pilot trade? What else was there to learn?

24. If 2 people need to ride on 1 snowboard, you will still move at the same speed, and your maneuverability and control will be crisp clean accurate.

25. When your a inexperienced amateur, listen to your buddy who tells you to cut the rope if your about to fall.

26. Cameras are now made with bullet proof covers.

27. Being shot at in the chest will also have no effect if you are Extreme.

28. Trying to plow your snowboard into a helicopter to hit someone is your best weapon.

29. As an adult it's a good idea to let one of the kids sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the team.

30. As an adult, leave a kid to watch someone wounded while you get help with 2 other adults.

31. When you return to the states, DON'T notify the press of the ordeal you went through. Instead go get your money

32. Cell phones will have good reception in mountains when enemies are nearby but will have poor reception when there is no threat.

33. Make sure to videotape when you just got out of a life or death situation and are followed by a avalanche.

Overall not a great movie but at least the casting (exception of a few) was alright.

Nothing extreme about these ops.

[Tyrantc · 1/10 · 21 July 2003]

Hmm. You know, sometimes I wonder why we're screwed up as a species. I was watching Extreme Ops in the comfort of my home and suddenly the world fell silent, and a wave of emptiness fell upon me as a poorly matted Bridgette Wilson escaped a fake avalanche just in time for a ski jump to take out some excruciatingly recycled terrorists who were busy being evil for no other reason than because the script says to. I looked around to find myself in alien surroundings. My home was no longer my home, but a void of everlasting darkness in which no form of goodness, nor light, nor hope could ever be found. And from the belly of this neverending realm of pain and celluloid death could be heard the sound of English actor Rufus Sewell dismantling his once promising career with lines of dialogue like "Are you ready to know what it's like to ski in front of an avalanche?" Oh, the pain. Soon, all this agony ceased, and numbness set in. My world shrank and suddenly I felt nothing at all, and I realized that everything I had ever done was meaningless, and all I had was nothing at all so long as Devon Sawa continues to hang from a cliff and ask a girl out in the middle of a terrorist attack just before feigning suicide for "team sacrifice". My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

But then, something happened. The darkness parted, and the shroud of peril lifted and I awoke from my numbness to find that I was in deed at home. My furniture was still here and all my things were as I had left them. I wondered to my self, "What happened?" And then I looked to my television and saw credits rolling. The deed was done. And the darkness had gone. But only until the sequel. (Fat chance)

This movie sucks. I hate it almost as much as it hates me. 1/10

Bad filmmaking 101

[Spanner-2 · 2/10 · 4 December 2002]

This film is bad filmmaking 101. A commercial director (Rufus Sewell, who has certainly done better work elsewhere) assembles a group of extreme athletes (including Bridgette Wilson-Sampras as a Gold Medal Skier??) and lugs them off to a secluded area of the Swis Alps to film them outracing an avalance for a DV Camera commercial!!! Of course the same hillside out intrepid filmmakers choose is the hidding place of some terrorist leader, who thinks the bumbling and arguing film crew are actualy CIA Agents trying to nab him! Of course the first hour or so is taken up by inane banter among the athletes, including a raver chick (a dead ringer for early Angelina Jolie) who thinks Sampras gold Medal skier isnt hip enough to be in their crowd... Eventualy, after the obligatory Hot Tub bonding scene, we get to some action when the bad guys chase out heroes down the slopes in a helicopter! Of course the ending is so rediculous that you'll just laugh at the ineptitude of the screenwriters. This is a terrible movie from start to finish. GRADE: F

Plot??? Where???

[bsdoll · 1 November 2003]

This movie looked great. I really wanted to see it. But it was a disappointment. Why? This movie has no plot at all.. There's a group of people making a commercial and a terrorist (or whatever). And that terrorist wants to kill that group. Well, at least 15 minutes before the end. The movie is based on stunts, stunts and again stunts. I was so sick of the snow and skiing. I wanted to see an ACTION movie, not a typical show about extreme sport.

oh gawd. overall bad and boring, but a few good points

[momewraith · 3/10 · 24 January 2008]

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

Should've watched "Vertical limit" one more time instead

[pimon · 3/10 · 18 October 2003]

I tell you guys, this movie is a complete waste of time. It is as pointless as the action/thriller movie can be. The outset of the plot is just stupid, the acting is cheesy (to say the least), the action scenes are cliched and not impressive at all. Don't bother yourself watching it, better check out "Vertical limit" instead - this one really delivers some adrenalin action. And one question that bothers me all the time - why spend 40 mln. dollars on this kind of movies? Rating - 2/10

Extreme Oops!!!

