Mine (II) (2016) User Reviews (181)

Expect a lot of standing still in this movie

[peterp-450-298716 · 6/10 · 21 August 2017]

"You're a very lucky man. You step on a mine and it doesn't explode. You spend the night in the desert and the animals leave you alone. You're a very lucky man, Mike and Michael!"

Guess it wasn't that simple to do this. Making a film that focuses solely on an American marine named Mike (Armie Hammer) who stepped on a landmine and who doesn't dare to take any further steps. For 90 minutes, there's nothing else to see than this soldier who has to wait 52 hours for a patrol to help him. Help that comes too late for his partner Tommy (Tom Cullen). He won't be able to break the record on the 100 meter sprint, as both his legs are spread over a few square meters after walking on a landmine himself. And, in my opinion, the thought of a leg-less existence was too much for him as well. And now Mike is standing, kneeling and balancing there in the middle of the desert on an unexploded landmine, exposed to the elements of nature and from time to time deep in thought. The ultimate survival test.

So, don't expect real action-packed scenes in this movie. Only the delusions and flashbacks as Mike gets more and more tired, are presented in multitudes. And an odd, funny looking Berber shows up occasionally to bring water and have philosophical conversations with Mike. And afterwards he disappears again over the next dune. Whether this Berber is real or just a figment of his imagination, is hard to say. Certainly, he gives Mike something to hold onto so he won't go insane because of dehydration, the heat and lack of sleep.

Hammer's performance is solid and convincing. A man who tries to survive in dire circumstances and at the same time tries to come to terms with his past. A childhood filled with domestic violence from an aggressive, alcoholic father. To be honest, it's not hard to be the star of a movie when you're actually delivering some kind of solo performance and there's no other role that has a decisive impact on the movie. In this case, Hammer has the stage completely for himself and he can demonstrate the talent he has as an actor. And that is the most commendable of this film. Despite the intriguing concept, the content is too limited.

You can also interpret this movie in a metaphorical way. Everybody tend to end up in a so-called mine field once in his lifetime. A difficult period in which making a thoughtful decision is necessary. But because of the fear of taking risks, one freezes and is scared of taking that next, crucial step. Sometimes it may be advisable to take a next step, although there are consequences, instead of standing still. A tremendous dilemma Mike is facing and something the enigmatic Gerber tries to explain to him all the time. Due to the subject and the total lack of action, you may call this a boring movie. At one point, one hopes that this bloody landmine would explodes. Just to stir up the tension. And yet, this movie managed to hold my attention and curiosity. Never thought that a non-exploding landmine could be so intriguing. And again, praise for Armie Hammer and his commendable performance.

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Good, but not mindblowing

[brunovanael · 6/10 · 14 July 2020]

A good idea, and pretty exciting for a movie that has one location for the main part. A bit like the movie buried. I like these kind of films that have this sense of hopelessness. Didn't care a lot about the ending though. That was a bit too melodramatic and all over the place for my taste.

Very Solid Movie

[slayer0174 · 7/10 · 5 April 2017]

I won't lie, the start of the movie was pretty dull and slow and a little over the top with the military theme. But once it gets to the actual conflict of the movie; two thumbs up!

I really liked the physiological aspect and what the main character is wrestling with in his own mind. Very human and that was the best part of the movie.

Armie Hammer is a talented actor with his brooding persona. It was a little much at first but he pulled it together incredibly well for the rest of the movie.

Glad I found it. Go check it out!

Good Film

[laughitupfuzzball-80703 · 7/10 · 2 May 2017]

I think so many reviewers are missing the point, yes loads of inaccuracies but that's not new and not sure if I've ever seen a film without them. The location genre backdrop call it what you may are just that, background. The film is about having the bravery to take the next step and moving forward past your demons to a more positive place. It really does take that point to the extreme of literal so why so many seem to have missed this point is peculiar....

First Half: 10; Second Half: Barely 5

[monastery27 · 6/10 · 5 April 2017]

The first (almost) half is taut and thrilling, with unexpected twists and a superb pace, the rest of it - not so much. It's almost as if different writers contributed to the separate halves of the movie. The psychological tension it strives for is burdened by cliché domestic drama; the romantic angle is a drag and slacks the movie. The semi-mystical, surreal elements and wide, solitary shots of desert expanses were gripping.

P.S. The protagonist was very good-looking and makes for a very convincing US Marine soldier, so it makes the boring parts tolerable.

I Wish I'd Stepped On A Mine Instead

[themightyservo · 2/10 · 6 April 2017]

-Spoilers, but it'll help you save almost two hours.-

Ughhh...

