AI cooling centers threaten families as Caviezel stars in mediocre Ghost Soldier action throwback review
A town faces displacement
Caviezel stars as Henry Fitzgerald, a former celebrated member of the army special forces. He is charged with protecting his town from a corporation that wants to remove families from their land and build cooling centers for artificial intelligence.
The story is set in Valentine, Wyoming. Its focus on the water demands of AI brings a current technology issue into the conflict, though the film does not take a direct position on AI itself.
A familiar action style
Sony Pictures presents Ghost Soldier as a modern story shaped like a 20th-century action movie. Its old-school approach appears from the opening scene, with a seemingly faultless lead, far-fetched action and frequent one-liners.
That style may feel fresh to some viewers, as action thrillers built around pure adrenaline have become less common. But the film also relies on well-worn conventions, and Fitzgerald’s near-total lack of flaws makes him less memorable.
Action falls short
The film’s fights and thrills are its main draw, but they do not lift it beyond mediocrity. Most action sequences arrive in the third act; they are not poorly shot, yet they lack the intensity and spectacle viewers may expect from the genre.
The corporation’s reason for taking over the town could be changed without greatly affecting the larger story. The timely AI angle adds interest, but familiar character choices and ordinary action remain the film’s central weaknesses.
Key points
- Jim Caviezel plays a former special forces soldier defending Valentine, Wyoming.
- The town’s conflict centers on land sought for AI cooling centers and their water use.
- Ghost Soldier adopts a retro action style, complete with one-liners and far-fetched sequences.
- Its ordinary action and familiar tropes leave the film mired in mediocrity.