Jaime Osorio Márquez’s The Awakening (El Despertar, also known as Operation Black Jungle) is the type of “Predator”-style movie I’ve been waiting for. It strips away any hints of sci-fi and goes full-on Black Hawk Down. It’s not that the 20th Century Fox movie was borderline, but once the hints are placed at the start and the marketing does its thing, it’s hard to forget. What makes this Colombian film both haunting and yet peaceful before the insurgency is how the planning begins. I can hear shades of “House of the Rising Sun” during the setup in the first ten minutes or so.
The military team is preparing for a strategic mission: eliminate a political figure and exit unseen. With Rojas (Claudio Cataño, One Hundred Years of Solitude) and Diaz (Alejandro Buitrago, Narcos) leading the charge, who survives from this unit will depend on who can scream the loudest. They’re strong leading men who handle everything like they’ve spent time in the army, and they carry real presence. Doc (Héctor Sánchez), Matias (Carlos Mariño), and Pardo (Andrea Olaya) round out the team.
Continue reading “Fear the Jungle’s Shocking Spirit in The Awakening… Predator fans look out!”