Positives:

I give the film two stars because the berber guy played by Clint Dyer is really likable. I'd rather have seen a film about him and his story by itself.

They do some transitions between scenes/hallucinations that involve the main character Mike the sniper taking a step and then hearing a "click" like stepping on the mine as significant life events take place. Those transitions are really, really good. Too bad they didn't make a better film for them to be in.

Negatives:

Lore Sjoberg, professional sarcast, years ago coined what he calls "The Law of Cinematic Inaccuracy". "Movies get everything wrong. Hacking-based movies are laughable to hackers, military-based movies are laughable to members of the armed forces, and Indiana Jones movies are laughable to archaeologists." File this one in the military category.

It's glaringly obvious they either didn't hire any military script adviser or they didn't listen to that adviser. To anyone who's served or even been around anyone who's served in any nation's armed forces, it's terrible.

Marines don't call each other soldier, just like soldiers don't call each other "marine", and lawyers don't call each other "plumbers", and IT specialists don't call each other "deep sea divers".

American military missions (by ground force elements, for those rare few who've read about what happened during Red Wings from military sources and not from media) also don't leave people with no comms, nor stranded in the desert by themselves with no air or ground support for days.

They also have contingency plans, fallback points, rally points, recovery points, and so on. Missions (by ground force military elements) are not seat-of-your-pants things, especially as depicted in the film. The 5 Principles of Patrolling begins with "Planning".

Desert survival involves wearing something to block the sun. Hats are thrown away for dramatic effect to show actors sweating. It's silly. Everyone who's been in any desert knows this.

The generic "mid-east" war setting didn't bother me, but the fluff of people wandering through the desert to have a "wedding" was pretty lame. High value targets don't wander into dunes where air assets can spot them from 30 miles away, they shuffle around settlements.

The whole setup for the initial sniping scene is preposterous, especially when they give us specific information the filmmakers don't understand. They give an exact range for the target Mike's sniping at well over 1000 yards. I seem to recall it's 1708 - nearly a mile (1.6km). When a glint of light reflecting from his scope is spotted (because his hide sucks and he doesn't run a tenebraex killflash or sunshade tube like everyone else has for decades), ragged terrorists start dumping rounds on them at 1700 yards... which is a very tough shot for a very good sniper, and well outside of the effective range of guys with AKs.

The breakdown in discipline between the two "friends" and subsequent wandering into a minefield that's marked by a plot device sign landing literally at their feet is something that no one with discipline would ignore. But Mike the sniper and his friend do, and his friend gets his legs blown off for his troubles, which is the only scene I laughed at because the wagging stumps were somewhat limited technically, but mainly because it was so hackneyed and plainly stupid. There was zero subtlety, and the film failed with its intended mission there completely. It could've been a really disturbing moment, but because it was so front-loaded it came as a joke like Dead Meat in Hot Shots.

Mike gets his buddy to calm down enough to hit himself up with the morphine that he carries...which ain't exactly standard issue. And then after some more war hackneyed war tropes play out, Mike is left in the desert standing on a mine by himself having heard the "click" movie mines make that real ones tend not to.

From there, we get all the lazy hack writer crap you could stuff into the film, from having to save his girlfriend Jenny from 5 "ranger/delta" guys who apparently are not professionals but instead loud abusive drunks who go to bars in partial uniforms, fighting with his abusive dad/stepdad, watching his mom die, not knowing why he's fighting, yadda yadda.

He gets stalked by the wolf from 300, he does a Bear Grylls and drinks his own urine, he has some more hallucinations, and it's just all around the kind of stuff you'd expect to see in this kind of movie that's trying to be smart but just can't make it.

One of the highlights was the berber, but he rather quickly falls into becoming the trope of "magic negro" who helps the white man learn a valuable life lesson. If it were slightly less blatant, it would've worked better, but frankly I could see Clint Dyer carrying a whole film as the berber in a totally different kind of movie.

The group I watched this with started calling out what would happen next, and by the end of the film, we had guessed pretty much the entire course of the movie, with the exception being the berber's interaction with mines.

The very ending is a mess, but by that point you won't care anyway.

In summary: if you want to make an intelligent, introspective look at humanity by trapping a character alone with their thoughts in a desperate situation, watch this first to see what errors to avoid. Otherwise, treat it like UXO and stay far away and call EOD to detonate it in place.

The will to live

[Gordon-11 · 27 April 2017]

This film tells the story of a soldier who is sent to the desert for an assassination mission. He fails the mission, and is stranded in the desert. After he steps on a mine, he has to stay still and stay alive until a the rescue convoy arrives.

