'Tears of the Sun' - a bungle in the jungle

Tears of the Sun

Director: Antoine Fugua

Cast: Bruce Willis, Monica Bellucci, Tom Skerritt, Cole Hauser

Cert: 15.

Americans come to the rescue once again in the jungles of Nigeria in a poorly-disguised remake of Willis's most famous films, the Die Hard series.

He plays the leader of a group of US SEALS, an elite collection of heroes who go into the jungle to save a doctor (Bellucci), who won't go with them unless they also help some children. Having to choose between obeying their orders, (“Bring back only the doctor”), and their conscience, what can the SEALS do?

There is a race-against-time element to the threadbare plot. They have to beat a pursuing band of terrorists to the safety of the border, but the dominant element is the painting of the Americans as do-good heroes. It does so without supporting the notion with anything more than cliches.

Willis desperately needs some decent scripts and they're not to be found in the jungle!

Star Rating: 1/5