No-Nonsense Action-Thriller Set in North Korea

An unpretentious B-movie made with A-grade effort, “Valiant One” packs decent action and mostly sturdy drama into the tale of U.S. soldiers whose mission near the DMZ goes haywire and leaves them stranded in North Korea. The first film directed by longtime producer and production executive Steve Barnett (“300”) doesn’t add anything to the “trapped behind enemy lines” playbook but does offer a pacy combination of well-executed combat scenes and reluctant-hero drama that should play especially well with military movie buffs. Boasting solid central performances by Chase Stokes (“Outer Banks” series) and Lana Condor (“To All the Boys” films), “Valiant One” opens in limited U.S. cinemas on Jan. 31.

“Valiant One” is the kind of mid-size action movie we’ve seen much less of in commercial theatrical release since these straight-to-streaming days began. Though lacking the scale of a big-budget spectacular — it’s no “Black Hawk Down” — the film has good production values and could perform well on the strength of popular lead performers and its full-strength salute to those who serve. Politicians, bureaucrats and geo-political analysis are nowhere to be seen in a screenplay that’s pro-military without getting too jingoistic. The focus is squarely on rank-and-file soldiers finding the courage and ingenuity to prevail when all hope seems lost.

Clocking in at a trim 87 minutes, “Valiant One” doesn’t have the time or inclination to explore its characters too deeply but deals efficiently with the basics. Stationed at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 60 miles south of the DMZ, Sgt. Edward Brockman (Stokes) is a non-combat tech officer who eyes a future in Silicon Valley rather than a life in uniform. A gig economy-era soldier, if you like, and a far cry from the Navy SEALS whose real-life crash landing in the DMZ gave Barnett the inspiration for this story. Still, Brockman’s no slacker and presents properly…