"Mine" tells a story of determination and a huge battle for survival. It is not easy to find the mental strength to live on in such harsh and threatening conditions. The plot tells an eventful and thrilling time in the desert, and I applaud his strong will to live. It would have been so easy to give up. I think the story is inspirational. I enjoyed the film.

Nice movie

[Venom_81 · 7/10 · 26 March 2017]

I enjoyed watching this movie, the script it's pretty solid and original and everything seems well done in all the details. Directors have done a good job keeping you stuck on the chair mixing some thriller / survival stuff with a background dramatic story that sometime spotted out giving more deep to the character. Well directed and well edited , with some shoots loop (the foot that step in making a "click" as it's touching a mine) or Armie that kneel down in different time and story spacing that bring some focus on what it's going to happen and linked all the story together. I enjoyed also how the directors gave us more information and the background story about the soldier and it's inner conflicts. Nice photography and environment too, with some cool shoots to watch. If you consider that on this movie there is less than 7 actors..and you really don't miss anything it means that they have done a good job. I was really surprised by Armie Hammer that he's playing the main character..he produces a really good interpretation really believable ,maybe better when he's in the desert than at home in his normal life. Really a good interpretation. Also i was surprised by the visual effects.. really good and that's why the movie it nominated for David's Donatello award. The only thing i found a bit silly...a marine never put himself in front of sun with a rifle scope..simply because it could reflects the light and make you detected..as it is in the movie..so maybe it's a bit silly. A nice movie that bring some more interesting stuff than just a survival movie as other similar, so if you want just to watch an action movie this isn't the right one, but if you want to watch something between action drama and thriller it's the right one and that's why i really enjoyed to watch it.

Movie so boring even the mine gives up

[the_wolf_imdb · 2/10 · 4 May 2017]

This movie is actually not that terrible. It is full of inaccuracies, mistakes and failures - but this seems to be quite common these days. I see not a big problem here.

The fundamental problem is insane, excruciating boredom of it. The guy basically stands on a mine for most of the length of the flick doing nothing but hallucinating. It is absolutely beyond any acceptable level, this is really Guantanamo-torture-level of boredom. Literally nothing happens for so long time that even the mine itself gives up.

The movie is excruciatingly long, at almost two hour is absolutely unbearable. If the movie would be closer to one hour it might be somewhat acceptable, but let's be straight - this is story for a short movie. It is not thrilling, not exciting, just exhausting.

If you want a way better drama about the guy who is stuck on a mine, try No Mans Land (2001) instead. Way way better movie!

Really worth seeing

[hudsondeal · 7/10 · 24 November 2020]

I'm very glad I looked past the low rating of this film. The setup may seem a bit too neat, but what happens in the rest of the film is completely unpredictable. Armie Hammer pulls off a bravura performance is what could have been a drab role. There is something about this film that reminds me of great short stories which take a simple plot device and turn it into a reflection on the most important things in life. Bravo!

Stuck in the Sand With Cornball Writing & Over the Top Sentimentality

[LeonLouisRicci · 3/10 · 17 August 2017]

Intensely Irritating. When the Tension in a Nail-Biting Thriller becomes Intolerably Corny, the Intention is Lost and the Frustrating Factor Fills in.

The Side Character of Tommy (Tom Cullen) begins the Annoying Dialog and Behavior even before the Movie has a Chance to Gain some Interest and Momentum. It won't be the Last Thing that gets on the Nerves (and not in a good way).

Everything Starts to become Bothersome. The Aloof, Inattentive Voice on the Radio from Headquarters, the Indigenous Goof that Starts the "Theme" or "Message" of the Movie. You've Gotta "Move On".

Most Annoying of All is the Dripping with Clichés Flashbacks, Especially the Father, but also the Wife. The Third Act is Full of Itself and it just goes On and On to the Breaking Point of Audience Acceptance.

Overall, the Film is too Heavy Handed, Corny, and Unending. It also is Bound to the Greatest of Movie Missteps. A Movie Must Move. This one is so Weighted with its own Heaviness that it Ain't Going Anywhere. Be Prepared to be Stuck in the Sand with Bad Writing and Over the Top Sentimentality.

Note...For what it's worth, the Movie Stars Armie Hammer.

This isn't an action movie, nor does it claim to be.

[Laiath · 9/10 · 10 April 2017]

If you go into this expecting war action, you'll be severely disappointed. Exhibit A: the low ratings of some reviewers here.

