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Kandahar is a 2023 movie starring Gerard Butler about a covert spy who has to flee Iran after his cover is blown. Tom Harris, played by Gerard Butler, is an MI6 spy who’s working covertly for the CIA in Iran. He has to get himself and his translator to Kandahar as quickly as possible, to catch the only flight home available.
This post is both a summary and review of Kandahar. That is to say, it may contain spoilers.
Iran’s Nuclear Plant
Tommy, while working for a CIA covert ops agent, Roman Chalmers, played by Vikings’ Travis Fimmel, is instructed to plant a trojan device near an Iranian nuclear enrichment plant.
With the help of Oliver Altman, played by Tom Rhys Harris, his assistant and also a spy, they go undercover as engineers from an internet company and install the trojan device into the plant’s network.
The device, which is a way for the CIA to hack into the mainframe of the underground enrichment plant, proves vital as the CIA uses it to blow up the facility.
Luna
Luna Cujai, played by Nina Toussaint-White, is a British journalist in Iran who gets a tip-off and is sent evidence that the CIA is sabotaging Iran’s nuclear program. On the call, Luna’s conversation with the whistleblower is recorded with Iranian security agents also listening in.
When the nuclear plant is blown away, the agents, led by Farzad Asadi, played by Bahador Foladi, go after her. Luna is taken prisoner and is interrogated on who tipped her off.
The Pakistani
At the same time, the Pakistani Intelligence are listening in on the Iranian security agency’s boss, Bashar, played by Vassilis Koukalani. The Pakistanis, who are now aware that the Iranians are after Tommy for his role in the bombing of the nuclear plant, send their agent, Kahil Nasir, played by Ali Fazal, after Tommy. Their intention is to capture Tommy and sell him on the open market.
Mo
Mohammed Doud, played by Navid Negahban, is brought in by Roman as a translator for Tommy. He isn’t in the loop on the nuclear program sabotage and is in Afghanistan looking for his wife’s sister who’d gone missing after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. When Mo goes out to meet a friend and mourn at a grave, he comes back to find Tommy burning documents and is taken aback. Tommy tells him that they have to leave immediately for Kandahar and that their cover is blown. By this time, the Iranians had taken out Oliver and Tommy was next on their hit list.
Family
Tommy has a daughter and his wife, from whom he is separated, asks him to sign the divorce papers. His daughter’s graduation is slated for the coming weekend, and Tommy has to go home at whatever cost. He’d refused to take the job in Afghanistan but on visiting Roman in Dubai, had been convinced.
When he got to Afghanistan, he’d met Mo who would be his translator. Before he could make headway on his mission, however, his cover was blown and it was reported in the news that he’d been involved in the bombing of the Iranian nuclear plant.
The Road to Kandahar
Tommy and Mo get on the road and they have to quickly change their vehicle to a less conspicuous one. Tommy jacks an old Nissan pickup and before they can get far, they come across the Iranian agent Farzad and his crew, and the Pakistani Kahil. Tommy manages to evade them and when he’s met by a Taliban death squad, also after him, he manages to skirt them.
The vehicle, on getting to the desert, has a puncture and Mo, who’s shocked by the events thus far, demands to be told the truth. Tommy tells him that he was responsible for the bombing of the Iranian nuclear plant and that’s why there are death squads after him. At the same time, the two come across a boy who nearly blows them away with an IED.
Coming to the Rescue
As things continue to unravel, Roman decides to go into Afghanistan to retrieve Tommy and Mo himself. He elicits the help of Afghan Commandos who pretend to be ISIS militiamen. Tommy, on the other hand, was on his way to meet an old friend in Farah Province in Afghanistan.
Rabbani
His friend, an Afghan warlord by the name of Ismail Rabbani, played by Ray Haratian, was well connected and Tommy had hoped that he’d lend them a helicopter. When they get there, however, Mo is riled up and reveals that it was Rabbani’s men who’d killed his son. They get into a confrontation and it causes the two to leave. They are given an ANA truck and continue on their way to Kandahar.
Captured
Before long, however, Tommy and Mo are captured and held by a Taliban leader Rasoul, played by Hakeem Jomah, who tortures them. Rasoul had managed to capture the two after Rabbani tipped off the Pakistani, who through Kahil had asked Rasoul to intercept Tommy and Mo. Before long, however, fighting breaks out and one of Rasoul’s men comes rushing in informing him that they are being attacked by ISIS.
The men attacking the village are Afghan Commandos masquerading as ISIS fighters, who had been elicited to help by Roman. Roman is amongst them at the village and he manages to get in and rescue both Tommy and Mo who had, by this time, been pretty roughed up.
Last Mile
Roman, Tommy, and Mo take an old pickup truck and head to an old CIA base where a British C30 plane will land for only a minute. Kahil, who’s been hot on their heels all this time, instructs a Taliban force to intercept them and ensure they do not enter the base. The force is made up of dozens of Humvees and the CIA bosses on overwatch, Chris Hoyt, played by Corey Johnson, and Mark Lowe, played by Mark Arnold, decide to send an air strike force to help.
Gone
Unfortunately, Roman is shot while shooting at Kahil and his man. When he’s first injured and Mo tries to put pressure on the wound, Roman jumps out of the truck and sacrifices himself to give the two a chance to get to the gate of the base. Roman is struck down and the two continue on.
The air strike obliterates all the Taliban humvees and Mo and Tommy manage to make it into the base and onto the plane. Luna, the captured journalist is released by the Iranians, with Bashar urging the Pakistani boss to come back home. Apparently, the head of the Pakistanis was an Iranian.
Our Rating
Kandahar is a neat action movie and comes packed with a suspenseful storyline. We loved how well-shot the movie is and the way it managed to keep us on edge for the entire two hours. Butler’s performance was also impeccable as was Navid’s and Fimmel’s. We loved the movie and give it a 7.5/10. Enjoy!