[LebowskiT1000 · 7/10 · 2 December 2002]

I couldn't resist with that one line summary above. Actually this film wasn't a total stinker. It had some good points, a lot of low points as well, but still some good stuff to be seen.

I thought the story was actually a rather interesting idea. It could have definitely been a great movie, with the right director. I did like some of Christian Duguay's work ("The Art of War" and "Screamers"), I'm not really sure what happened here. I want to blame the writing and the editor...but I'm sure that the director is also to blame here. Speaking of editing, there was some HORRIBLE editing in this film. There were a few scenes where I couldn't help but ask myself "What the heck was that?!?!"

The characters in the film were all pretty good ideas, just not executed correctly. The two characters that were supposed to be super adrenaline junkies were good ideas, but weren't done justice. I'm not saying the acting was horrible or anything like that, I'm just saying that some of the things they were doing didn't look "cool", just plain stupid!!! There were a few stunts that they did that were really cool though, so it wasn't a total bust. I did like the snowboarding off the back of the train, that was kind of cool.

The action in the film was actually really good at times. But, it was very often short-lived. I was shocked how short "the chase" in the film was between the terrorists and the good guys. At the end of the film, I was thinking "That's it???" ...And as for the actual final moments of the film...well, let's just say it could have been better.

Most of the actors did a fine job. Rufus Sewell did a fine job as always. Ever since I saw him in "Dark City" I've really liked his acting and tried to follow his work. Devon Sawa did a surprisingly good job, I usually don't like his acting, but did a pretty good job in the film. Bridget Wilson did a great job with her role and looks absolutely fantastic throughout the film. She is reason enough to watch the film. Jana Pallaske is a new face to me, she did an ok job with her role. I didn't think she was spectacular, but she did pretty good job given the material (and is quite the looker as well...her lips remind me of Angelina Jolie).

All in all, I can't in good conscience recommend you go see this film in the theater unless you just want to see some cool snowboarding/skiing footage. I strongly urge you not to pay a full price ticket, see this one at a matinee if you absolutely must. Otherwise, wait till video. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

Extreme Oops!

[JonnytheMann · 3/10 · 10 April 2004]

This was a really bad movie. The writing, acting, and directing are all weak. The characters are cliched. The story is absurd. I regret seeing this movie. I am embarrassed for Bridgette Wilson. She has done so many terrible movies. When will she ever get a good role. They usually give her the role of the bitchy woman. The action sequences are not suspenseful. I rolled my eyes a lot during this movie. I hate movies where bad guys shoot 100,000 bullets at a slowly skiing hero, but do not hit the hero at all. I would recommend avoiding this film. I was really glad when this movie ended. 2 out of 10.

GREAT STUNTS!

[max-281 · 10/10 · 7 December 2002]

Great original, imaginative, extreme action and fabulous stunts make this a great watch for all. I just loved the the scene with the boarders jumping off the roof of a train and then roped on to the train go for a joy ride until their boards catch fire whilst riding the train tracks in a tunnel. And that is the tip of the iceberg and most of the action is real, it is not CGI! So my verdict is great stuff and I will be going again and again.

escapist entertainment

[gannawayde · 6/10 · 22 January 2003]

That's what it was and it never promised to be anything better. It was an inoffensive movie with great stunts and lovable characters. Sure the plot was small, a big one would have gotten in the way of all that skiing & snowboarding. It had a few embarrasing moments, but how many Hollywood films don't. Besides, you're not supposed to take this movie seriously anyway. It's just plain old fun. I guess I liked it.

Not really a movie, just extreme sports.

[polarbear_ak · 5/10 · 24 December 2002]

This really is not a movie, just more of a snowboarding and skiing movie. The terrorists don't really start to appear until about the last 30 minutes of the movie. The rest is just the extreme sports. Though this would be more like XXX with extreme stunts but lots of action I was wrong.... I would not see this movie if I were you, just a waste of money. It you really want to see it, wait for it to come out to rent it. Save more money :p Polar

A fun senseless romp

[bkossy · 19 June 2003]

A fun senseless romp that was way more entertaining than the self aggrandizing "Die Another Day." This movie has no pretensions. It's formulaic B-movie material, but it knows it. The casting is good, the acting is spirited, and the special effects are clever. It even manages to make fun of itself. Are avalanche scenes real, or digital? I see from the ratings that women like it more than men. I think that's because there's no gratuitous sex or violence, and the females leads are strong and entertaining. Also notable is that it pokes some fun at reality TV shows with the obligatory hot tub scene, and plot references to shows like "Fear Factor," and "Big Brother."