This isn't a war movie or an action movie. It's the story of a man facing his inner demons in the context of war. I think the directors did a phenomenal job creating a true thriller with literally little action. Armie Hammer's performance was superb; I only started watching the movie because Armie has the kind of looks that God took extra time creating, but as the movie progressed I forgot about the actor and saw only the character. Two thumbs up!

I highly recommend this title, having withheld 10 stars only because the Berber got on my nerves at times and I found the twist at the end irritating.

Psychological thriller!!!

[akb007 · 7/10 · 8 March 2017]

Mike is returning to the base camp after a failed mission. Accidentally he puts his left foot on a land mine. If he moves, it will explode. Help is on the way, Will he survive??? It's a psychological thriller movie and it was very effective in that manner. A remarkable performance from Armie Hammer and all the supporting actors did justice to their roles, especially the British actor Clint Dyer. Overall, If you like the concept, just go for it.

Poor

[xdgvgtv · 4/10 · 17 July 2022]

Ending dragged out with flashbacks to characters you have zero connection with. The ending was about 20 minutes longer than it should have been and the narrative was predictable and boring.

Rip Off

[sanford_may · 24 March 2019]

This was the first episode of a late 1980s anthology series called Vietnam War Stories. The episode was titled "The Mine." I mean this is totally lifted. And apparently not credited to the original writer.

Definitely worth the time

[triglet · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

If non-stop action is all you want, this isn't that. I personally like movies where a sole character carries the movie. (Castaway, Adrift, 127 Hours...) Suspense is there and, well, I just really liked this movie!

Not all that bad....

[mleblanc1960 · 7/10 · 9 March 2019]

I see this movie as someone else put it, in the same category as Castaway. This is about human endurance - both from a physical and mental realm. A man who is isolated and under extreme duress begins hallucinating about his tortured past and ends up exercising his demons. Yes, it was a bit slow at times, and it was not an war/action movie and it was not technically correct at times but the essence of the movie was decent IMO.

Badly researched and poorly executed

[cslbp · 2/10 · 30 April 2017]

I was really looking forward to seeing this movie but as an ex serviceman myself I couldn't believe that there were so many mistakes in the first 15 minutes. So many that I just had to turn the film off.

Trained sniper won't fire because it's a wedding,

Trained sniper given away by lense flare,

Walking through the desert no hats,

Going on desert op with next to no water,

Buddy steps on mine, first priority... not stabilising the patient to stop him bleeding out...but getting on the radio back to base.

If you want to see a good movie of a similar style and story-line then watch Kajaki. It's a true story and perfectly executed. Give this one a miss!

Spends way too much time on family drama, but it's still worth the watch.

[Hellmant · 7/10 · 22 June 2017]

'MINE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A psychological drama/war film about a US Marine that's trapped on a mine, in a North African warzone for over two days. It was written and directed by debut feature filmmakers Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro. The film stars Armie Hammer, Annabelle Wallis, Tom Cullen and Clint Dyer. It received mostly negative reviews from critics, and only a limited indie theatrical release at the Box Office. I mostly enjoyed it.

Mike Stevens (Hammer) and Tommy Madison (Cullen) are two US Marines on assignment in North Africa. After Mike fails to assassinate a military target, the two soldiers are spotted by enemy forces and pursued. After the Marines are able to evade their pursuers, they stumble through a mine field, unwittingly, and Tommy is killed while Mike becomes trapped on a mine. Mike uses a military radio to call for help, but he's informed he'll have to wait two days until anyone can come get him. This becomes a huge endurance test, and an even more gruesome psychological battle, for Mike and the viewer.

The psychological thriller aspects of the film are great, and there's also some touching drama involving a mysterious local inhabitant (played by Dyer) that helps Mike. Hammer is also good in the lead role, and the film is another admirable tribute to US soldiers. The movie is not so fantastic though when it spends way too much time on family drama (from Mike's past). There's also a little too many flashbacks involving his fiancé (played by Wallis) and crazy dream/hallucination sequences. I think the film would have been a lot better at something more like 85 minutes, instead of 106. Still it's worth the watch though.

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So boring. Unbelievable with characters. and a flat direction that seemed unmotivated for a survival thriller.

[cruise01 · 2/10 · 14 June 2017]

Mine a psychological thriller movie about two US Marine soldiers Mike (Armie Hammer) and his partner Tommy (Tom Cullen) are trapped when they both step on a land mine. Now, this could have been a well intense film with its concept idea about survival on a desert with limited supplies and body movement and the wildlife and nature taking a toll on the victims in this situation. Well Mine completely fails about everything in the movie. Directors Fabio and another Fabio could have put more thought into their filmmaking and have a survival tone and vision made for the movie.