Extreme boring

[Luigi Di Pilla · 1/10 · 30 January 2004]

When I watched the trailer I thought this could be another masterpiece like "VERTICAL LIMIT". I should have respected instead the rating on IMDb showing my opinion. Once you have looked the trailer you don´t need to see it in the full length. But what I`ve got to see was absolutely disappointing and extreme boring. There was no suspense and no substance in this movie and there could have been done more. How director Christian Duguay could realize this mess? He did better and more thrilling movies such as "The Assignment". Don´t waste your precious time, you won´t regret it. My wife and I vote: ZERO.

So bad it's good...

[cobitt · 1/10 · 14 February 2005]

This movie was so ridiculous I couldn't help from laughing hysterically, even if the director was going for serious anxiety. Let me lay down the final action scene in the movie because it's so hilariously bad.

Spoiler*** The bad guy shoots a girl out of her snowboard binding from about 150 yards away (possible?). Another snowboarder puts her on his board and they continue down the mountain (possible?). They stop just in time from flying over a cliff, and the other teammates give them ropes as the cliff crumbles away beneath them (lucky). They're all hanging from ropes for a few minutes until one guy cuts himself loose and parachutes away (Why is he worried about falling and why don't they all parachute away?). Two skiers create a diversion while a third jumps over top of the terrorist helicopter, throws a rope in its propeller and blows it up. This creates an avalanche that the two diversion skiers now ski in front of while posing for the hand-held camera that they toss back and forth to each other.

***End of Spoiler The fraction of a plot that existed made no sense. Why would people risk their lives like this for a freaking commercial? Couldn't they just use CGI to show a skier in front of an avalanche like they obviously did in this movie???! People who would like this movie would have to know nothing about snow, snow-sports, mountain climbing, and the laws of physics. So for all those retarded skateboarders with a 7th grade education, This movie is Xtreeme to the Max!!

what the hell is wrong with American filmmakers?!

[markst-1 · 1/10 · 6 May 2006]

Well... First to mention that I live in Belgrade, Serbia (former Yugoslavian republic).

During this movie I realized that my intelligence and knowledge is way up higher than Hollywood screenwriters and filmmakers is. Up, so high, higher than the Serb's Alps! OOOPS! But Serbia is not Austrian neighbor country, and Belgrade is much more than 70 km away from Alps so HOW CAN ALPS BELONG TO SERBIA!? Have you people (screenwriters and filmmakers, producers etc) ever seen a map of Europe in your life?! I presume that you had F in geography in high-school and that your daddy or mommy paid teacher money to pass it. So, you should first visit http://encarta.msn.com/map_701510050/Alps.html or similar before you make another piece of crap like this (at least you'll be less stupid). AAhhh, yes, another interesting thing is that Serbs are building a ski resort AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN! YEAH RIGHT! I mean, hell yeah, we can do that, but we don't have Alps, ha ha! SOrry, you blew it a lot and someone has to say that...

Other things in this movie are more or less lame. I really liked the blonde chick though.

Impressive

[opscauimeumbraco · 1/10 · 6 February 2005]

wow...nothing to say THIS MOVIE KICKS ASS!!! damn....how could people say this and be convinced of their rightness!! this movie is probably the worst ever!! no plot, no good acting, no good realization, what is there in this movie?? it's a bunch of stunt scenes, with a limited interess, due to it's stupidity, and it's not that good. u turn on you're TV, see winter games, and you have this movie, without the boring part of it!!! it's absolutely disgusting....Cinema is loosing quality.....and viewers are getting stupider....people don't appreciate cinema anymore....nothing to do about it, but still makes me mad...HOW CAN PEOPLE ENJOY THIS KIND OF MOVIE!!! FOR CRISTH SAKE!!!

Avalanche

[jotix100 · 4/10 · 26 April 2005]

This is the perfect movie to have handy when there are a few friends around. It will bring a lot of laughs to the party by watching some of these well known actors doing things that will not add anything to their resumes. One only can hope they were all paid lots of money to be in this film that could have been much better, but only manage to be worth a look because of the action it packs.

Director Christian Duguay must have had something else in mind than what we see on the screen. The plot, as it plays, doesn't make much sense because it defies credibility, but then again, it was probably done because someone in the production company wanted to have a nice skiing vacation in Austria and in Canada.

Rupert Graves and Rufus Sewell are actors we have seen in better films. Mr. Graves' character seems something of an after thought since he doesn't have anything to do. Mr. Sewell's role, at least, gives him something to do. The rest of the cast seems to be having a great time.

Watch it with good company.

Lightweight but quite enjoyable

[misbegotten · 6/10 · 28 September 2008]

Hollywood has always been quick to react to new trends if it believes it can make money from them, and at the beginning of the current decade the movie studios responded to the increasing high profile of so-called 'extreme sports' by using them as the basis of a short-lived wave of action movies. Of course, the film executives failed to take into account that those interested in extreme sports are far more likely to be taking part in them, attending such events, or watching TV/internet coverage of them, instead of going to see movies in which actors pretend to take part in them. So while xXx (starring Vin Diesel) was successful enough to secure a sequel, Extreme Ops failed to make an impression at the box office, and the notion of extreme sport action movies died out as quickly as it had begun.

Extreme Ops (which was filmed under the title The Extremists, but swiftly retitled before release due to the events of 9/11) is an international co-production with an appropriately international cast of American, British and central European actors. The storyline has a film crew, together with a pair of snowboarders and a female gold medal-winning downhill skier, travelling to an unnamed European ski resort off-season, to shoot footage for an advertising campaign. Unfortunately, a wanted Serbian war criminal is using the isolated resort as a temporary hideout, and the film crew eventually find themselves fleeing down the mountainside with the Serbian and his men in determined pursuit.

However, that particular plot development doesn't occur until two-thirds of the way through the movie, so for the first hour we merely see the film crew, snowboarders and the skier hanging about in the empty resort, occasionally filming on the slopes, and bonding over bottles of beer while relaxing in a hot tub.

It sounds deadly dull, and considering that the characterisations in the script are tissue-thin, it should be. But due to the efforts of the talented cast, these irresponsible risk-takers (the snowboarders and most of the film crew are die-hard adrenalin junkies) come across as surprisingly likable. As a result, despite being routine in practically every aspect, Extreme Ops is a remarkably engaging movie.

Does any one else but me want their money back?

[Paden10 · 1/10 · 28 November 2002]

I just got done seeing "Extreme Ops", it was probably one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Plus some of the "action sequences" looked fake. But if someone really wants to see it, wait until it comes out on video, my guess is that it will come on video in the next two weeks.

A Great Action Movie Which Makes the Viewer Breathless

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 20 November 2003]

A team of filmmakers and athletes goes to the Alps for shooting a commercial, where two men and two women have to ski with a snow avalanche on their back. They lodge on the top of a mountain, where a group of Serbian terrorist is hidden. The plot of this movie is very predictable, like in most of the action movies. But the proposal is not to make a movie for thinking, but as an entertainment. And with this optic, it is a great movie. What makes the difference are the landscape and the action scenes, supported by a great soundtrack techno. It is hard to say where the viewer is watching the skill of the athletes or a image generated by a computer. But it entertains a lot. My vote is eight.

Meh. Downgraded stunty version of "Vertical Limit"

[UniqueParticle · 6/10 · 21 May 2019]

Not as bad as others say... still enjoyable though and I might not be as descriptive as some. Very cool ridiculous stunts which is nice, great cast, messy script which isn't bad with the entertainment value and epicness!

Missing a few things.

[Vert66 · 4/10 · 10 December 2002]

The stupidity of the story was real real real bad.

Crashing their boards across a bar a couple times smashing bottles and glasses all the way with everyone cheering? (only a start) But, it was obviously low budget stuntfest and as that, it was an OK ride. You know it's low budget when even the death scenes are lame.

This movie didn't even bother with any female T&A, shame on them, this could have gotten it up to a 5 and they had ample opportunity. And two (maybe 3) women I would like to have seen more of... the older woman who played the girlfriend of the main badguy was very sexy, don't have any idea what her character's name was though.

For the ladies, one of the guys does show his full backside when he rolls naked in the snow. So perhaps this is really a chick flick in disguise?

The relationships of the characters only just gets started and left incomplete, not that you will probably care that much.

You likely won't recognize anyone in the cast.

For me rates: 4 out of 10.

Falls under the 'Wait for commercial cable' release at best.