First, the script was terrible. It was difficult to believe that the dialogue with the two marines would be this bad. Sure, Tommy was by far an annoying character and acting like an amateur. It would be hard to believe he even made it to boot camp with his attitude. There was no character development which should have had potential too. We learn about Mike and the flashbacks of his abusive father beating his mother. His struggling relationship with his girlfriend Jenny (Annabelle Wallis). His character struggles being stuck on the mine with dehydration, sandstorms, and even wild dogs. His character is changing and it shows how he is affected psychologically. Especially, when Mirage takes place and his hallucinations makes it difficult on trying to tell whats reality and whats not. Also, the dialogue with their command seemed unreal. After the two marines disobeyed a direct order. When they attempted to seek aid and ask for an evac. The responses the command center was giving did not seem believable.

The direction was very boring and dull. Some of these survival movies like 127 Hours worked so well cause of Danny Boyle's direction on showing the characters inner state and how he is slowly drifting between the balance of life and death. Seemed like a concept that Mine should have done. But we don't get much at state of Mike's struggle. Cause the script was one dimensional with his character.

Armie Hammer performance was stale and flat. Annabelle Wallis talent was wasted here with just flashback scenes and some brief moments of the hugging memories. Tom Cullen was so annoying with his character. Sure, your suppose to be feeling emotions and bad for these characters. But when viewing, these characters are flat and it was difficult to even care for when they are facing death.

The movie was boring after the half hour mark. Seeing Mike stuck out in the sun, trying to hold his sanity together. The movie did not do much to build this momentum on him trying to hold it together. It literally was him waiting out there and hallucinating.

Overall, Mine is so terrible and boring. I will not recommend. Unless you want to see some poor performances, boring direction, and a dull script with annoying characters.

Flawed but watchable

[851222 · 7/10 · 14 April 2017]

Greetings from Lithuania.

I kinda enjoyed "Mine" (2016) for its premise, acting and some nice scenes which didn't made sense, but looked good. While premise is very intriguing (of course if you like these kind of "minimalistic" movie like "Buried" or "Locke"), but unfortunately it wasn't as good as above mentioned titles by far. I did enjoy performance by Armie Hammer, i think its one of his very best yet. Some scenes were also nicely filmed and this isn't an action movie nor its really deep about survival - it is more of a psychological thriller. There were many flaws in this movie and creator didn't achieve what they probably intended to do, yet this is a watchable and not a bad film overall to see it once on a very boring evening.

Waste of Time

[tlarraya · 2/10 · 26 April 2017]

When this movie reached its end, I just wished I hadn't spent all that time watching it. I don't want to give anything away, but it's a complete waste of time. Nothing happens. As could be foreseen, there is nearly no dialog. No meaningful surprises or twists. There's no point to this movie.

Great

[pbpbfracking · 8/10 · 17 April 2017]

Critics like always slamming good films just cuz they take a different approach than what they wanted.

The films revolves around this marine who is stuck in a land mine and while there is not much to do on that situation, the film follows along with the metaphor of "Man stuck on his own path" and he needs to learn to move on.

I found it interesting and this becomes a battle of endurance of the mind as it is of the body.

Great performance from Armie Hammer!!

Surprisingly very good

[francoisleto · 7/10 · 18 January 2018]

I made the mistake of reading its review score before watching it, so I was expecting something bad. But on the contrary, it was a very moving movie. I would advise not giving up after the first 15-20 minutes, as the story unfolds toward the end.

So, yes the movie is inaccurate for all those military experts, but it doesn't stop me from enjoying the story behind it, which was very intense and involving.

Do NOT waste your time (or money)

[luigiterra · 1/10 · 9 October 2019]

The worst sniper in the HISTORY of snipers, and his equally incompetent teammate, sits overtly on top of a cliff where they let a clear and easy target get away after a ridiculous hesitation / arguing. Meanwhile they ask a faceless authority, obviously located in a command place somewhere off location, over the comms what to do about obvious situations. Then, the sniper makes sure to blink his unmasked scope enough for the targets / enemies to spot them, where after they immediately try to escape along a non planned route. During this, they throw their weapons to the ground, down a hill, instead of simply holding them in their hands when jumping down them selves. This is so amateurish, completely not researched and stupidly executed in the first four minutes alone, that the script and directing looks like little more than a bad high school project. This has NOTHING to do with a realistic situation what so ever. Shame on you for demanding money to watch this complete garbage of an attempt at a movie.